Articles
AlterCarot: conception of agroecological cropping systems with the use of pesticides as a last resort: focus on weed control in carrot cultivation and transferability of decision rules
Article number
1393_13
Pages
99 – 108
Language
English
Abstract
The AlterCarot project (2019-2024) is a multi-partner project created within the framework of the Ecophyto Plan (objective of pesticide reduction of 50% by 2025). Its aims are to co-build with stakeholders, to experiment and to assess profitable cropping systems with low levels of pesticides in open-field vegetable production where carrot, Daucus carota L., is the main crop.
We implemented a network of trials in Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Normandie, the two main regions of carrot production in France for the fresh market.
A pesticide reduction of 60% on average is the aim for all types of pesticides (herbicide, fungicide, insecticide and nematicide), for the whole cropping system (not year by year) and for the carrot crop especially.
Pesticides which are likely to be removed from the market or to undergo strong usage restrictions are not to be used, or their use must be very limited, in the trials.
The first step was to formalize cropping systems for each situation during co-building workshops with stakeholders (growers, advisors and scientists). This formalization consisted of defining the objectives and constraints of the cropping systems, choosing different crops for the successions, choosing cultivation techniques, writing decision rules and choosing indicators to evaluate the systems.
A midterm assessment of systems shows a possible reduction in the indicator of frequency of phytosanitary treatments (IFT) variable according to system and region (from -39 to -75%). This reduction is mainly due to the decrease in the use of insecticides and fungicides, as reducing herbicides is more complex.
However, some cultivation techniques and decision rules need to be improved to maintain the yield and quality of crops while maintaining the economic profitability of farms.
The experiment will continue for two more years and, if the results are conclusive, technical combinations and decision rules will be transferred widely to producers, technicians and advisors.
We implemented a network of trials in Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Normandie, the two main regions of carrot production in France for the fresh market.
A pesticide reduction of 60% on average is the aim for all types of pesticides (herbicide, fungicide, insecticide and nematicide), for the whole cropping system (not year by year) and for the carrot crop especially.
Pesticides which are likely to be removed from the market or to undergo strong usage restrictions are not to be used, or their use must be very limited, in the trials.
The first step was to formalize cropping systems for each situation during co-building workshops with stakeholders (growers, advisors and scientists). This formalization consisted of defining the objectives and constraints of the cropping systems, choosing different crops for the successions, choosing cultivation techniques, writing decision rules and choosing indicators to evaluate the systems.
A midterm assessment of systems shows a possible reduction in the indicator of frequency of phytosanitary treatments (IFT) variable according to system and region (from -39 to -75%). This reduction is mainly due to the decrease in the use of insecticides and fungicides, as reducing herbicides is more complex.
However, some cultivation techniques and decision rules need to be improved to maintain the yield and quality of crops while maintaining the economic profitability of farms.
The experiment will continue for two more years and, if the results are conclusive, technical combinations and decision rules will be transferred widely to producers, technicians and advisors.
Authors
V. Faloya, E. Casteil, C. Chateau, F. Vial, G. Le Bihan, O. Favaron
Keywords
carrot, pesticides, innovative cropping system, decision rules, Ecophyto, weed management, indicator of frequency of phytosanitary treatments
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