Koppert Cress, a global leader in specialty micro-greens and edible flowers, supplies thousands of the world's most renowned restaurants with a diverse range of products cultivated worldwide. This exceptional diversity positions the company as a market leader, but it also presents significant challenges in Integrated Pest Management (IPM).
To address these challenges, Koppert Cress collaborates closely with Division Q, a sister company dedicated to scouting, implementing, and testing sustainable technologies. Together, they are working towards ambitious sustainability goals, aiming to become climate-positive by 2026. This commitment goes beyond merely reducing their carbon footprint. It encompasses IPM management as well.
The diverse crops at Koppert Cress create favorable conditions for pests and add complexity to management efforts. Effective IPM in this environment requires an innovative and holistic approach, particularly in tracking, analyzing, and predicting pest populations.
Koppert Cress and SERA teams at Koppert Cress offices
The IPM Challenge: Diversity and Complexity
Barnabas Berecz, Head Grower at Koppert Cress, manages multiple different annual and perennial edible flowers in one greenhouse. With insect populations fluctuating daily, IPM is a constant priority. Applying beneficial insects and chemical treatments, although sometimes necessary, incurs significant costs and faces increasing regulatory scrutiny.
However, pest dynamics are rarely straightforward. Insect counts are influenced not only by treatments but also by climate conditions and crop-specific factors. As Berecz explains, "The diversity of crops is both a strength and a challenge—it demands precision in pest management that goes beyond traditional methods.
A Holistic Solution: Integrated Data for Integrated Pest Management
Berecz has adopted the SERA Manager, a greenhouse intelligence and orchestration tool that transforms fragmented data into actionable insights. Developed with the collaboration of Division Q, the software consolidates data from various sources, including insect counts, treatment logs, greenhouse climate data, and crop metrics, into a single platform. This unified approach allows Berecz to track and analyze every factor influencing insect populations, enabling smarter and more sustainable decision-making.
"SERA Manager has changed the way we approach IPM," Berecz explains. "Instead of manually piecing together data, we can now see the complete picture and make decisions based on real-time and historical trends."
Predictive IPM: Staying Ahead of Pests
One of SERA Manager's standout features is its predictive capability. A proprietary algorithm analyzes environmental conditions, such as relative humidity, to forecast pest activity. Research conducted outside Koppert Cress revealed that maintaining relative humidity levels of 45-65% during more than 30% of daytime hours for at least seven consecutive days is followed by an increase in greenhouse whitefly populations in 90% of cases analyzed. With this insight and continuous monitoring by SERA, growers like Berecz can implement timely interventions, minimizing pest pressure before it escalates into a significant issue.
SERA Manager pest pressure Insight
This proactive approach not only reduces crop damage but also optimizes the use of beneficial insects and treatments, leading to cost savings and enhanced sustainability. Berecz highlights, "It's not just about reacting to pests—it's about preventing problems before they happen."
Future-Proofing Greenhouse Management
As the horticultural industry faces growing regulatory and environmental challenges, holistic, data-driven solutions like SERA Manager are transforming pest management. For growers like Berecz, the ability to integrate and analyze data from multiple sources is no longer a luxury—it's becoming a necessity.
Koppert Cress exemplifies how innovation in IPM can sustain excellence. By leveraging holistic data approaches, the company is setting a new standard for sustainable pest management in specialty crop production.
For more information:
Koppert Cress
www.koppertcress.com
For more information:
SERA
Florin Munteanu
Co-founder & CRO
[email protected]
+40722674911
www.SERA.ag
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