Articles
Phytosanitary problems encountered in an organic kiwifruit orchard in the Dobrogea region
Article number
1444_12
Pages
83 – 90
Language
English
Abstract
The number of organic fruit plantations has recently increased in Romania, although the risk factors are more difficult to control compared to conventional orchards.
Walnut, blueberry, and sea buckthorn are the species planted on several thousand hectares in an organic system, and the challenges are multiple.
Kiwifruit is a relatively new species in Romania, and in 2021, a research and demonstration organic orchard was established in Movilița, Constanța County.
Several cultivars of Actinidia deliciosa, A. chinensis, and A. arguta have been planted at 4.5×3.0 and 4.5×2.0 m, respectively.
A closed hail protection system, covered with black net, was installed on 4.5 m tall concrete poles to reduce the wind speed and the solar radiation.
Irrigation was provided using rotary micro sprinklers with a flow rate of 35 L hour-1. The interrow was cultivated with several mixtures of perennial grass, while the row was initially kept clean by mechanical tillage.
To reduce water loss and weed growth, a thick layer of straw was placed on the row.
In the first vegetation year, several phytosanitary problems occurred, and the increased attacks of snails, mice, and earth squirrels were the most difficult to handle.
The tested fight methods were mostly mechanical and physical, with minimal efficiency.
The plants’ straw mulching favored the multiplication of rodents, while the orchard net cover kept the predator birds out.
Some soil-borne diseases that affected the plant’s root system were also found.
Cultivating medicinal plants is a natural, ecological, and sustainable method of combating rodents, and is also the most effective of the tested methods.
Walnut, blueberry, and sea buckthorn are the species planted on several thousand hectares in an organic system, and the challenges are multiple.
Kiwifruit is a relatively new species in Romania, and in 2021, a research and demonstration organic orchard was established in Movilița, Constanța County.
Several cultivars of Actinidia deliciosa, A. chinensis, and A. arguta have been planted at 4.5×3.0 and 4.5×2.0 m, respectively.
A closed hail protection system, covered with black net, was installed on 4.5 m tall concrete poles to reduce the wind speed and the solar radiation.
Irrigation was provided using rotary micro sprinklers with a flow rate of 35 L hour-1. The interrow was cultivated with several mixtures of perennial grass, while the row was initially kept clean by mechanical tillage.
To reduce water loss and weed growth, a thick layer of straw was placed on the row.
In the first vegetation year, several phytosanitary problems occurred, and the increased attacks of snails, mice, and earth squirrels were the most difficult to handle.
The tested fight methods were mostly mechanical and physical, with minimal efficiency.
The plants’ straw mulching favored the multiplication of rodents, while the orchard net cover kept the predator birds out.
Some soil-borne diseases that affected the plant’s root system were also found.
Cultivating medicinal plants is a natural, ecological, and sustainable method of combating rodents, and is also the most effective of the tested methods.
Authors
L.T. Țilincă, F. Stănică
Keywords
Actinidia deliciosa, A. chinensis, A. arguta, phytosanitary control, mulching, rodents
Groups involved
- Division Vine and Berry Fruits
- Division Plant-Environment Interactions in Field Systems
- Division Horticulture for Human Health
- Working Group Vaccinium Species and Management
- Working Group Rubus and Ribes Species and Management
- Working Group Kiwifruit Culture and Management
- Working Group Strawberry Culture and Management
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