Fruit production to become more environmentally friendly

Retailers and consumers are demanding high-quality, healthy, low-residue and inexpensive food. They should also be produced in a sustainable and environmentally friendly manner. The framework conditions for the use of crop protection products have already changed significantly in recent years. This has resulted in serious cuts for agricultural production: the elimination of entire groups of active ingredients, restrictions in application regulations, increased residue and distance requirements and reduced application rates.

Pioneering role of the fruit industry at Lake Constance

In order to be able to continue producing fruit under these conditions, innovative and promising solutions are needed. In a research project entitled "Model Plants for Integrated Pest Management", such approaches are currently being researched across borders in the Lake Constance region. The aim is to show production and advisory services ways of producing high-quality fruit that has lower pesticide residues than current cultivation methods. Combinations of existing and new cultivation and plant protection strategies as well as the reduction of environmentally critical plant protection products are used.

Model plants for research, consulting and production

In addition to new research activities in existing production facilities, new apple and one new cherry facilities are to be established during the project period. In these, the effects of variety selection, crop management, weather, disease and insect protection as well as the use and promotion of beneficial insects will be researched. At the same time, the model plants are to be used as an experimental field and innovation platform where research, consulting and production come together. This will ensure that promising cultivation and crop protection strategies are quickly adopted in practice.

Combining strategies, using synergy effects

Breeding work has led to the development of varieties that are less susceptible to economically relevant pests such as scab and fire blight. In combination with the choice of cultivation system and crop management, the choice of variety thus has a decisive influence on the use of plant protection products. By appropriately combining variety and cropping system with different cover systems to protect against weather, diseases and insect pests, specific pesticide applications can be partially reduced or eliminated altogether. At the same time, insect pollination and the beneficial effects of beneficial insects must be ensured. A suitable combination of measures should enable synergy effects.

Example weed control

Findings on the use of mechanical and thermal methods for weed control are already available from other projects. Likewise, various seeding mixtures for the greening of tramlines or tree strips are already being investigated. These approaches are to be adapted and tested in the model plants. The aim is to carry out weed control with the greatest possible protection of the soil, in which chemical-synthetic agents are largely dispensed with and, at best, advantages or additional benefits for pollinators or natural counterparts in the orchard are created.

Economic evaluation as the key to success

The practicability of the strategies developed also depends on their economic viability. Therefore, the model plants will also be evaluated by means of cost-benefit and profitability analysis. Existing IP and organic farms will be used as a reference. In addition, the qualitative and quantitative use of plant protection products will be recorded, residue measurements will be carried out and compared with each other. Furthermore, a success and quality control at harvest and in storage will be carried out on the basis of disease and pest infestation and the occurrence of beneficial insects will be recorded.

Model plants for integrated pest management

The project Model Plants for Integrated Pest Management is supported by the Interreg program Alpenrhein-Bodensee-Hochrhein with funding from the European Union and the Swiss Confederation. Project partners are Agroscope, the BBZ Arenenberg Training and Advisory Center, the LZSG Flawil Agricultural Center, AGRIDEA, various partners from Germany, and the Vorarlberg Chamber of Agriculture in Bregenz (A). The project is managed by the Kompetenzzentrum Obstbau Bodensee KOB in Bavendorf (D).

The further development of Integrated Pest Management plays a key role and is at the heart of the project. Concerns as called for in the National Action Plan for Risk Reduction and Sustainable Use of Plant Protection Products will also be included.

Source: Agroscope