Scanning report Year 3 on reducing pesticide residues in Danish fruit

Organic production is for many consumers equal to unsprayed production. When it comes to high-value crops like fruit in particular pome fruits, this is not the case. Pome fruit are a stationary, long-lived culture with high demands for blemish-free fruit which necessitates spraying. In order to reduce spraying and bring organic production more in line with consumer expectancies alternative strategies are investigated. Covered production using a plastic rain roof is one such strategy. At AU-FOOD we have previously documented that rain roofs are highly efficient in reducing scab and rots in apple. A recent three-year study document the same effect in scab susceptible pears. Despite reduced light levels under the roof, no detrimental effects on neither yield, fruit size, fruit colour nor internal quality of fruit could be documented.
At AU-BIOS ants have been tested as biological control agent of winter moths, but despite feeding the ants with sugar, increased aphid damage was seen. The ants, however, used fungus an alternate food source, which could hold potential for further investigation.

Documents

Scanning report - Reducing pesticide residues DK 2018 () Practice abstract based on Scanning report 2018.

Details

Activity type

Publication of EIP-AGRI practitioner abstract

Activity work package

Reduction in pesticide residues

Activity number

AU-WP3-A17

Activity contact

Senior scientist Marianne Bertelsen
Aarhus University, Department of Food Science
Kirstinebjergvej 10
5792 Aarslev
[email protected]

Activity partner

AU

Activity country

Denmark

Last edit

12-11-2018