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vironmentally friendly alternatives for plant
protection treatments. These initiatives are
in line with the section on prevention and
pollution control contemplated in the UNE
165.010 “Spanish experimental standard”
known as the “Corporate Social Responsi-
bility Management System”
Biological control is a strategy based on the
use of beneficial live organisms to reduce
the population density or impact of a har-
mful organism that is classified as a plague.
Our beneficial insect, the Anthocoris nemo-
ralis, a bug (heteropterus), which acts as
a natural enemy reaches, as an adult, the
size of 3-4 mm. It is brownish, with a black
head and, although it has wings, it is not
able to travel long distances.
We began by releasing the Antocoris ne-
moralis outdoors in April 2010. The process
consisted of placing boxes, each contai-
ning 20 to 30 of these bugs, in the internal
part of the treetop.
In addition to the Anthocoris, we decided
to apply an ecological product. The product
consists of an innovative formula using na-
tural polysaccharide (mainly alginate, a pu-
rified chemical substance obtained from
brown seaweed. This formula traps small
insects on the surface of the leaves, cau-
sing their subsequent death by asphyxia.
Logically, this product, being selective, is
compatible with biological control since it
only traps psylla due to its physiognomy but
is not harmful for the Anthocoris.
We can attest that with these measures,
which never included any questionable
plant protection treatments in urban su-
rroundings, enabled us by the end of 2011
to control the plague, which has now rea-
ched equilibrium with its depredators, and
the trees were able to survive without di-
minishing their aesthetic value. Therefo-
re, we believe that the experience that we
described is a step forward in achieving the
objective of protecting the environment by
means of eco-efficient, sustainable, and so-
cially responsible initiatives.