Lutte biologique et intégrée en vergers de pommiers, poiriers et abricotiers

Abstract

Pest control in orchards progress by stages toward an Integrated crop Protection. In this field researches develop the next points: side effects of pesticides on beneficial arthropods, role played by the vegetal environment of orchards as refuge-area for indigenous natural ennemies, various new methods of pest control, breeding of resistant or less susceptible varieties of fruit-trees, supervised control of diseases. The achievement of an integrated pest control programme depends on the available possibilities of key-pests control. In apple and pear orchards, key-pests are related to 5 groups of arthropods: codling moth, fruit tortrix moths, aphids, pear psyllids, spider mites and also 3 diseases: apple scab, apple powdery mildew, pear scab. Selective control techniques are reviewed: insect growth regulator, biological control by releases of parasites and predators, microbiological insecticide, control by mating disruption with pheromone. The application of a few of ones depends on an industrial or other production of control agents. The main elements of a practical application of supervised and integrated control programmes were: the arrangement of codling moth control in apple orchard, the demonstration of hight efficiency of the pear psyllid predators, especially Anthocoris. Supervised control applied on several thousand hectares of apple and pear orchards in France reduced the spray treatments by more than 50% with a good economical protection. In apricot orchards diseases, mainly apricot leaf roll caused by a mycoplasma agent, are the greatest problems. We make an attempt to achieve a supervised control of the peach twig borer and the aphid Hyalopterus pruni Geoffr. agent of the plum pox virus propagation. © 1987 Lavoisier Abonnements.