Mr. Jari Vilppula grows Raspberries on 2 ha under plastic tunnels in Asikkala (Finland). “My father started strawberry farming in 1972, and nowadays the farm has passed on to my brother and me. We have specialized in growing strawberries and raspberries. The freshness and the quality control throughout the whole chain of production, from the field to the consumer, is the most important thing to us”, states Mr. Vilppula. In order to insure the sustainability of his production, Mr. Vilppula opted for an integrated pest management strategy. For the control of aphids, he uses BerryProtect. Jari explains: “BerryProtect is an excellent solution for aphid control in raspberries. It controls all the aphid species found on the farm. Because the canopy of the crop can be very dense, it is very difficult to spray with an insecticide. On the contrary, the parasitic wasps can reach the aphids on any part of the plant. Using parasitoids for aphid control, hence not using insecticide, also allows me to safely use other beneficials for other pests improving the global biological equilibrium in the crop. Furthermore, with BerryProtect, residues and harvest interval are no longer a concern. No doubt that BerryProtect will become the base of my aphid control strategy.”
