Let’s say you’ve figured out which biocontrol agents (BCAs) to use for the various insect and mite pests on your greenhouse crops, found a reputable supplier, ordered the correct quantity of the BCAs, and they’ve been shipped and should be arriving at your green-house at the perfect time. These are all critical steps toward successful biocontrol.
But, actually, you might have missed a crucial step. Even before you place your order for your BCAs, you need to be ready for their arrival. To get ready, there’s more you should know about the preparations that need to be made.
Conditions vary for different BCAs, so without proper care and attention, your BCAs could be weakened or killed, wasting your money and having no effect on your pests. This article will provide some advice for checking a BCA shipment and guidelines for proper storage of many BCAs.
Your BCAs are here, now what?
BCAs are living organisms that require proper environmental conditions to survive during shipping and storage, so it’s important for you to be able to check if your BCAs have arrived in good shape (Figure 1). And if you cannot release them immediately into your crop (which is always preferable), then how should they be properly temporarily stored and for how long?
Read the complete article at www.growertalks.com.
