While most agroholdings spend millions on chemical insecticides, the company “Zemlia i volia” has opted for nature. For 13 years in a row, the farm has been using trichogramma – a microscopic insect savior grown in its own unique laboratory. This information was reported on the official website of LLC “Zemlia i volia”.
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This method of protecting corn has proven to be not only ecological but also 7-10 times cheaper than traditional “chemicals”.
“The farm’s own biolaboratory is a facility of all-Ukrainian scale. Under the guidance of Olena Rudko, a team of experienced laboratory technicians works here, maintaining a complex cycle of entomophages reproduction on two floors of a specialized premises,” as stated on the website.
Trichogramma’s principle of action: This beneficial insect is a parasite of pest eggs (including lepidopterans). It finds the egg of the corn borer, lays its eggs inside it, and thus destroys the pest before the caterpillar appears, which destroys the crop.
The farm’s chief agronomist Oleksiy Dzygun emphasizes the importance of timing: trichogramma should be introduced precisely in the first two weeks of the pest’s flight.
Previously, aviation (aircraft) was used, now the process is fully automated with the help of agrodrones. Special computerized equipment disperses insects onto corn leaves under pressure.
“During the season, one portion of trichogramma gives another 4-6 generations in the field. If we introduce 100 thousand individuals per hectare, by the end of the season their number increases to half a million,” explains Oleksiy Fedotovych.
Economy and ecology: why is it beneficial?
Cheaper than insecticides: Costs for the biomethod are several times lower than purchasing imported products.
Zero harm to the environment: Insects do not leave a chemical trace in the grain and do not harm bees.
Self-reproduction effect: Unlike poison, which acts once, trichogramma continues to reproduce independently in the field.
At “Zemlia i volia,” the process of biological protection of crops is put on a conveyor and worked out to automation.