Use of biological control agents in greenhouse horticulture

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Biological, control Crops Biological control Companies with deployment of macrobials Companies with biological control agents (number) Biological control Companies with deployment of macrobials Companies with biological control agents (%)
B05 Encarsia formosa Total crops/cultivation sectors . .
Strawberries, under glass 48 22.1
Foliage plants under glass 11 4.2
Chrysantinum under glass 0 0.0
Gerberas under glass 34 88.2
Cucumbers 46 24.2
Peppers (total) . .
Pot plants for flowering 47 10.2
Roses under glass 21 43.8
Tomatoes (total) 171 78.6
B07 Feltiella acarisuga Total crops/cultivation sectors . .
Strawberries, under glass 14 6.4
Foliage plants under glass 10 3.8
Chrysantinum under glass 0 0.0
Gerberas under glass 14 37.7
Cucumbers 46 24.6
Peppers (total) 91 45.9
Pot plants for flowering 16 3.6
Roses under glass 10 21.4
Tomatoes (total) 9 4.3
D01 Steinernema carpocapsae Total crops/cultivation sectors . .
Strawberries, under glass . .
Foliage plants under glass 28 10.2
Chrysantinum under glass . .
Gerberas under glass . .
Cucumbers . .
Peppers (total) 0 0.0
Pot plants for flowering 40 8.7
Roses under glass . .
Tomatoes (total) . .
Source: CBS.
Explanation of symbols

Table explanation


This table contains data on the use of biological control agents in horticultural crops under cover. Except about the number of companies which apply biological control agents and the corresponding area, the table gives information about the number of macrobial organisms, as a total and per group of organisms and per ha. A selection can be made by crop.
Microbial pesticides (like bacteria, fungi) are not is this table because they are plant protection products.

Data available from: 2012

Status of the figures:
The figures of 2012, 2016 and 2020 are final, the figures of 2024 are provisional.

Changes as of 12 February 2026:
Provisional figures of 2024 have been added.
Data on the number of agents of nematodes in 2020 have been deleted. In 2024 methodological improvements have been introduced that could not be applied to the 2020 data. Therefore data on number of nematodes in 2020 are not shown.

When will new figures be published?
Final figures of 2024 will become available in the fourt quarter of December 2026.

Description topics

Biological control
Biological control implies the deployment of purchased biological control agents for prevention and control of plagues. A biological control agent is a natural enemy of a plague. The agent is an invertebrate macrobial
Companies with deployment of macrobials
Horticultural companies which deploy purchased macrobiological control agents.
Companies with biological control agents
Number of horticultural companies which deploy macrobiological agents.
Companies with biological control agents
Number of horticultural companies which deploy macrobiological control agents, as a percentage of all companies which grow the crop.