Articles
INTEGRATED FRUIT PRODUCTION IN NORWAY
Better knowledge of the pest species and the beneficial insects and mites, have since 1965 resulted in a reduction of the pesticide use in our orchards by 70 percent.
We have developed action tresholds for the most harmful phytophagous insects and mites.
For one of our most serious pests on apples, the apple fruit moth, Argyresthia conjugella, a prognose – and warning system has been developed, which have redused the insecticide use against this species from 2 standard sprays a year to 1 spray each fourth year.
Good results in using standard compounds of pesticides in very low consentrations have been obtained.
These results are already taken into practical use by the fruit growers.
In the principal fruit growing areas, we have established warning systems for apple- and pear-scab, which have resulted in a strong reduction in the yearly number of fungicide applications.
Depending on the apple variety, a protection program against scab, mildew and storage diseases amounts to a total of 2 – 8 applications a year.
A warning system for fruit pests and fruit diseases after a modificed model used in Eastern Switzerland, has been started in Western Norway this year.
So far we have very good experience with the system and the feed-back from the growers are very positive.
Now we are working on guidelines for an integrated fruit production.
From 1990 we hopefully can start special courses for growers who want to get an authorization in integrated fruit production.