Use of biological control agents in greenhouse horticulture

View full table Show description
Biological, control Crops Biological control Area size with deployment of macrobials Area size with deployment of macrobials (ha) Biological control Area size with deployment of macrobials Area size with deployment of macrobials (%) Deployed macrobiological control agents (1000 pieces) Deployed biological control agents per Crop area (1000 pieces/ha) Deployed biological control agents per Area with biological control agents (1000 pieces/ha)
Total biological, control agents Total crops/cultivation sectors 6,628 94.4 . . .
Strawberries, under glass 583 96.8 . . .
Foliage plants under glass 502 83.9 . . .
Chrysantinum under glass 469 96.2 . . .
Gerberas under glass 163 100.0 . . .
Cucumbers 626 100.0 . . .
Peppers (total) 1,525 99.7 . . .
Pot plants for flowering 888 77.8 . . .
Roses under glass 147 98.5 . . .
Tomatoes (total) 1,725 100.0 . . .
A Predatory mite and trips total Total crops/cultivation sectors 5,872 83.6 74,287,591 10,575 12,651
Strawberries, under glass 579 96.1 4,542,372 7,542 7,847
Foliage plants under glass 457 76.2 7,650,704 12,775 16,759
Chrysantinum under glass 469 96.2 27,526,703 56,503 58,748
Gerberas under glass 163 100.0 6,660,420 40,975 40,975
Cucumbers 626 100.0 5,684,383 9,078 9,082
Peppers (total) 1,515 99.0 3,464,481 2,264 2,286
Pot plants for flowering 777 68.0 9,434,345 8,258 12,136
Roses under glass 147 98.5 9,272,028 62,137 63,109
Tomatoes (total) 1,140 66.1 52,155 30 46
A01 Amblydromalus limonicus Total crops/cultivation sectors 443 6.3 274,861 39 621
Strawberries, under glass 313 52.0 140,621 233 449
Foliage plants under glass . . . . .
Chrysantinum under glass 0 0.0 0 0 0
Gerberas under glass . . . . .
Cucumbers 0 0.0 0 0 0
Peppers (total) 0 0.0 0 0 0
Pot plants for flowering . . . . .
Roses under glass 98 65.6 125,177 839 1,279
Tomatoes (total) 0 0.0 0 0 0
A02 Amblyseius degenerans Total crops/cultivation sectors 411 5.8 1,439 0 4
Strawberries, under glass . . . . .
Foliage plants under glass . . . . .
Chrysantinum under glass 0 0.0 0 0 0
Gerberas under glass 0 0.0 0 0 0
Cucumbers 0 0.0 0 0 0
Peppers (total) 383 25.0 1,342 1 4
Pot plants for flowering . . . . .
Roses under glass 0 0.0 0 0 0
Tomatoes (total) 0 0.0 0 0 0
A03 Amblyseius swirskii Total crops/cultivation sectors 1,179 16.8 4,509,777 642 3,825
Strawberries, under glass 102 16.9 58,849 98 579
Foliage plants under glass 169 28.3 301,982 504 1,784
Chrysantinum under glass . . . . .
Gerberas under glass 53 32.8 109,119 671 2,044
Cucumbers 453 72.4 2,015,443 3,219 4,444
Peppers (total) 156 10.2 81,123 53 520
Pot plants for flowering 191 16.7 1,308,494 1,145 6,841
Roses under glass 51 34.0 633,143 4,243 12,483
Tomatoes (total) 0 0.0 0 0 0
A04 Macrocheles robustulus Total crops/cultivation sectors 203 2.9 315,115 45 1,556
Strawberries, under glass 56 9.3 32,919 55 586
Foliage plants under glass 55 9.2 111,118 186 2,027
Chrysantinum under glass 0 0.0 0 0 0
Gerberas under glass 0 0.0 0 0 0
Cucumbers . . . . .
