Articles
EcoPêche 2 project: conceive and evaluate innovative peach orchard management systems designed to reduce pesticide use by 80%
Article number
1355_24
Pages
187 – 194
Language
English
Abstract
EcoPêche 2 project (2019-2023) is financed by the French Biodiversity Agency (OFB) within the framework of the French national ECOPHYTO Plan and DEPHY farm network.
EcoPêche 2 Project follows a previous INRAE-CTIFL co-led project, called EcoPêche 1 (2013-2018), whose aim was to reduce the treatment frequency index (TFI), measuring pesticide use, by 50% compared to current practice.
The first project demonstrated that the TFI reduction of 50% could be achieved but the agronomic and technical-economic results decreased to varying degrees depending on the cultivar, the climate conditions and the pest and disease pressure.
This present project aims to conceive and evaluate innovative peach orchard management systems designed to reduce TFI by 80% compared to a conventional management system.
At the CTIFL research center of Balandran (Bellegarde, Gard, France), the experiment is being carried out on a yellow flesh peach cultivar (PAJALADE cov). Tested practices focus on tree training, density, irrigation system and rain cover to protect the trees until harvest. Non-biocontrol plant protection products are used as a last resort only.
Woven foil is laid on the ground for weed management.
Fruits undergo thermotherapy after harvest to reduce losses generated by brown rot.
First mid-term results show that the environmental objectives can be achieved; TFI reduction in the innovative compared to Reference system was: 60% in 2019; 69% in 2020 and 93% in 2021; but involve a loss of 40 to 50% in yield or irregularity in production and high investment for specific practices.
This project highlights how complex it is to develop new orchard management system, taking into account environmental issues.
EcoPêche 2 Project follows a previous INRAE-CTIFL co-led project, called EcoPêche 1 (2013-2018), whose aim was to reduce the treatment frequency index (TFI), measuring pesticide use, by 50% compared to current practice.
The first project demonstrated that the TFI reduction of 50% could be achieved but the agronomic and technical-economic results decreased to varying degrees depending on the cultivar, the climate conditions and the pest and disease pressure.
This present project aims to conceive and evaluate innovative peach orchard management systems designed to reduce TFI by 80% compared to a conventional management system.
At the CTIFL research center of Balandran (Bellegarde, Gard, France), the experiment is being carried out on a yellow flesh peach cultivar (PAJALADE cov). Tested practices focus on tree training, density, irrigation system and rain cover to protect the trees until harvest. Non-biocontrol plant protection products are used as a last resort only.
Woven foil is laid on the ground for weed management.
Fruits undergo thermotherapy after harvest to reduce losses generated by brown rot.
First mid-term results show that the environmental objectives can be achieved; TFI reduction in the innovative compared to Reference system was: 60% in 2019; 69% in 2020 and 93% in 2021; but involve a loss of 40 to 50% in yield or irregularity in production and high investment for specific practices.
This project highlights how complex it is to develop new orchard management system, taking into account environmental issues.
Authors
J. Ruesch, Y. Montrognon, B. Labeyrie, M. Codini, E. Holstalnou, S. Drusch, J. Borg, D. Plenet, V. Gallia, M. Guiraud, C. Mouiren, P. Blanc
Keywords
Prunus persica, cropping system, low pesticide use, multicriteria evaluation, pest and disease management
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