2019/01/01 by Muriel Millan, Laurent Brun, Millan, Muriel +19
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · #Abricotier #Agriculture and Rural Development Research #Bâche #Cerisier #Expérimentation système #Filets anti-insectes #Indicateurs de fréquence de traitement IFT #Mirabellier #Performances technico-économiques #Produits phytosanitaires #Prunier américano-japonais #Prunier d’Ente #Réduction #Zéro herbicide
paper · doi:10.15454/40xtkp
openalex publication_date 2019/01/01 · openalex created_date 2022/07/31 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/22
CAP ReD aims to design and evaluate cherry, apricot, Ente plum, Japanese-American plum and mirabelle plum orchards, so that the use of phytosanitary products is halved, while maintaining the technico-economic performance. System experiments, conducted by 9 partners at 10 sites from 2013 to 2018, combined many levers of action (genetics, physics, biotechnology, biology ...), and choices were made from planting the trees to the annual management of orchards. For example, 17 low-pesticide-input control systems (LPIC) were compared each year to 11 reference systems (IFP). These LPIC systems, excluding biocontrol, achieved an average reduction of 58% of IFT (5.1 / 12.2 in IFP). The goal of “zero herbicide cultivation” was achieved in the majority of systems, of which two levers proved their worth: mechanical weeding and the woven weed control ground cover. Marketable yield was lower with the LPIC systems (-19%) except in high density orchards. CAP ReD's LPIC systems also required more work time to produce one tonne of fruit. This loss of production and efficiency is not offset by an increase in the sales price in the LPIC systems, so the economic performance is lower. Thus, the costs of production with LPIC systems is on average 20% higher, i.e. + 0.15 € / kg. 47% of LPIC systems (8/17) are classified as Economical and Efficient Systems. These are either i) high-density systems with insect nets, rain covers, dose reduction with innovative spraying techniques, but with high depreciation costs; or ii) systems of which the fruit are intended for the processing industry with lower production costs (no waste, mechanical harvesting), using decision-support tools, biocontrols and reduction of certain treatments. These results show the technical feasibility of a considerable reduction of phytosanitary product use, decreasing the risks of impacts on the environment and human health, but also the economic difficulty that these changes of practice generate for the grower, without revaluating prices.