Peppers (total) 0 0.0 0 0 0
Pot plants for flowering 87 7.6 163,237 143 1,886
Roses under glass . . . . .
Tomatoes (total) 0 0.0 0 0 0
A05 Neioseiulus californicus Total crops/cultivation sectors 1,878 26.7 1,366,725 195 728
Strawberries, under glass 316 52.4 221,991 369 703
Foliage plants under glass 154 25.7 258,174 431 1,680
Chrysantinum under glass . . . . .
Gerberas under glass 0 0.0 0 0 0
Cucumbers 494 78.9 750,791 1,199 1,520
Peppers (total) 682 44.5 85,071 56 125
Pot plants for flowering 145 12.7 33,758 30 233
Roses under glass 51 34.1 16,496 111 324
Tomatoes (total) . . . . .
A06 Neioseiulus cucumeris Total crops/cultivation sectors 1,538 21.9 11,816,993 1,682 7,684
Strawberries, under glass 530 87.9 3,615,004 6,002 6,827
Foliage plants under glass 101 16.9 1,450,244 2,422 14,362
Chrysantinum under glass 154 31.6 1,775,594 3,645 11,529
Gerberas under glass 139 85.7 1,070,180 6,584 7,681
Cucumbers 43 6.8 126,003 201 2,953
Peppers (total) 394 25.8 896,124 586 2,273
Pot plants for flowering 102 8.9 449,184 393 4,394
Roses under glass 75 50.2 2,434,661 16,316 32,522
Tomatoes (total) 0 0.0 0 0 0
A07 Phytoseiulus persimilis Total crops/cultivation sectors 4,705 67.0 1,319,484 188 280
Strawberries, under glass 378 62.8 106,196 176 281
Foliage plants under glass 239 39.9 300,591 502 1,258
Chrysantinum under glass 454 93.2 195,096 400 430
Gerberas under glass 141 86.7 25,419 156 180
Cucumbers 519 82.9 235,373 376 453
Peppers (total) 1,428 93.3 245,673 161 172
Pot plants for flowering 288 25.2 129,309 113 449
Roses under glass 137 91.8 29,980 201 219
Tomatoes (total) 1,122 65.0 51,848 30 46
A08 Stratiolaelaps scimitus Total crops/cultivation sectors 1,046 14.9 2,391,063 340 2,287
Strawberries, under glass . . . . .
Foliage plants under glass 265 44.2 963,837 1,609 3,642
Chrysantinum under glass 46 9.4 55,038 113 1,197
Gerberas under glass 59 36.3 45,508 280 772
Cucumbers . . . . .
Peppers (total) . . . . .
Pot plants for flowering 508 44.4 1,106,284 968 2,180
Roses under glass 93 62.6 194,720 1,305 2,084
Tomatoes (total) 0 0.0 0 0 0
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
Area size with deployment of macrobials
Size of area with deployment of macrobiological control agents.
Area size with deployment of macrobials
Size of area with deployment of macrobiological control agents.
Area size with deployment of macrobials
Size of area with deployment of macrobiological control agents, as percentage of the size area of the crop. In case of 100% each hectare of the crop is treated with at least one macrobial.
Deployed macrobiological control agents
The number of deployed macrobiological control agents against plagues. Numbers of macrobials from bankerplants are not included. Numbers of macrobials from sachets with guaranteed outflow are included. Nutrition for predators is not included. Notice that the number of nematodes is very large and therefore a total is only provided for the level of biological groups or macrobial organism.
Deployed biological control agents per
Numbers of deployed, purchased, macrobial control agents against plagues. Per hectare. Growth of the population during crop growth is neglected.
Crop area
Numbers of deployed, purchased, macrobial control agents against plagues. Per hectare of a crop. This number depends also on the number of cultivations of the crop.
Area with biological control agents
Numbers of deployed, purchased, macrobial control agents against plagues. Per hectare of a crop with deployment of at least one macrobial. This number depends also on the number of cultivations of the crop.