Bio-solution · CE03 · CEA & horticulture
Augmentative biological control in greenhouse vegetables instead of insecticide and acaricide programmes
Replaces
Calendar sprays of insecticides and acaricides (organophosphates, neonicotinoids, pyrethroids, abamectin) against whitefly, thrips, aphids, spider mites and leafminers in greenhouse tomato, pepper and cucumber
Calendar sprays of insecticides and acaricides (organophosphates, neonicotinoids, pyrethroids, abamectin) against whitefly, thrips, aphids, spider mites and leafminers in greenhouse tomato, pepper and cucumber
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Scope
Releases of predatory mites (Amblyseius swirskii, Neoseiulus cucumeris, Phytoseiulus persimilis), predatory bugs (Orius, Nesidiocoris, Macrolophus), parasitoids (Encarsia, Eretmocerus, Aphidius) plus selective microbials, in an IPM system
Releases of predatory mites (Amblyseius swirskii, Neoseiulus cucumeris, Phytoseiulus persimilis), predatory bugs (Orius, Nesidiocoris, Macrolophus), parasitoids (Encarsia, Eretmocerus, Aphidius) plus selective microbials, in an IPM system
Suppliers 7
| Koppert | Netherlands | active |
| Biobest | Belgium | active |
| BioBee | Israel | active |
| BIOMIP BIOLOGICAL QUALITY SL | Spain | active |
| Biopol Natural | Netherlands | active |
| EWH BioProduction ApS | Denmark | active |
| Insectec (Pty) Ltd | South Africa | active |
Route into Russia / EAEU MACRO
- Regulator
- Rosselkhoznadzor
- Typical time
- per shipment (veterinary and phytosanitary control)
- Legal basis
- Live beneficial insects and mites need veterinary certificates and phytosanitary control on import (EAEU Commission Decisions No. 317 and 318 of 18.06.2010); entomophages are not registered as pesticides
Information, not legal advice — confirm the procedure for your product.
Proof 8 claims
Old process
Conventional chemical pest control (insecticides and acaricides).
Conventional chemical pest control (insecticides and acaricides).
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New practice
Augmentative biological control (using macrobials like predatory mites, parasitic wasps, and bugs) as part of Integrated Pest Management (IPM).
Augmentative biological control (using macrobials like predatory mites, parasitic wasps, and bugs) as part of Integrated Pest Management (IPM).
- Displaced at scale?
- yes
- Caveats
- The evidence for large-scale displacement is primarily focused on the Netherlands and Almeria, Spain; adoption in other regions like Ghana is currently in the trial or pilot phase.
- Hand review
- D3 Regional: biological control on 99.6% of Almería's pepper area, 63.8% of tomato and 68.9% of cucumber (peer-reviewed), up from 515 ha in 2006/07; >90% of Dutch greenhouse tomato, cucumber and pepper.
- checked
- 2026-10-06
| In the Netherlands, biological pest control was used in 94.4 percent of greenhouse crop cultivation by area in 2024. “Biological pest control was used in 94 percent of greenhouse crop cultivation in 2024 (by cultivated area).” The Netherlands · 2024 · majority share of a major market | weak (company, news, market research, other) www.cbs.nl |
| In Almeria, Spain, the area under biological control increased from 515 hectares in the 2006–2007 season to an average of 24,953 hectares over the last ten years. “In the 2006–2007 season, only 515 hectares in Almería used biological control organisms, four years later, it reached 20,081 hectares, and the average area during the last ten years was 24,953 hectares.” Almeria, Spain · 2006-2021 · large measured reduction of the old process | peer-reviewed ✓ exa.ai |
| Pest control costs in Almeria fell by 32.16% between the 2007/08 and 2012/13 seasons following the adoption of biological control. “According to publications of the Research Institute of the Cajamar Foundation [22] from biological control’s arrival on the scene in 2007/08 to the 2012/13 season, pest control cost (chemical control + biological control) fell by 32.16%.” · 2007-2013 · | peer-reviewed ✓ exa.ai |
| The shift to biological control in Almeria was driven by a food safety alert in 2007 regarding pesticide residues in peppers, which led to market penalties and a 20% drop in exports. “The presence of isofenphos-methyl in peppers cultivated in Almería on December 2007 received widespread media coverage, giving rise to considerable concern in the sector, and of course, in Spanish and European consumers. The main distribution chains penalized Almería’s growers, and as a result, imports of Spanish …” · 2007 · | peer-reviewed ✓ exa.ai |
