MAINTAINING POPULATIONS OF NATURAL ENEMIES ON PLANTS

摘要

Methods and platforms are provided for maintaining a population of natural enemies on plants, prior and/or parallel to an occurrence of respective prey pests, by associating with the plants platform(s) comprising mechanical support(s) with attached feeding elements for the natural enemies. The platform may be configured to keep the feeding elements close to but not on the plants, protecting them and enhancing the distribution efficiency and life time, while maintaining good availability of the feeding elements to the natural enemies. Various features may enhance supporting the natural enemies' population prior and/or parallel to the occurrence of the pest prey such as olfactory and/or visual cues to the feeding elements as well as sheltering elements such as artificial domatia on the surface of the mechanical support - to enhance biological pest control. Moreover, methods for preparing decapsulated Artemia cysts as feed for predatory arthropods are provided.