Cleaner Cultivation process, Naturally Good
Zonda Beneficials provide biological crop protection by using beneficial mites for the natural control of plant pests and diseases.
Zonda Beneficials supplies a complete biological system, from live products to advice and guidance.
We help growers in the food and ornamental plant sectors to meet todays’ demands for more environmentally cleaner production processes, food safety and quality end product, as well as fulfilling legal requirements. When natural enemies are used to control pests, the use of chemicals can be reduced and sometimes even eliminated altogether. It’s a healthy combination for everybody: the grower, customer and the environment.
We are committed to improving the range of biological control agents available to New Zealand growers, and to ensuring growers have the necessary tools to achieve the desired pest control results.
We have recently invested in a new research and development unit, to continually improve our existing products and extend our product range into the future.
The potato Psyllid is spread throughout New Zealand and has long been a problem for growers. They are a significant problem for greenhouse and open field tomatoes, peppers, potatoes and aubergines, among other crops.
Potato Psyllids inject a toxic substance into plants as they feed, causing serious growth abnormalities including chlorosis, distortion and discolouration of foliage and overstimulated flower bloom.
Psyllids have six distinct stages; eggs, first, second, third and fourth larval stage, and adult insect. Adult psyllids measure about 2.5-2.71mm in length. Adults have two pairs of clear wings and antennae that are almost half the length of the body. The colour of an adult Psyllid will range from pale green, through to brown and eventually grey or black depending on the age. Prominent white or yellow lines are found on the head and thorax. They are good fliers and will readily jump when disturbed.
Limonica is an effective predatory mite used to control a broad spectrum of pests, including targeting greenhouse Whitefly. Limonica will prey on the eggs and all larval stages of Whitefly.
Limonica is also able to reduce spider mite, Thrips and Psyllids in greenhouse and outdoor crops.
The greenhouse Whitefly is the most common variety in New Zealand and has long been a problem for growers. They are a significant problem for greenhouse tomatoes and cucumbers, among other crops. The nymphs and adult whitefly cause direct damage through sucking plant sap and secreting honeydew. They also have the potential to cause crop losses by indirectly transmitting plant viruses.
Whiteflies have six distinct stages; eggs, first, second, third and fourth larval stage, and adult insect. Adult Whiteflies are usually found on the underside of plant leaves, where they feed and lay eggs. Adults are about 1mm, white and moth-like in appearance. If disturbed, the adults will fly off the plant and return again to the underside of the leaves.
Limonica is
an effective predatory mite used to control a broad spectrum of pests,
including targeting greenhouse whitefly. Limonica will prey on the eggs
and all larval stages of whitefly.
Limonica is also able to reduce spider mite, thrips and psyllids in greenhouse and outdoor crops.
Onion thrip ‘Thrip tabaci’ and Western Flour Thrip ‘frankliniella occidentalis’ are a major problem in many protected crops, especially cucumber. Western flower Thrip is especially damaging, as it is resistant to the most pesticides, and is capable of transmitting a large number of viruses and disease, particularly tomato spotted wilt virus. Thrips cause damage to the plant by piercing and sucking out cells on the leaf surface. This causes silver-grey spots on the leaves, with dark green spots (excretions), and reduces the production of the plant. High infection levels may even cause plants to wither.
Onion Thrips (thrips tabaci), the eggs are very small, approx. 0.2mm long, kidney shaped and white-yellow in colour. The larvae are 0.4-0.6mm long and light colour with bright red eyes. The second larvae stage they are 0.7-0.8mm long, light and yellow to green in colour. The adult colour is dependant of the crop, females can be yellow grey to brown, and are roughly 0.8-1.2mm long. The males are wingless and smaller.
Western flower Thrips (frankliniella occidentalis) look very similar to the onion Thrips. To determine the certainty of adult specimens you would need to examine under a microscope.
Thripex are a tiny predatory mite which feeds on the eggs and juveniles of both onion Thrips and western flower thrips, as well as various other small mites such as broad mites. They will also feed on the eggs and juveniles of two-spotted spider mites.
Thripex may also survive on certain types of pollen (such as capsicum and eggplant), therefore allowing them to be introduced before Thrips are present and can continue to survive after thrip numbers have been reduced.
Spider mites can cause major damage
on a wide range of crops, including Capsicums, eggplants, strawberries,
orchids and beans, just to name a few. They thrive in hot, dry
situations and are usually more of a problem in summer months.
Spider
mite larvae, nymphs and adults feed on the underside of leaves and
cause widespread yellowing of the leaves and then leaf drop. In most
cases, damage is caused only to leaves, but when fruit are affected,
russeting and misshapen fruit may result.
They can overwinter in
greenhouses, hidden away in cracks and crevasses, only to emerge in
large numbers when the weather improves.
Two-spotted spider mite are usually found on the underside of the leaves. Two-spotted mites have five different stages; eggs, larva, first stage nymph, second stage nymph and adult mite.
The eggs are round with an average diameter of 0.14mm and are transparent when freshly laid, later becoming opaque. As they are nearly ready to hatch they become straw-coloured.The larvae have three pairs of legs and as they begin feeding their colour changes to a light green, brownish yellow or even dark green.
The first stage nymph, (protonymphs), have four pairs of legs are large than the larvae. Their colour varies from light to dark green. Second stage nymph, (deutonymph), is larger again, but has the same colouration.
The adult female has an oval body and can vary in colour from orange, dark green, brown or almost black. The male adult is smaller and more active than the female. The colour of the adults often depends on the crop in which they are active. Both females and males usually have two large black spots, hence the common name -two-spotted spider mite’.
The predatory mite ‘Spidex’ will hunt, kill and eat two-spotted mites that they find in a crop. They will consume both juvenile and adult spider mite, and adult Spidex will also eat spider mite eggs. They are very effective predators and will stay in one area until all two-spotted mites have been eaten, before moving into a new spot. Once all two-spotted mite have been eaten, they will die off naturally or move out of the affected area.