arboriculture and fruit

For both the tree and the fruit there are harmful insects: aphids, scale insects, leaf miners, leaf rollers, cicadas, bugs, beetles, moths, butterflies. There are several possible beneficial insects and mites that can be use to control the pest. But looking for native species that spontaneously can fly in a mostly organic orchard is also of great interest.

Especially in the large fruit production, such as apples and pears, the use of chemical control is widely spread due to large areas of the field and, unlike greenhouses, there is no climate control. Stricter legislation regarding admission to chemical pesticide leads to a more extended use of integrated pest management (IPM), which is a combination of chemical and biological solutions with the lowest negative impact on the environment.

While IPM both for insects and for fungi control, it is important to adjusted agricultural practice to spare the natural enemies as much as possible. The natural enemies can help to kept the pest damage below the threshold. Especially during the transition to an integrated control system, certain natural enemies in the orchard may be expelled, after which they can reestablish themselves and multiply. This kind of approach may take time and requires patience and a good guidance in this process is necessary.

Entocare has been involved in several research projects in orchard and berries; beech aphid controlled with predatory bug, soft scales parasitized by native wasps in the berry crop and apple aphid predated by ladybugs. Through the proper use of these natural enemies (monitoring, development and follow-up) it is possible to use less chemical pesticides.