Conserver les auxiliaires de culture avec « le gîte et le couvert »

In IPM packages, efficiency of biological control is strongly dependent on the capacity of natural enemies to sustain in crops, whether these natural enemies have been released or promoted (through conservation methods) in the crops. To this purpose, the Hab’Alim project aims to identify and develop habitats providing feeding sources and shelters for the predators and the parasitoids of several greenhouse and outdoor crop pests. The possibility of using natural materials, supplying pollen, using companion plants, as well as foods supplements are studied both for their effects on pests and beneficial arthropod populations. Under laboratory and trials conditions, very encouraging results were obtained with materials studied as hemp as well as buckwheat husks, miscanthus and shetland wool, with pollens of Inula helenium, Lobularia maritima, Sorbaria sorbifolia, Typha angustifolia and Viburnum tinus, as well as prey mite Thyreophagus entomophagus.