Tony Spurling, of the family-run Gateway Hydroponics greenhouse in Coldstream, Yarra Valley, Vic, runs a farm-gate store which is a budding showcase for local produce.
About a year ago they discovered a native mite (micro smiris) on their crops. It appeared when they were enduring a plague of sap-sucking thrip, blown in from nearby strawberry farms and the mite began munching on the thrip.
As an added bonus,they discovered it doesn't die off once the threat is consumed as do many other biological controls such as wasps; it simply changes its taste to plant pollen and waits for the next wave of bugs.
In many greenhouses, keen to keep chemicals to a minimum, various insect predators are released as prepackaged eggs to attack specific pests.
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3 comments:
Aquaponics would go well there. Not only are you recycling water, there are no mixing of nutrients (the fish provide that)and you can either eat the fish or sell them!
www.growfresh-aqauponics.com.au
Could be a market for someone there.
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