Potato Peel waste helps predators of thrips in greenhouses

As part of a research project into methods to reinforce anti-parasite biological agents in growth media, the horticulture department of the Dutch University of Wageningen has made a promising discovery.

When the growing medium is covered with waste from the potato processing industry, the number of predatory insects is multiplied by between 7 and 10. These predators are very important in controlling Californian thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis). These are a long-standing problem in greenhouse culture, but it is getting more and more difficult to eliminate them.