Abstract:
Belgian fruit growers first began to adopt integrated pest management methods (IPM) on apples and pears in 1987. IPM techniques have now been taken up by the majority of pear producers but only a small proportion of the apple producers (Table 1).
| Table 1: |
Areas of land and numbers of growers using IPM
|
| |
techniques in Belgium
|
| Belgium |
Flanders |
Wallonia
|
| Total area of apples and |
16500 |
15000 |
IPM |
% |
1500 |
IPM |
%
|
| pears (ha) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Apple area (ha) |
13000 |
12000 |
570 |
5 |
1500 |
130 |
13
|
| Pear area (ha) |
3500 |
3000 |
2940 |
98 |
500 |
390 |
98
|
| No. of Growers |
2110 |
2000 |
160 |
8 |
110 |
43 |
40
|
In pear culture almost all growers use selective insecticides whilst 700 ha of apples are now provided with Typhlodromus pyri (predatory mites). In contrast, some apple growers use selective insecticides but no Typhlodromids. The fruit growers who use IPM are dispersed throughout Belgium.
Integrated fruit production (IFP) is being tested on a small scale.
|
