Practicing Biological Control in Orchards - Spraying Microorganisms
1. Presentation
Characterization of the technique
Description of the technique:
Photo credits: LA PUGERE
Information originally from the Guide for the design of fruit production systems economical in phytosanitary products (2014) / Technical sheet n°12 - For more information see link
The principle :
The technique consists of spraying microorganisms (virus, bacteria, fungi) or very small macro-organisms (nematodes) to protect crops against pests and diseases. It can be a main or complementary lever depending on the targeted bioaggressor.
NB: this page concerns only the spraying of micro or macro-organisms and not the spraying of toxins produced by them.
Details on the technique:
- Apply sprays at the right times according to the biological cycle of the pest.
- For the technique to be effective, it is important to consider that the microorganisms
and nematodes used are living organisms only under certain conditions of temperature, humidity, and radiation.
- The use of living organisms requires adapting phytosanitary control (some chemical products should be avoided, check before use) and using clean spraying equipment (without residues of phytosanitary products) with appropriate conditions (notably maximum pressure).
- This technique facilitates work organization thanks to the absence or short re-entry interval and pre-harvest interval.
- Importance of carrying out trapping and observations to time treatments with microbiological products.
- For nematodes:
Application conditions sometimes difficult to achieve (temperature above 8 -12 °C depending on strains).
The presence of free water is essential during and after treatment to ensure good efficacy (rain or irrigation by spraying on foliage or by microjets).
A single application on overwintering larvae of the pest as soon as larval descent ends (see plant health bulletins).
Implementation period On established crop
Spatial scale of implementation Plot
Application of the technique to...
All crops: Easily generalizable
Regulation
The use of granulosis virus to control Codling moth (Cydia pomonella) on apples, pears and walnuts and the Leafroller (Adoxophyes orana) is subject to a CEPP sheet (action n°4: Control of fruit-boring caterpillars in orchards using granulosis virus).
2. Services provided by the technique
3. Effects on the sustainability of the cropping system
"Environmental" criteria
Effect on air quality: Increasing
phytosanitary emissions: DECREASE
Effect on water quality: Increasing
pesticides: DECREASE
Other: No effect (neutral)
Comments
The use of microorganisms has little environmental impact (water, air, soil)
Nematodes or Bacillus thuringiensis are not very selective
"Agronomic" criteria
Production quality: Increasing
Increasing
No residues on fruits
Functional Biodiversity: Variable
Variable
The impact on beneficials depends on the selectivity of the organism used (e.g. the granulosis virus is very selective, whereas nematodes are not very selective).
"Economic" criteria
Operational costs: Variable
Variable
Indicative costs, reference: "2014 cost of supplies in arboriculture", Chamber of Agriculture 84
– Nematodes: €110-220/ha
– Bt: €30-50/ha
– Granulosis virus: €40-50/ha
– Aureobasidium pullulans: about €70 at 1.5 kg/ha
– Bacillus subtilis: about €60/ha
"Social" criteria
Working time: No effect (neutral)
Peak period: Variable
Variable
During the season, the frequency of applications may be higher than with a synthetic phytosanitary product because microorganisms are more sensitive to high temperatures and UV
Observation time: No effect (neutral)
Working time: No effect
45 minutes / ha like a phytosanitary treatment
4. Organisms favored or disfavored
Favored Bioaggressors
| Organism | Impact of the technique | Type | Details |
|---|
Disfavored bioaggressors
| Organism | Impact of the technique | Type | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capnode | pest, predator or parasite | Nematodes are used as a complementary lever against capnode (Capnodis tenebrionis) on peach, apricot and almond | |
| Codling moth (Cydia pomonella) | pest, predator or parasite | granulosis virus (main lever) and nematodes (complementary lever) are used against the codling moth (Cydia pomonella) on apple, pear and walnut | |
| Plum moth (Cydia funebrana) | pest, predator or parasite | Nematodes are used as a complementary lever against the plum moth | |
| Cochylis | pest, predator or parasite | Bacillus thuringiensis is used against Cochylis on table grape | |
| Lobesia botrana | pest, predator or parasite | Bacillus thuringiensis is used against Lobesia botrana on table grape | |
| Oriental fruit moth (Cydia molesta) | pest, predator or parasite | granulosis virus, Bacillus thuringiensis and nematodes are used against the oriental fruit moth (Cydia molesta) on apple and peach | |
| Leopard moth (Zeuzera pyrina) | pest, predator or parasite | Bacillus thuringiensis is used against Leopard moths of apple, pear, chestnut, plum and walnut |
Favored Beneficials
| Organism | Impact of the technique | Type | Details |
|---|
Disfavored beneficials
| Organism | Impact of the technique | Type | Details |
|---|
Favored climatic and physiological accidents
| Organism | Impact of the technique | Details |
|---|
Disfavored climatic and physiological accidents
| Organism | Impact of the technique | Details |
|---|
5. For more information
- Cytochemical investigation of the antagonistic interaction between a Microsphaeropsis sp. (isolate P130A) and Venturia inaequalis
- -Benyagoub M., Benhamou N., Carisse O.
Biochem. Cell Biol., 88, 605-613., Peer-reviewed article, 1998
To consult the article see link
- The three domains of Bacillus thuringiensis.
- -Férez J.-M., Duchon-Doris J., Decoin M.
Phytoma, 613, 10-13., 2009
- Resistance: The coevolution of codling moth and granulosis virus
- -Lopez-Ferber, M.,Siegwart, M., Libourel, G.
L'Arboriculture fruitière, 2015
- Alternative control techniques in orchards preventing the appearance of Penicillium expansum in storage.
- -Guérin A.,
IFPC, 2011
To access the bibliographic synthesis see link
6. Keywords
Bioaggressor control method: Biological control
Mode of action: Catch-up Action on the initial stock
Type of strategy regarding pesticide use: Substitution
Annexes
S'applique aux cultures suivantes
Défavorise les bioagresseurs suivants
