Potential role of fruit intercrops for parasitoid assisted integrated apple aphid management

Apple aphids, especially Dysaphis plantaginea Passerini, are among the most abundant and destructive insect pests of apple tree crops in Belgium, but also in all temperate regions. Their feeding can directly and indirectly damage the crop and decrease the yield quality and quantity. Managing these pests by conventional farming and monocropping systems have been often caused a series of environmental problems. Hence, alternative habitat management as intercropping system might be a promising strategy to enhance the biological control of aphid pests via the increasing of beneficial population density. For this purpose, we started this process by monitoring the seasonal activity of aphids and their natural enemies during 2014 and 2015 growing seasons in several fruit tree habitats including apple orchard. This study was carried out in the eastern part of Belgium, Limburg province, using visual observation and hebdomadal sampling techniques. Both cherry and plum trees were found to be potentially promising intercrops to control apple aphids, as they were hosting aphids that hardly ever cause economic damages on apple trees. In addition to common predatory insects like ladybirds and hoverflies, the most abundant parasitoid of both D. plantaginea and Aphis pomi De Geer was Ephedrus persicae Froggatt. This beneficial was early present in high density on the black cherry aphid Myzus cerasi, 2-3 weeks before its occurring on apple aphid pests. High numbers of Binodoxys angelicae Haliday, another efficient parasitoid against A. pomi and D. plantaginea, were early detected on Aphis fabae Scopoli infesting plum trees. Managing cherry or plum trees or both, in apple orchard could be helpful in establishing, supporting and maintaining a population of one or more biological and natural control agents of apple aphids. The potential benefits of some fruit tree crops for the intercropping system to control apple aphids are discussed.
Keywords: Beneficials, banker plant system, aphids, parasitoid, biological control, fruit tree crops.

Documents

Potential role of fruit intercrops in integrated apple aphid management () Conference poster

Details

Activity type

Participation in scientific conference

Activity work package

Reduction in pesticide residues

Activity number

PcFruit-WP3-a12

Activity contact

Ammar Alhmedi

Activity partner

pcfruit vzw

Activity country

Belgium

Last edit

03-11-2016

Event

Event name

Lehrstuhl für Terrestrische Ökologie, Technische Universität München

Event location

Freising, Germany

Event participants

Ammar Alhmedi, researcher Zoology, pcfruit

Event dissemination

poster presentation