Smart pest monitoring at scale

30 October 2025

Smart pest monitoring at scale: Lans implements Trap-Eye™ across 88 hectares to protect premium tomato crops

Dutch tomato producer Lans has revolutionized its pest monitoring strategy by adopting Trap-Eye™, Biobest’s AI-powered scouting solution, across all seven of its growing locations. The fully automated system has replaced manual sticky trap counting, providing precise, real-time data that supports faster and more cost-effective pest control decisions over 88 hectares of tomato production.

“Trap-Eye™ gives us fast, reliable insights into insect activity without the need for manual sticky trap counting. By showing clear trends in pest populations, it helps us to make quicker and more informed decisions – and stay ahead of potential outbreaks,” said Vincent van der Lans, Director of Cultivation & Energy at Lans.

“This smart technology is now an essential part of how we manage crop protection across all our sites.”

Meeting modern agricultural challenges

Growers like Lans face increasing pressure due to stricter regulations on chemical crop protection products and a shortage of skilled workers for manual pest scouting. In this context, the need for efficient, scalable, and sustainable Integrated Pest Management (IPM) tools has never been greater.

Lans turned to Trap-Eye™, an innovative, automated monitoring system that uses AI and solar-powered cameras to continuously capture and analyse images of sticky traps distributed throughout the greenhouse. Each hectare is equipped with approximately 40 devices, providing precise monitoring coverage.

The system identifies and counts pest and beneficial insect species and presents the results on a cloud-based dashboard, accessible from any device. This enables growers to track insect population trends — such as whitefly dynamics, a key pest for tomatoes — and act early before infestations spread.

From pilot project to full-scale implementation

Lans initially tested Trap-Eye™ on a single hectare. After confirming the accuracy and consistency of the data, the company expanded its use site by site until full integration was achieved across all greenhouses.

The plug-and-play system was simple to install and required minimal staff training. Transitioning from decades of manual monitoring to a digital process represented a cultural shift, but within one year, the entire Lans team was confidently using Trap-Eye™.

Now, the company’s cultivation team reviews the Trap-Eye™ dashboard weekly to analyse pest population trends through clear visualizations and intuitive heatmaps, allowing early intervention and precise decision-making.

Tangible results and continuous improvement

For a relatively modest investment, Trap-Eye™ has delivered measurable benefits for Lans:

Time savings and reduced labour requirements, freeing staff from repetitive manual trap counting.
Improved data accuracy, removing subjective human interpretation.
Earlier pest detection, enabling faster and more effective control measures.
Consistent, comparable monitoring across time and locations.

The AI-powered platform also continues to evolve, with Biobest regularly updating its algorithms and dashboard functionality. Future upgrades will include broader recognition of lesser-known pest and beneficial species, further increasing the system’s precision and versatility.

A scalable solution for modern horticulture

Trap-Eye™ is now fully integrated into Lans’ IPM programme across all seven growing sites. The technology has become a cornerstone of the company’s sustainability and innovation strategy — reducing pest pressure, improving crop quality, and supporting consistent, data-driven management decisions.

About Lans

Founded in 1976, Lans is a family-owned tomato producer and one of the leading greenhouse growers in the Netherlands. The company operates 88 hectares of production area in Westland, Dinteloord, and Rilland, with 60 hectares under LED lighting. Lans is recognized for its continuous pursuit of innovation, efficiency, and sustainable cultivation practices.

About Biobest

Biobest, part of the BioFirst Group, is a global leader in biological pest and disease control and bumblebee pollination. Operating in over 70 countries, Biobest delivers advanced solutions for protected and open-field crops through its brands Biobest, BioWorks, Plant Products, and BIOTROP. With a team of 3,000 employees, including 600 technical experts, the company combines deep biological expertise with AI-driven technologies to support sustainable agriculture worldwide.