Page 9 - Vol.39-No.1

CROP PROTECTION

ENTOMATIC™ AUTOMATED BENEFICIALS

DISPENSER SAVES MONEY & HELPS

OPTIMISE CONTROL

Offering fast and even distribution of “Extensively trialled and tested, Entomat-
beneficials in a wide range of glasshouse ic™ can handle all common beneficial carrier
crops, Entomatic™ is a new adaptable materials – vermiculite, sawdust, bran and
automatic dispenser to help growers buck wheat husk. With no requirement for
reduce labour costs and optimise control. a pipe rail system, it can be mounted on a
Available worldwide exclusively from cart, tractor or spray equipment. All this
Biobest, Entomatic is the result of a col- adaptability brings benefits to us as manu-
laboration with Hortiworld, the Dutch- facturers, Biobest as suppliers and growers
based producer of state-of-the-art Bio as users,” he says.
Bull horticultural equipment. “It can be challenging to schedule and
“Entomatic™ has been designed and engi- tion. In 2020, at the prototype stage, the co-ordinate sufficient crop workers to
neered to deliver a very even, accurate and company approached Biobest and the two manually apply biocontrols coinciding with
homogenous flow of mite products, such have collaborated to fine-tune and validate deliveries. With 2-16 dispensing points,
as Phytoseiulus-System, Amblyseius-Sys- the Entomatic™ and bring it to market. the Entomatic™ can automatically dispense
tem and Swirskii-System,” explains Hanne “Compared to other dispensers, Ento- beneficials in up to 16 rows simultaneously.
Steel, Biobest product portfolio manager for matic™ continuously and gently blows the Depending on the number of dispensing
beneficials. “It can also play a valuable role mites on to the crop,” explains HortiWorld’s points and row length, it has a dispensing
dispensing suitable pupae and egg-based Rembrandt van Meegen. “By slowing down capacity of up to 1,5 ha per hour.”
biocontrol products.” the air flow, more mites land on the leaves
“Manually dispensing beneficials can be - where they are required – with minimal
labour intensive and therefore time con- falling to the floor. The reservoir enables
suming and costly,” she says “A repetitive different products to be carried. When pre-
task, it requires high levels of focus, and mixed, an auger system provides contin-
it can be difficult to assess if the task has uous and homogenous supply to the dis-
been performed well. To optimise biocontrol pensing points.”
strategies and its effectiveness, it is impor- “A simple modular system, the machine
tant to get even distribution of beneficials is highly adaptable and can be configured
throughout the crop.” Summing up Hanne says: “while helping
to suit almost all glasshouse crops – soft growers improve their labour efficiency, the
Having been approached by a north fruit, protected salads and ornamentals - Entomatic™ helps ensure the beneficials
American strawberry grower keen to au- and any growing system,” he says. “We’ve are dispensed evenly throughout the crop
tomate this process, HortiWorld set about designed it to be easy to configure and – a prerequisite of good biological control
designing and engineering a reliable solu- intuitive to use.” strategies.”
Circle 9 on enquiry card
NOVUS NAMES CO-INNOVA ANIMAL NUTRITION

TECHNOLOGY (SHANGHAI) CO., LTD

Global animal health and nutrition com- “We are thrilled to continue to serve the feed supplement – will be available on an
pany Novus International, Inc., announced animal agriculture industry in China and offer indent basis.
a new partnership with Co-Innova Animal the best selection of Novus and Co-Innova “Novus is very happy to be able to part-
Nutrition Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., to our customers here,” says Dr. Sun, CEO ner with our former colleagues to contin-
to serve customers in China. of Co-Innova. “Our team at Co-Innova has a ue serving animal agriculture producers in
The new Chinese company, Co-Innova rich knowledge of Novus HMTBa products, China,” says Vaibhav Nagpal, Novus vice
Animal Nutrition Technology (Shanghai) and we’re looking forward to continuing to president and managing director for Asia.
Co., Ltd., will serve as Novus’s distributor deliver the very best to our customers here.” “Novus leadership is glad that our products
in China for its MINTREX® bis-chelated trace Along with the MINTREX® product line are in the hands of people who understand
minerals and other products. and MINTREX® blends, Co-Innova will also them and have deep knowledge of our cus-
Co-Innova is led by Dr. Defa “Brian” Sun, offer ACTIVATE® DA nutritional feed acid tomers in China. We know our customers
former commercial director for Novus China, and CSM 18 enzyme blends. Novus methio- will appreciate the smooth transition.”
and was created in collaboration with former nine solutions – MHA® feed supplement,
sales managers Zhong Xu and Yuan Lei. ALIMET® feed supplement, and MHA® SP Circle 10 on enquiry card
Vol. 39 No. 1 7