Biological Control
Cleaner
cultivation process, naturally good
More and more people are becoming more aware of what they buy and what they
eat. An environmentally-friendly production process, (food) safety, and a
quality end product are the key issues for consumers and politicians. Zonda
Resources helps growers in the food and ornamental plant cultivation sectors
to meet today's demands and legal requirements. When natural enemies are used
to control pests, the use of crop protection chemicals can be reduced and
sometimes even eliminated altogether, which is of course also beneficial to
the grower and his environment. Zonda supplies a complete biological system,
from live products to advice and guidance. It is a healthy combination for
everyone.
Driven
by health
Although all efforts now seem to be driven by consumer demands, Zonda Resources
originated from something quite different.
In
1990, Dr Nelson Pomeroy, a leading researcher specializing in the use
of bumble bees as pollinating agents, realized that there was a niche market in NZ for
the use of bumble bees to pollinate many greenhouse vegetable and fruit crops. To supply this
market, the company Zonda Resources set up a production facility in Hastings and set about producing
bumble bee hives to supply to New Zealand growers. With the advent of natural pollinators
in the greenhouse, many growers were concerned that some of the sprays that were being used
to control greenhouse insect pests may also be affecting their bees and that some insect/mite pests were
quickly becoming resistant to the
most popular sprays being used.
As
a result of grower interest, a production facility was set up in late
1995 to produce biological control agents for the major greenhouse pests, namely greenhouse whitefly,
onion and western flower thrips, and two spotted or spider mites. The production of these
biological control agents is part of a joint venture with Koppert BV of Holland. Koppert pioneered
biological control in Europe and brings nearly 30 years of accumulated experience and knowledge to
the NZ market. The value of this knowledge has become apparent over the past few years, with
large numbers of growers having greater levels of success regarding their pest control, thanks
to information gained from overseas.
Zonda
Resources and Koppert BV are both committed to improving the range of
biological control agents available to NZ growers, and to ensuring that NZ growers have
the necessary tools to achieve the desired pest control results. To this end, Zonda Resources
have employed full time technical advisors based in Auckland to help growers with any problems
that they may have when implementing an integrated pest management program.
