Prévention des dégâts de carpocapse :Preserving antagonists in organic apple and pear orchards

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Arboriculture Arboriculture Temperate fruits Pest control Integrated pest management Biological control

The codling moth is the main pest of organic pome fruit cultivation. Orchard management practices primarily aim to minimize damage as much as possible.

Solution

The preservation of beneficial arthropods such as parasitoids (photo 1), spiders, ground beetles (photo 2), birds, and bats helps to reduce the use of direct control methods.

Advantages

Favorable practices will allow auxiliaries, such as Mastrus ridens, to better establish themselves in the orchard and contribute to the control of codling moths. M. ridens is often present in orchards, but its population could also be increased by releases.

Practical recommendations

• Reduce as much as possible phytosanitary products with negative side effects, such as sulfur or insecticides, and broad-spectrum ones like Spinosad and Pyrethrum.
• Reduce fertilization between rows to decrease grass species and possibly favor dicotyledons.
• Reduce mowing or soil tillage to maintain a high spontaneous flora cover, which serves as food, refuge, and habitat for beneficial organisms.
• Install flower strips in alleys and around the orchard to attract insects and spiders .
• Maintain or renew surrounding hedges to help auxiliaries find shelter.
• Install shelters for bats and/or birdhouses (about 10/ha for each type).

Female of Mastrus ridens, an effective parasite of the codling moth. Photo: INRAE.

Ground beetles are effective predators of pests that spend time near the ground. Photo: CTIFL.

Videos

Mastrus ridens (wasp) laying eggs on a larva of codling moth (EN)

Presentation of BIOCCYD (BIOControl of CYDia pomonella) on biological control against Cydia pomonella

Evaluation of Mastrus ridens to control codling moth in pome fruit orchards (FR)

Assessing functional biodiversity in orchards with simple tools (EN)

Learn more

• Bouvier, J., Lavigne, C. and Boivin, T. 2016. Orchards as habitat for birds in winter. INRAE, Phytoma - no. 693. (FR)
• Bouvier, J., Lavigne, C., Thomas, C., Musseau, R., Poss, B. and Delattre, T. 2020 Do tits feed in orchards? INRAE, Phytoma - no. 738. (FR)
• Original source of the article: https://organic-farmknowledge.org/tool/44716 : Organic-farmknowledge.org/tool/44716 (en)

La version initiale de cet article a été rédigée par François Warlop et Jutta Kienzle.