Practical application of integrated pest management to control cabbage root fly in vegetables

Abstract

In north-western Europe cabbage root fly is considered to be an important pest of Brassica crops. Root fly larvae mainly feed on roots of Brassica vegetable crops causing damage and eventually crop loss. Pest damage consequently results in considerable economic losses for these crops. Due to the recent reduction in chemical pest control options, the control of cabbage root fly has become a challenging task for growers. Integrated pest management (IPM) techniques offer an approach to achieve pest control by the use of a combination of alternative pest management techniques as a substitute for chemical control in order to minimize the amount of pesticides needed. In Flanders, the implementation of a monitoring system, netting, entomopathogenic nematodes and selective insecticides are commonly studied components of an IPM strategy for cabbage root fly. Practical efficacy of these techniques for vegetable production is studied in numerous field trials in Flemish Research Centres.