- Production and marketing of beneficial insects and mites for biological and integrated crop protection;
- Production and marketing of bumblebees for biological pollination;
- Registration, field development and marketing of biopesticides;
- Contract research (efficacy trials, residue trials, side effects on beneficials and bumblebees) of chemical pesticides and biopesticides;
- Marketing of monitoring and scouting systems.
Biological Pollination with Bumblebees
The development by Dr. Roland De Jonghe of techniques for the year-round mass-rearing of bumblebees, and their use for the pollination of greenhouse vegetables and fruits led to the formation of BIOBEST in 1987.
The introduction of bumblebees for tomato pollination created important labour savings, an improvement of quality and a substantial increase in yields both in glasshouses and in plastic tunnels. The use of bumblebees has become a common technique in greenhouse vegetable growing.
Biological and Integrated Crop Protection
1. Beneficial Insects and Mites
BIOBEST currently rears and supplies more than 30 species of beneficial insects and mites for the biological control of all key pests in vegetables in protected crops, ornamentals and fruits.
2. Beneficial Nematodes
BIOBEST sells different species of beneficial nematodes for the control of fungus gnat larvae, vine weevil larvae, slugs and grubs.
3. Biopesticides
BIOBEST markets a range of biopesticides for various companies.
Usually Biobest is also heavily involved in the field development and (if necessary) registration of those products.
4. Monitoring and Scouting Systems
BIOBEST markets a full range of sticky traps and sticky roller traps (BUG-SCAN® and BUG-SCAN® ROLL) and pheromone traps (ATTRACT®) for monitoring pests in greenhouses and outdoor crops.