Alongside the quality of our fruit, food safety and environmental sustainability are Frutas Tereso's main concerns. That is why our orchards are certified under the Integrated Production Method (MPI), a sustainable production method that prioritizes the use of techniques that naturally limit crop pests and, consequently, reduces the use of plant protection products.

Being MPI certified makes us think about the ecosystem as a whole and, in the presence of a pest or disease, make a risk/benefit assessment of all available options.

In one of our orchards, where we have Oronules Clementines, the presence of red spider mites (Tetranychus urticae) was identified, considered a key pest in this variety of citrus fruit.

Knowing that there is a predatory mite in nature that preys on this spider mite and that this pest is extremely resistant to authorized active substances, we decided to release A. californicus in order to enrich the natural fauna of our orchard and combat this enemy naturally. A. californicus “does not see, but uses touch and smell to locate its prey,” thus ensuring greater specificity of action.

The company we chose to work with on this project was Koppert, which delivered the insects to us in aluminum-coated sachets containing a food substrate. Each sachet contains 125 insects, but considering the properties associated with this packaging, there is the potential to reach a thousand individuals.

In this way, we hope to reduce the red spider mite population to tolerable levels and continue to deliver a high-quality, safe, and sustainable product to our customers and consumers.