BIOLOGICAL AGENT TRICHOGRAMMA TREATMENT

“Organic Invest Bio Protection” Ltd issues a Certificate of Trichogramma Colonization and a Certificate of Quality, which can be used to obtain subsidies.

OIBP Standard
Trichogramma CAPSULES
For: European Corn Borer (Ostrinia nubilalis Hb.) and other species from the family Lepidoptera

For one generation of pests.

Capsule Contents:
Parasitized eggs of Trichogramma brassicae in biodegradable capsules

Rate: 100 capsules (170,000 eggs) per hectare

Trichogramma is a completely safe product for humans, animals, and food!

ORDER FROM OUR E-SHOP!

OIBP Extra
Trichogramma CAPSULES

For: Cotton Leafworm, Meadow Butterfly, and other species from the family Lepidoptera

For one generation of pests.

Capsule Contents:
Parasitized eggs of Trichogramma brassicae in biodegradable capsules

Rate: 100 capsules (340,000 eggs) per hectare

Trichogramma is a completely safe product for humans, animals, and food!

ORDER FROM OUR E-SHOP!

Drone-based Colonization
When ordering colonization with Trichogramma using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), please follow these steps:

Please note that preparation time is required. We recommend finalizing contracts with us in advance and promptly.
Once you place an order for Trichogramma colonization, you need to send KML files of your fields to our email: order@trichogramma.bg.
We prepare the Trichogramma – with different emergence timings depending on the pest, the number of treatments, and other factors, as well as the flight mission.
The most important step is the timing of pest flight initiation, which requires careful and accurate monitoring! Since Trichogramma acts on the eggs of pests, our actions are preventive – to stop the hatching and development of pest generations.
Once pest flight initiation is confirmed, we coordinate the date and time for colonization.
Our team conducts the Trichogramma colonization.
“Organic Invest Bio Protection” Ltd issues a certificate for completed colonization and a certificate of quality for the used Trichogramma. These documents will assist in obtaining subsidies.

Norms and Types of Trichogramma Colonization (Release)

Norms for Technical Crops:

  • For the first pest generation, the norm is 120/140 thousand female eggs per hectare or up to 2 grams.
  • For the second and third pest generations, the norm is 240/260 thousand female eggs per hectare or up to 4 grams.

Norms for Other Crops:
These depend on the type of plants, their growth stage, and the nature of the pest.

Important: Norms are based on the nature of the pest (species and egg-laying quantity), as well as the plant growth stage (field area).

There are two methods for Trichogramma colonization (release): “Free Release” and “Capsular Release”. Both methods are successfully applied when the technology is followed correctly:

Free Release

  • Trichogramma is colonized as eggs mixed with bran (for balance) in portions, released from a height of 7-12 meters (depending on the UAV and wind strength), spreading the eggs over a large area from the plant tops to the ground.
  • Trichogramma is specially prepared with three different emergence timings (each with a four-day term).
  • Hatching begins within the first 12 hours after colonization and continues over a 10-day period.

This release can be performed at temperatures ranging from +14 to +28°C, typically between 7 PM and 9 AM.

Effectiveness:

  • Timely colonization is crucial – before mass egg-laying starts or up to five days after pest flight initiation.
  • The effectiveness is enormous and immediate, but colonization needs to occur every 8-12 days to cover one pest generation.
  • It offers easy logistics and low-cost, productive colonization.

Important: Main drawbacks of “Free Release”:

  • Trichogramma eggs are not protected from predatory insects. Losses of about 10-15% are typically accounted for in the norms.
  • Mating between males and females is minimal, no more than 15%, so females self-fertilize but lay only male eggs.
  • The biotope effect of parasitized pest eggs is up to 15%, with minimal second-generation Trichogramma.

This method is applied in former Soviet republics, India, Pakistan, and partially in Canada, the USA, and China.

Capsular Release

  • The capsule is a cellulose container, resistant to moisture and temperature fluctuations, and self-decomposing in nature.
  • Colonization is performed from 7-30 meters in height (depending on the UAV and wind strength), with 100 capsules per hectare.
  • Trichogramma is specially prepared with four emergence timings (each with a four-day term).
  • Hatching begins within the first 12 hours after colonization and continues over 12 days, with approximately equal numbers of Trichogramma hatching each day.

Effectiveness:

  • Timely colonization is crucial – before mass egg-laying starts or up to five days after pest flight initiation.
  • The effectiveness is massive and immediate, and one colonization fully covers the pest outbreak of one pest generation.
  • Trichogramma eggs are protected from predatory insects and weather influences.
  • Mating between males and females is maximal, over 97%.
  • The biotope effect from parasitized pest eggs exceeds 90%, with a full second generation and partial third-generation Trichogramma.

Important: Main drawbacks of “Capsular Release”:

  • Complex logistics due to the volume of capsules and special storage conditions.
  • Specialized, complex colonization systems, expensive drones, and specialized service.

This method is used in France, Spain, Germany, Italy, and other EU countries, as well as Switzerland, Canada, the USA, and China.

Monitoring
When applying the biological agent Trichogramma for pest control, monitoring pests is key to success.

It is extremely important to accurately determine the start of pest flight and mass egg-laying, as Trichogramma parasitizes pest eggs.

The main tools for pest monitoring include pheromone and light traps, useful models (for determining favorable temperatures and humidity), and visual control (mostly conducted in the evening using vehicle headlights).

We have extensive experience and observations in pest monitoring using pheromone traps, useful models, and visual control.

Useful models warn us 3 to 5 days in advance of pest emergence in a particular region. The models are highly accurate, with an error margin of +/- 1 day.

Pheromone and light traps attract pests and fix the beginning of reproduction and egg-laying. The quality of pheromones is not always optimal, so we recommend duplicating pheromones from different producers!

There have been many cases where pheromone traps fail to catch pests, but we find widespread caterpillar feeding on plants in the field.

Most Lepidoptera pests can migrate long distances, 8 to 30 km per day, during windy conditions (we’ve all seen how the wind carries butterflies for tens of meters in seconds).

We:

  • Alert all our partners of pest outbreaks based on useful models for economically important pests in regions (fields of several neighboring villages, within a radius of no more than 30 km).
  • Provide warnings of pest developments based on models and feedback from partners (confirmed pheromone or visual control).

You:

  • After receiving our signal, you have 3-5 days to install pheromone or light traps.
  • After installing the traps, visual control is needed every three days during the first week and every two days during the second week.

Our Recommendations:
If no pests are caught in the traps, but useful models indicate mass egg-laying or flight initiation has been observed in neighboring farms, we recommend conducting visual monitoring in the evening with headlights.

Once initial flight is confirmed and a signal is given, colonization must be carried out within 3 to 7 days.

Important:

  • Trichogramma is a biological agent for pest control that targets pest eggs and parasitizes them.
  • Trichogramma is ineffective against hatching pest larvae.
  • Trichogramma has no impact on the plant growth processes and does not interfere with vegetation.