Viveros Hernandorena began 10 years ago to develop biological pest control as the main strategy within its Integrated Pest and Disease Control. Today, under the direction of Eva Lacuesta, its technical department is credited with the success of a control system that until then had not been installed in fruit tree nurseries.
Benimodo (Valencia), 27th April 2023. One of the pillars of the Varietal Reliability seal of Viveros Hernandorena is the Integrated Pest and Disease Control, and within this, its main strategy against pests is the use of auxiliary fauna. A pioneering biological control, in which they have been working for more than 10 years with resounding success, creating precedents by having established their own action protocols and biological control techniques, based on promoting the installation of native natural enemies, respecting as far as possible the biodiversity of the place.
Although biological control is well established in horticultural crops and seedbeds, it is not so well established in fruit trees or fruit nurseries, with little bibliography or trials. “When we started 10 years ago, there was no reference of how the auxiliary fauna could behave in fruit tree nurseries. Therefore, we have had to analyze each natural enemy, its installation and control of the pest in question, establishing our own protocols, since natural enemies do not behave in the same way in all species or in all agroecosystems”, explains Eva Lacuesta, head of the Technical Department of Viveros Hernandorena.
This department is now made up of two more technicians, who carry out highly specialized work that requires continuous training because the presence of pests and their incidence on crops is constantly changing. “For biological control to be effective, it is not enough just to release auxiliary fauna. It is necessary to carry out an important study and prevention work, to ensure the installation of the natural enemy, so that when the plant reaches the client’s production area, it will do so with the predator or parasitoid installed and without pests”, reinforces Eva Lacuesta.
Red spider mite control, the starting point
The starting point of biological control in Viveros Hernandorena was the red spider mite, a very aggressive pest in fruit trees. Given the need for its control and the lack of bibliography, the technical department began to carry out trials with auxiliary fauna, and together with the Polytechnic University of Valencia, began to install and study beneficial organisms for the control of this pest.
Since then, Viveros Hernandorena has made many advances in biological control. “We began with the release of phytoseiid to control red spider mites, and today we are able to control other pests in the nursery and do so with different control organisms”, argues Eva Lacuesta.
A clear example of this specialization that Viveros Hernandorena has achieved are the parasitoids identified and installed in its cultivation by means of banker plants, mostly hymenopterans of the braconid family: specific species such as Aphidius spp. (in fruit trees) or Lysiphlebus testaceipes (in carob trees).
“We can say that by means of these banker plants, we achieve a balance in the auxiliary fauna within the nursery, which contribute to their installation, shelter and presence throughout the year, thus achieving improvements in the result of biological control”, explains the head of the Technical Department.
Beyond pest control
Viveros Hernandorena’s commitment to biological pest control goes beyond the sanitary interest of the crop. Under this management system, it seeks a more environmentally sustainable methodology, but also one that is more respectful of the work environment and the health of the people who make up the Viveros Hernandorena team.
“It is a path we started on 10 years ago, convinced that it is the best strategy and where there is no turning back. It has cost the company significant investments, both financially and in terms of time, but today we can be sure that it is more efficient and effective and above all more sustainable, the latter aspect towards which all European guidelines are moving”.
