Tomato growers in Morocco have reported periods of shortage of insects used in the biological control of Tuta Absoluta this season, following strong demand and breaking with the caution of the previous season, which then led to an episode of massive spread of the pest. For his part, Benoit Vuillaume, Director of Koppert Maroc, maintains that demand has clearly increased, but not to the extent of a shortage.
The supplier of biological control solutions declares, "In the last few weeks, we have received some orders from non-regular customers for Nesidiocoris Tenuis, so we can assume that there has been a lack of availability. However, at Koppert Maroc, we have been able to anticipate market demand, and our production capacity has allowed us to meet the demand of our regular customers and extra requests."
Vuillaume explains the remarkable increase in the adoption of Nesi by Moroccan growers by the results of the previous season (2023/2024) when Tuta wreaked havoc in Souss Massa. He adds, "It is clear that the demand has increased compared to the previous season. This is because the farmers had stopped using Nesi because they thought it could be a vector for the transmission of ToBRFV. But the result was that Tuta could not be controlled at the end of the winter, and the damage was very serious, in many cases leading to the premature uprooting of the crop."
According to Vuillaume, demand for biological control solutions this season was not limited to Nesi: "Other complementary products have been in great demand in order to have a more complete control strategy against Tuta, such as black rollertraps, pheromones, etc... This year we have also tested entomopathogenic nematodes with very positive results against Tuta larvae."
Despite additional demand, which is expected to be even higher in the coming seasons due to increased acreage in other parts of the country, Vuillaume rules out the scenario of a shortage. He concludes, "The experience of Koppert Maroc and other subsidiaries such as Spain means that we can anticipate the demand of our customers, with whom we engage based on release planning. This planning is fundamental, not only for the production of Nesidocoris but for all the insects and hives we produce."
For more information:
Benoît Vuillaume
Koppert Maroc
Tel +34950554464
Email: [email protected]
www.koppert.es