Sentiments of a cranberry grower
If you’ve had a chance to talk to a Koppert representative in the field, at a growers meeting, a trade show, or on the telephone, then you’ve probably heard the reasons that you should be using Koppert bumblebees to raise your bottom line.
• Bumblebees will work in weather in which honeybees will not.
• Bumblebees will visit flowers that do not attract honeybee, or flowers from which honeybees are easily distracted.
• Bumblebees work longer hours.
• Bumblebees sonicate or “buzz pollinate”, a technique that transfers much more pollen per flower visit. • Bumblebees are “central place foragers”, which means bumblebees will forage generally within a few hundred yards of their hive. This means, where you place them is generally where they pollinate.
• Using bumblebees for pollination requires no prior beekeeping experience, since they are relatively maintenance free.
• If it’s right for you, bumblebees can be used in conjunction with honeybees.
• The cost of purchasing bumblebees is comparable to honeybee rental fees. If you have multiple crops that bloom sequentially, bumblebees become even more affordable, since they are yours to use as long as they are active. (up to 2 months at full strength and even longer as activity diminishes)
• The Koppert “QUAD”, which houses your bumblebee hives along with the “bee home” door system, makes chemical applications during the bloom hassle-free.
• With a 12 week lead time, Koppert guarantees delivery within a couple of days of the date you specify.
All these points, along with others, add up to a pollinator that is simple to manage, reliable, and highly effective.
Chris Weidman of City Point Cranberries in Wisconsin agrees. Chris tells Koppert that he originally became interested in bumblebees when he started paying attention to what his local bumblebees where doing out in the bogs. Chris is a big believer that proper pollination is a huge factor that relates directly to the yield and quality of the cranberries he raises. Because of this, Chris said it made sense that City Point Cranberries should give Koppert bumblebees a try. Chris tells us that for the last 3 years that they’ve used bumblebees in conjunction with honeybees that they’ve seen consistently larger yields on the acreage where they’ve placed the bumblebees. Each year Chris uses a few more bumblebees, testing to see if the trend continues. He tells us that 2009 was a good year to use bumblebees in Wisconsin. Chris reported up to double the yield in the bogs where they used bumblebees as opposed to the bogs where only honeybees where placed. Sound unbelievable? Chris says he’ll show you the records. It should be said that increases like these are not always the norm, but these kinds of results are not rare and occur in a variety of crops pollinated by Koppert bumblebees. But Chris tells Koppert that the standard way of pollination, using honeybees, is not something he is ready yet to walk away from. Chris said, “We are not at the point where we would go without honeybees, but we are at the point where we would never go without bumblebees.
So why not try the City Point Cranberries approach, integrate bumblebees into you pollination system and see how they affect your bottom line. By the way, Chris tells us that in 2010 he is doubling his bumblebee order.
More Koppert news
Koppert Biological Systems will be at the Fruit Logistica trade fair in the German city of Berlin from 8-10 February. We will be presenting various innovations at our stand.
In a short time you can visit us at three differrent trade fairs. These are IPM Essen (stand 3D51), Fruit Logistica in Berlin (B-10 in hall 1.2) and Biofach in Nürnberg (5-305).
We would like to meet you at one or more...
With its new formula, Koppert Biological Systems has produced an even more effective variant of the predatory mite Amblyseius swirskii. The product is called Swirski-Mite LD (Long Duration). The product is now available.
From now on, Amblydromalus limonicus will be known by the product name Limonica. This name is the result of a promotional action which Koppert launched during the HortiWeek trade fair in November, in which customers and...
Early 2012 Koppert will be participating in several international fairs: IPM Essen, Fruit Logistica and BioFach, where we will present our recent innovations for sustainable crop protection.
The printed version of the Biojournal is now also available to read online.
With the presentation of a cheque worth 1000 euros, Koppert Biological Systems concluded the trade fair campaign for the Heart for the Nations Foundation.
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Last week Koppert introduced the new predatory mite Amblydromalus limonicus at both the Horti Fair and the IFTF. The predatory mite will be available from 2 January 2012, but as yet no product name has been chosen. Visitors to...
Koppert Biological Systems is raising the biological control of thrips and whitefly to a higher level with the new predatory mite Amblydromalus limonicus. The company has devoted over ten years to research in the development of...
With its new formula, Koppert Biological Systems has produced an even more effective variant of the predatory mite Amblyseius swirskii. The product is called Swirski-Mite LD (Long Duration). After the initial introduction, this...
Koppert Biological Systems has reached an agreement with Bayer CropScience AG to take over the exclusive worldwide rights on the marketing, registration and production of the new product Shemer, a biological fungicidal product...
During the Horti Week in the Netherlands Koppert will be present with a stand at the Horti Fair and IFTF. This year there will be numerous reasons to visit us.
Horti Fair stand 0113 in hall 8
IFTF stand B5.07
Koppert and Horti Week: more than just one stand
During the International Horti Week, Koppert will have stands at both the Horti Fair (08.0113) and the IFTF (B5.07).
Admission tickets are free of charge. If you register to...
Koppert Biological Systems is launching the compact bumblebee hive Minipol this month. The hive is the “little brother” of Natupol and Tripol, and contains a bumblebee colony that offers a better balance with the amount of food...
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Visitors to the Horti Fair who register via the special registration link on the Koppert website will be helping contribute to the implementation of a water project in the Ghanaian capital, Accra. Through this campaign, Koppert...
Syrphidend contains Episyrphys balteatus (marmalade hoverfly) pupae. This hoverfly combats various species of aphids in all stages of the life cycle. If there is a great deal of hyperparasitisation of parasitic wasps, this...
Koppert USA celebrates grand opening Friday, August 26, 2011
Koppert USA celebrated the grand opening of its new facility for production in Howell, Michigan. Koppert USA began its move into the production facility in early...
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Several lab and cage experiments have shown that the aphid parasitoid Aphidius matricariae (Aphipar-M) performs better and faster as compared to Aphidius colemani on Myzus species. The tobacco aphid Myzus nicotianae, a major...
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Koppert Biological Systems has launched a new product to combat whitefly in crops such as gerbera, roses, cucumber and aubergine. The predatory beetle Delphastus catalinae is introduced to the market by the name Delphibug and is...
Koppert is pleased to announce that the native bumblebee Bombus terrestris subsp. audax will be available from spring 2011, for growers in the UK and Ireland.
In most countries the pollination season is accelerating and now is a good time to ensure you make optimal use of your Natupol bumblebee pollinators. Optimal placement of bumblebees in a greenhouse can increase the effective...
Natural progression
Koppert
Providing state of the art biological control and natural pollination for professional growers around the world.
Afbeelding 1 - Swirskii
Afbeelding 2 - Trianum
