Bioline has now launched two new additions to its Bioline ‘tools in the toolbox’; Amblyline Stick and Swirskiline Stick.

Over the years the industry has learned that there are two critical success factors to achieve effective and long-lasting control of thrips and whitefly with predatory mites:

• Distribution – Amblyseius cucumeris and Amblyseius swirskii are mites; they do not fly. When the crop canopy touches, mites can move from plant to plant, but when it doesn’t, as is the case of Hanging Baskets or individual pots, mites cannot travel between baskets.
• Timing – Amblyseius cucumeris and Amblyseius swirskii feed on immature thrips, primarily stage L1. Depending on temperature, this stage can last anywhere between 1.5 and 4 days: this is the window of opportunity for predation.

The Amblyline and Swirskiline Sticks offer the perfect solution to achieve both of these success factors. Bioline’s mini sachets were developed to allow every basket to be ‘equipped’ with a mini breeding sachet. However, to ensure the correct timing of release, growers are looking for opportunities to introduce their mini sachets as early as possible in the production process, even at propagation of both vegetable and ornamental crops. The challenge with this idea:  ‘Where to hang a mini sachet if there is nothing to hang it from’. That is why we are launching Amblyline and Swirskiline Sticks.

The propagation sector of the greenhouse industry has enthusiastically welcomed the Amblyline and Swirskiline Sticks. The idea of starting biological control at the point of sticking the cutting has many growers thinking that this is finally ‘putting the horse in front of the cart’. Many of the growers who are using biological control as part of their pest management program applaud this idea. Purchasing propagation liners from a station that is using Amblyline or Swirskiline Stick is a ‘signature’ of being produced without long residual pesticides. This means that the grower can start with their program without being worried about residues harming their efforts to use BCA’s.

Amblyline & Swirskiline Sticks are now available in Europe and North America.