Integrated Pest Management & Biological Control

Agrocruz works with a growers existing in-house and contract pest advisers to ensure the use of targeted pesticide timings.  Using degree day models and other methods to increase the precision of pesticide application timing and lower the total levels of used while increasing their effectiveness.  This can reduce the amount and cost of needed pesticides as well as prevent or minimize the movement of these chemicals from production areas into surrounding communities and environments.  We advise on the promotion or import of beneficial species  Based on field surveys and customer specific research, Agrocruz creates plans to recommend  when the importing of beneficial species.  An example of this viable pest control option would be the import of Coccinellid species such as lady bugs that feed on aphid and scale pests.  Efforts to promote predatory bird populations can also help increase pressure on larger pests such as mammals and smaller birds which feed on crops and can cause reduction in crop yield and quality.  Agrocruz develops recommendations for strategic placement and promotion of plant species that will attract pests more readily than the crop in production.  These “Trap Crop Zones” will allow for earlier pest detection by enabling the scouting of their presence on non market plants and also lower population densities within the crop.