“Whitefly is the number one problem in glasshouse tomato production in Western Europe,” says Wesley Akkermans, Sustainable Crop Management Specialist at Biobest. “Whitefly populations should be accurately monitored from the very start of the crop cycle using traps. Our Bug-Scan yellow sticky traps in the tomato crop offer the perfect solution to support effective monitoring. In addition to whiteflies, these non-toxic traps will also detect a number of other pest insects.”The tomato leafminer (Tuta absoluta) is another serious enemy. This moth is a permanent threat in tomato crops and can be monitored and caught using the Tutasan watertrap. Biobest recommends this trap combined with pheromone dispensers to lure the insects. Wesley points out that the Tutasan trap mainly attracts the males. He recommends growers to combine the use of the trap with black sticky traps. These traps will catch both males and females.Finally, as to caterpillars, Wesley recommends growers to use Delta or Funnel traps. “Both traps using pheromones will attract the male moths (the adults of the caterpillars). Biobest has a broad range of specific pheromones for different caterpillar and looper species.”
For further details, contact your regional Biobest advisor.