The production laboratory of the branch of the Federal State Budgetary Institution “Rosselkhozcenter” in the Republic of Bashkortostan has been producing entomophages for more than two years, reports press service of the organization. The new direction is becoming more and more popular among agricultural producers. The use of entomophages to protect crops is the most environmentally friendly, cost-effective and promising way to control pests. The reasons for the demand for technologies for the use of entomophages are the rapidly developing biologization of agriculture and the fashionable and very correct trend - organic farming.
Gabrobracon is a small insect (2-3 mm) from the order Hymenoptera, family Braconidae. Highly effective parasite of caterpillars of lepidoptera pests. Among them: cotton, cabbage, winter scoops, scoop-gamma; whites, moths, moths - rice, dry fruit; corn stem, meadow moth; leaflets - garden, bud, oak, cluster, cereal.
The female gabrobracon finds a caterpillar, paralyzes it by injecting a toxin into the body (the caterpillar freezes and stops eating), and then lays its egg on the caterpillar's body, the number of eggs laid per caterpillar can reach 45 pieces. The larva of the gabrobracon, developing, feeds on the hemolymph of the caterpillar, from which only the outer covers remain.
The lacewing or Chrysoperla carnea is a small insect from the lacewing family. The female lacewing is very prolific, she lays 900–950 eggs in one generation. The lacewing larva is not a specialized predator that feeds on aphids, mites, caterpillars of the first age of Lepidoptera pests. The application rate of lacewing is 10-50 thousand larvae per hectare. The lacewing is applied by hand.
Entomophages are used in greenhouses and open ground to protect vegetable, flower, ornamental and fruit crops from various aphids. Insects are highly effective in combating pest foci. One larva eats about 200-300 aphids during its development. Predators are often selective in their choice of prey. Aphids are more preferable for him, then thrips, moth eggs, then other pests.
This year, a large batch of entomophages was ordered by an agricultural producer from Yekaterinburg. The other day, about 50 cans of beneficial insects went to the Sverdlovsk region. There are about a thousand individuals in one bank.
The production laboratory can produce 15 - 25 cans of entomophages per week.