An Overview of Pest and Disease Occurrence in Organic Pome Fruit Orchards in Europe and on the Implementation of Practices for Their Control

Abstract

There is limited data regarding the specific problems faced by organic fruit growers when dealing with plant protection, particularly at a European Union level, though some general knowledge about pest and disease incidence can be found. Such information is crucial to improve the efficacy of a targeted knowledge transfer to organic fruit growers and advisors aiming at an increased adoption of innovative practices. A survey was thus carried out in seventeen European countries (16 EU member states and Switzerland), within the framework of the EU-funded project BIOFRUITNET, aiming at filling this knowledge gap also in terms of research needs. A questionnaire including a section about general aspects of orchard management (functional biodiversity, fertilization management, varietal/rootstock selection) and a section specifically dedicated to pest and disease occurrence and management in organic orchards was utilized to interview about 250 professionals (farmers and advisors), 155 of which were involved in pome fruits (including apple and pear) production. The analysis of the answers related to plant protection pointed out a varied situation about pest and disease occurrence in apple and pear orchards across Europe, though related to the zonal location of the respondent. However, more than 50% of respondents generally considered just few among the most damaging ones, normally co-occurring in the orchards. Interestingly, regardless of the respondents’ nationality or zonal location, more pests than diseases were indicated as relevant agents threatening organic pome fruits production. Nevertheless, only few measures promoting functional biodiversity in the orchards resulted in being broadly implemented in all regions. The analysis of the data underlines the strong demand for the development of a toolbox of measures that can be integrated successfully into the general orchard management strategy including the successful enhancement of functional or general biodiversity.

Further spread of the invasive apricot aphid Myzus mumecola (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in Central Europe and first insights into its phylogeny

“…Preventive measures to control aphids in fruit cultivation include removing infested shoots, implementing targeted irrigation and fertilization, using agronomical practices that conserve and promote beneficial insects through ecological practices (Furmanczyk et al., 2022). Additionally, both integrated and organic productions have access to insecticides for direct control.…”

Physiological Responses of Pak Choi (Brassica rapa Subsp. Chinensis) Genotypes to Salt Tolerance

“…As such, the production of Pak Choi and their composition in plants are influenced by environmental growth conditions and cultivation methods. Although several techniques have been proposed to mitigate salinization, such as green manure crop cultivation, subsoil inversion, culvert drainage pipe installation, and microbial agent treatments, practical implementation on farms remains limited [11,12]. Consequently, the development and cultivation of salt-resistant varieties emerge as the fundamental approach to mitigating direct salt damage in facility cultivation.…”

Challenges for the European research in organic fruit production

“…However, converting from conventional to organic production systems is a challenging path, as, particularly for fruit crops, organic fruit production is technically demanding and knowledge-intensive, thus requiring knowledge sharing as well as dedicated research (Malusà et al, 2022). Research activity shall particularly focus on the topics that are mostly demanded by farmers and advisors, as recently emerged from an EUwide survey: plant protection, management of soil and its fertility, improvement of functional biodiversity, varieties and rootstocks suitable for organic cropping systems (Furmanczyk et al, 2022;Parveaud et al, 2022). However, it is our opinion that since the research activity shall support transdisciplinary professional skills in fruit growers and advisors, the correct approach of future research in organic fruit production shall take into consideration also some challenges deriving from the overall trends currently occurring Frontiers in Horticulture frontiersin.org 01…”