The apple moth Cydia pomonella (L.) is the most important apple pest in Greece and worldwide. It is considered an overexploited pest and its management mainly relies on the use of insecticides. In the area of Agia Larissa, the problem has taken on major proportions in recent years. Specifically, in 2022, despite the application of mating prevention in some pear orchards and intensive spraying (>10) in conventional crop protection programs, a very high infestation was recorded in many pear orchards. Moreover, the population monitoring traps failed to predict the high infestations. The high number of sprays was observed in several cases in the following years as well.
The difficulty in treating carpal tunnel syndrome in the area of Agia has a multifactorial dimension, although four main factors are involved.
1. Development of resistance from the fruit fly to the insecticides used.
2. Implementation of preventive and calendar spraying instead of early application based on monitoring and forecasting data of the enemy population.
3. Climate change associated with an increase in temperature and unpredictable seasonal weather conditions that lead to epidemic outbreaks of the populations of the enemies, seasonally unpredictable.
4. Insufficient transmission of scientific information to the final user (producer, agronomist) and limited information to scientists about the severity of problems in the field.
The development and optimization of methods and strategies to combat fruit fly infestation is imperative, on the one hand, to protect primary production and, on the other hand, to achieve the guidelines of the “European Green Agreement” (drastic reduction of synthetic insecticides).
The goal of the program
The main goal of IPM-APPLE is the development and implementation of a system for the protection of apple trees from fruit fly infestation in the area of Agia Larissa. The system will be structured with innovative and traditional approaches, in a way that it can be applied in other regions of Thessaly and Greece as well. It may also be adopted to combat enemy pests in other crops after necessary modifications.
Sub-Objectives
1) Identification of the problem and investigation of the factors of ineffective control of apple scab and secondary leaf-miners pests through various actions (fruit sampling, pheromone trap network, visual and molecular identification of leaf-miners species, and evaluation of approved insecticides using bioassays).
2) Development of methodologies and technologies, such as bioclimatic and demographic predictive models for forecasting population responses of the citrus fruit, as well as development and mass implementation of modern molecular diagnostic resistance tests for insecticides. This combined approach will provide the necessary scientific data for the foundation of a decision-making system (AN, WHEN and WHICH insecticide).
3) Immediate exploitation of results and linking the research to the agricultural sector through the development and implementation in pilot fields of an innovative protocol for the management of fruit fly.
4) Promotion of innovative phytoprotection through various activities (targeted seminars, website, educational platform, publications/announcements, printed and electronic informational material), possibly extending beyond the geographical boundaries of Thessaly.
Collaboration
The project involves two companies (THEODOROS GR RIZOULIIS AND AIFO) and three research institutions (ELGO-DIMITRA, University of Thessaly, and Technology and Research Foundation). It includes 4 Work Units and 20 Deliverables, involves 6 Researchers (regular staff of the institutions) and 4 new researchers will be recruited.