| In the Netherlands, biological pest control was used in 94.4 percent of the total greenhouse cultivated area in 2024. “Biological pest control was used in 94 percent of greenhouse crop cultivation in 2024 (by cultivated area).” Netherlands · 2024 · majority share of a major market | weak (company, news, market research, other) www.cbs.nl |
| In the Netherlands, biological pest control was used on 100 percent of the cultivated area for cucumbers and tomatoes in 2024. “| Cucumber | 100.0 | 100.0 | | Tomato | 100.0 | 100.0 |” Netherlands · 2024 · majority share of a major market | weak (company, news, market research, other) www.cbs.nl |
| In the 2020/2021 season in Almería, 99.6% of the pepper crop area was under biological control. “The pepper is the crop with the largest area under biological control 12,260 ha (99.6% of the crop area), followed by tomato 5372 ha (63.8%), cucumber 3637 ha (68.9%)” Almería, Spain · 2020/2021 season · majority share of a major market | peer-reviewed ✓ exa.ai |
| Insecticide consumption in Almería dropped by 40 percent since 2007. “Consumption of insecticides in Almeria -- where agriculture employs some 120,000 people and accounts for 20 percent of economic output -- has dropped by 40 percent since 2007, according to local authorities.” Almería, Spain · since 2007 · large measured reduction of the old process | weak (company, news, market research, other) ✓ www.thelocal.es |
Details
Replaces: insecticide and acaricide spray programmes · Scope: greenhouse vegetables · Evidence: high
The chemical problem#
- Greenhouse vegetables face whitefly, thrips, aphids, spider mites and leafminers year-round; the old answer was frequent sprays of broad-spectrum insecticides and acaricides.
- Pests became resistant, residues triggered market rejections, and workers were exposed in enclosed spaces. In December 2007 the illegal pesticide isofenphos-methyl was found in Almería peppers, threatening exports.
Product overview#
Augmentative biological control: commercially reared natural enemies are released preventively and as needed, supported by monitoring (sticky traps), selective microbial products (Bacillus, Beauveria) and pollination by bumblebees (CE04), which itself requires a low-pesticide environment. The Netherlands built this system from the 1970s; Almería (Spain) switched almost overnight after 2007.
Active ingredient / Composition#
- Predatory mites (Amblyseius swirskii, Neoseiulus cucumeris, Phytoseiulus persimilis), predatory bugs (Orius laevigatus, Nesidiocoris tenuis, Macrolophus pygmaeus), parasitoids (Encarsia formosa, Eretmocerus spp., Aphidius spp.).
- Selective microbials and pheromone monitoring as complements.
Key facts#
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Almería adoption | 515 ha under biocontrol (2006/07) → 20,081 ha (2010/11); ~25,000 ha average over ten years (peer-reviewed) |
| Almería by crop | Pepper 12,260 ha (99.6 % of the crop), tomato 5,372 ha (63.8 %), cucumber 3,637 ha (68.9 %) (peer-reviewed) |
| Netherlands | Biocontrol-based IPM on >90 % of greenhouse tomato, cucumber and sweet pepper (peer-reviewed) |
| Driver | 2007 pesticide-residue scandal in Almería; supermarket residue limits; resistance |
| Russia/EAEU route | Live organisms: import permits (MACRO); local rearing avoids repeated permits |
Advantages#
- No resistance and no residues on fresh vegetables — the export argument that moved Almería.
- Compatible with bumblebee pollination (CE04).
- Lower pest-control cost once the system is established (reported by Almería studies).
Mode of action#
Natural enemies eat or parasitise the pests; preventive “banker” or sachet releases build predator populations before pests take off, so outbreaks never start.
Application#
| User | Target | Method, timing and specifics |
|---|---|---|
| Greenhouse growers | Whitefly, thrips | A. swirskii sachets at planting + Nesidiocoris/Macrolophus in tomato |
| Spider mites | P. persimilis hotspot releases (A30) | |
| Aphids | Aphidius parasitoids, banker plants | |
| Export packers | Residue compliance | Require IPM programmes from suppliers |
Limitations#
- Needs skilled crop scouting and supplier logistics (live products, short shelf life).
- Any broad-spectrum spray kills the system — growers must switch to compatible products.
