Components and systems research for integrated fruit production

Abstract

Social and political pressure is forcing fruit growers to limit agrochemical inputs by integrated fruit production (IFP), defined as an economic way of fruit growing aimed at longterm safeguarding of public health and environment. Available components and systems to sustain IFP in the Netherlands are described. The systems research concerns a recently started project to develop and compare three ways of fruit growing: i.e. the current way of production and two systems of integrated production with decreasing inputs of pesticides, fertilizers and growth regulators. -Authors