How crop-level sensors improve biological control

One of the biggest challenges in integrated pest management (IPM) isn't choosing the right biological control – it's introducing it at the right time.

Biological controls only establish successfully within specific temperature and humidity ranges. Yet many growers still rely on a single climate computer, even though conditions within the crop canopy can be very different.

The climate computer measures the glasshouse. Biological controls live and work within the crop canopy. Those aren't always the same environment.

More growers are therefore using wireless sensors positioned throughout the crop to measure conditions where biological controls operate. The result is a clearer picture of when to introduce beneficial organisms and how to adjust irrigation or feeding programmes to support them.

Measure the crop, not the climate computer

Wireless sensors, such as Fargro's Aranet Wireless Sensors, allow growers to monitor canopy-level temperature and humidity across different areas of the crop. Some are also combining this information with electrical conductivity (EC) data in customised dashboards, creating a more complete picture of crop conditions throughout the day.

Bringing this data together helps growers move away from fixed schedules and instead base decisions on real growing conditions. That can improve the establishment and effectiveness of biological controls, while also informing irrigation and nutrition strategies.

One example is the choice of predatory mites used to control thrips. Different species perform best under different temperatures. Swirski-Mite (Amblyseius swirskii), for example, tolerates warmer conditions than Thripex (Amblyseius cucumeris). Canopy-level temperature readings can therefore indicate which species is more likely to establish successfully at any given time.

Aranet dashboard comparing canopy conditions for different predatory mite species. Swirski-Mite performs better at higher temperatures than Thripex, helping growers match biological controls to current conditions.

Positioning sensors within the crop canopy, rather than measuring the wider glasshouse environment alone, provides a more accurate picture of the conditions these biological controls experience.

Apply the same approach below ground

The same principles are also being applied to biological nematode treatments.

Using WET150 sensors, growers can monitor compost temperature and moisture before applying nematodes for vine weevil control. This helps determine whether conditions are better suited to Heterorhabditis bacteriophora or Steinernema feltiae, while also ensuring the growing media contains sufficient moisture before and after application.

Dashboard showing compost temperature and moisture readings alongside recommended conditions for different nematode species.

As growers build up seasonal data, they're also gaining confidence in larger management decisions, such as when conditions are consistently suitable to begin biological control programmes in spring and when they are likely to become less effective later in the year.

As more growers adopt crop-level monitoring, environmental data is becoming more than a record of conditions. It's becoming a decision-making tool that helps time biological control more accurately, improve establishment and support more effective IPM programmes throughout the season.

To find out more about setting up a crop monitoring dashboard, contact Fargro's Technical Team on 01903 726100 or email technical@fargro.co.uk.