Trichogramma release methods

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Trichogramma pretiosum

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Release methods

Trichogramma are supplied as pupae developing in grain moth eggs. The loose eggs look like ground pepper.

The pupae are either loaded into 'capsules' or supplied as loose trichogramma pupae which can be applied in various ways.

Capsules are sold by the sheet of 60 capsules. Loose eggs are sold by the gram (50,000+ eggs per gram)

Form supplied	Area suitable	Equipment needed
Capsules ( 1,000+ wasps per capsule)	Up to 20 hectares	None/stapler
Loose eggs - hand applied	Up to 50 ha	Hand pump, 5 litre backpack or 2 litre bottle
Loose eggs - mechanical applicator	20+ hectares	12 volt mechanical doser, 25 litre tank
Loose eggs - aerial application	20+ hectares	1-2 litre hopper, control valve, aeroplane

Capsules come in sheets of 60 capsules which are simply broken into individual capsules.

Each capsule is about 30 mm x 30 mm and 3 mm thick and yields over 1,000 wasps.
The wasps emerge via tiny escape holes about 4 days after despatch from the insectory.

Capsules are placed in a grid fashion through the crop when moths are laying eggs.

In sweet corn, place the capsules in the whorl.

In tomatoes, staple the capsule to a leaf or post.

In melons, place them on the plastic under the foliage or staple to a leaf.

In cotton and soybeans best results are obtained by stapling the capsule to a leaf. But for speed of application over larger areas they can be dropped on the ground under the plants, preferably in the shade.

More on using capsules

Loose trichogramma pupae

Trichogramma pupae can be supplied loose. There are about 50,000 per gram and it looks like a pile of ground black pepper.
Loose trichogramma pupae in aqueous solution They are applied in water with a polyacrylate thickener added. The thickener keeps the pupae in suspension with minimal agitation. The mixture can then be dosed onto foliage. A dosing device that is soft on the pupae is necessary.		The eggs sit in suspension in the thickened water and can be gently pushed through a delivery tube.
The simplest devices are a soap type dispenser attached to a 2 litre plastic bottle or a 5 litre backpack.
Mechanical Dosers For larger areas the dosing process can be mechanised. The units illustrated enable up to 50 hectares to be treated from one mix of 25 litres in 2 hours. The doser can be adapted for a quiktach linkage or can be mounted onto a boom spray so that trichs can be applied while spraying a "safe" product like NPV or Bt. This method of application is fast and is suited for larger areas but needs to be better timed than the capsules for best results.

27 litre tank and 12v DC motor driven soap pump. Suitable for mounting onto a four wheeler or tractor. The devices enable Trichogramma to be distributed at the same time as scuffling or while spraying "soft" products like Dipel®, Gemstar®, Steward/Avatar®, Prodigee®. More on mechanical applicators

Aerial application of loose pupae has begun in North Queensland in sweet corn. The loose eggs are mixed with semolina at a ratio of 1:10. One litre of the mixture is enough to cover 50 ha.

The bottle is screwed into a delivery line in the cockpit and manually controlled via the valve.

More to come on this exciting development.

We see this as an efficient way to cover larger areas in cotton, soybeans and sweet corn.

A more complicated device for distributing Trichogramma has been developed for pecans in the USA (right).

A version of this device will be trialled next season in sweet corn in the Griffith NSW area.

Capsules come in sheets of 60 capsules which are simply broken into individual capsules.
Each capsule is about 30 mm x 30 mm and 3 mm thick and yields over 1,000 wasps. The wasps emerge via tiny escape holes about 4 days after despatch from the insectory.
Capsules are placed in a grid fashion through the crop when moths are laying eggs. In sweet corn, place the capsules in the whorl. In tomatoes, staple the capsule to a leaf or post. In melons, place them on the plastic under the foliage or staple to a leaf. In cotton and soybeans best results are obtained by stapling the capsule to a leaf. But for speed of application over larger areas they can be dropped on the ground under the plants, preferably in the shade.
More on using capsules