BIOLOGICAL AGENTS FOR BIOCONTROL...

Aphytis melinusfor biocontrol of the Red Scale of citrus (Aonidiella aurantii)

Leptomastix dactylopiifor biocontrol of Planococcus citri

Cryptolaemus montrouzieri for biocontrol of Planococcus citri

The widespread use of chemicals in agriculture, aiming to intensive production, has led to serious damages to environment and human health.

Many of these chemicals have recently been banned in order to avoid risks and to adopt alternative systems for the environmental safeguard.

Biological control is based on the natural competition between organisms living in the same habitat.

Trees phytophagous natural enemies are reared both as powerful tools for biological crop protection and as a way of streghtening the natural population defeated by the use of chemicals.

In other countries of the world biological control has already replaced the use of chemicals.

In citrus fruit growing, biological control has achieved excellent results and has gained great interest among farmers, witnesses of incresing successes.

SPATA srl - 2001