- Outside leading regions adoption is lower; in the tropics it is often at pilot stage.
Evidence of displacement — D3: proven displacement at scale#
Assessment (hand-reviewed): Regional: biological control on 99.6% of Almería’s pepper area, 63.8% of tomato and 68.9% of cucumber (peer-reviewed), up from 515 ha in 2006/07; >90% of Dutch greenhouse tomato, cucumber and pepper.
Verified figures (the number is in the quoted sentence and the sentence is on the source page):
- displacement — In Almeria, Spain, the area under biological control increased from 515 hectares in the 2006–2007 season to an average of 24,953 hectares over the last ten years. (Almeria, Spain, 2006-2021; peer-reviewed: exa.ai)
- displacement — In the 2020/2021 season in Almería, 99.6% of the pepper crop area was under biological control. (Almería, Spain, 2020/2021 season; peer-reviewed: exa.ai)
- displacement — Insecticide consumption in Almería dropped by 40 percent since 2007. (Almería, Spain, since 2007; weak: thelocal.es)
- driver — The shift to biological control in Almeria was driven by a food safety alert in 2007 regarding pesticide residues in peppers, which led to market penalties and a 20% drop in exports. (—, 2007; peer-reviewed: exa.ai)
Industry pioneers — companies that commercialised this substitution#
| Company | What the source says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Koppert | The predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis (Spidex) replaced the use of chemical pesticides for controlling spider mites in cucumbers. | company-reported: koppert.co.ke |
| Koppert | The predatory mite Amblyseius swirskii (Swirski-Mite) replaced chemical pesticides for controlling thrips and whitefly in sweet pepper cultivation. | company-reported: koppert.com |
| BioFirst Group / Biobest | BioFirst products replaced over 25,000 tons of traditional chemicals compared to conventional farming methods. | company-reported: esgdistrict.tijd.be |
Suppliers — real products and services (from the vendor index)#
Companies below are active vendors in the vendor index whose own card (profile / official website) shows this product or service — matched 2026-10-06 by keyword and checked by hand against the card text. Being listed is not an endorsement; open each card for evidence, contacts and status.
| Company | Region · Country | What the index shows | Card |
|---|---|---|---|
| Koppert | Europe · Netherlands | predatory mites, beneficial insects, microbials and natural pollination | card |
| Biobest | Europe · Belgium | biological crop protection and pollination (BioFirst Group) | card |
| BioBee | Africa/ME · Israel | biological pest control, natural pollination and sterile insects | card |
| BIOMIP BIOLOGICAL QUALITY SL | Europe · Spain | biological control agents (ANAGYRUS BIOMIP P, PHYTOSEIULUS MIP, ORIUS and others) | card |
| Biopol Natural | Europe · Netherlands | biological pest control, pollination and plant resilience | card |
| EWH BioProduction ApS | Europe · Denmark | biological pest control and pollination for horticulture | card |
| Insectec (Pty) Ltd | Africa/ME · South Africa | natural enemies for IPM (ANA-TEC, COCCI-TEC, NEPH-TEC, CRYPTO-TEC) | card |
Government funding signals#
Scanned 2026-10-06.
China, Brazil, India — national research grants acknowledged in publications#
Papers since 2015 whose title matches “greenhouse biological control” and that acknowledge national government funders (Crossref funder metadata; conservative lower bounds). Signal bands: Strong ≥30 · Moderate 5–29 · Weak 1–4 · None 0.
| Country | Papers funded (2015–2026) | Signal | Example funded paper |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 1 | Weak | Ecological wisdom: functional plant Cosmos bipinnata enhances fitness (doi) |
| Brazil | 1 | Weak | – |
| India | 0 | None | – |
Scientific evidence#
- van Lenteren JC (2012). The state of commercial augmentative biological control: plenty of natural enemies, but a frustrating lack of uptake. BioControl 57: 1–20.
- van Lenteren JC, Bolckmans K, Köhl J, Ravensberg WJ, Urbaneja A (2018). Biological control using invertebrates and microorganisms: plenty of new opportunities. BioControl 63: 39–59.
- Note: journal references are checked against Crossref.
Bioeconomy value#
Two of the world’s most intensive greenhouse regions show that biological control can become the standard: Almería moved almost its entire pepper area to natural enemies within four years of a residue scandal.
Third article of cea horticulture (added 2026-10-06, evidence-first: grade D3).