Experimental studies of the biological control of aphidsin protected strawberry crops in France

Abstract: Integrated pest management is increasingly used by growers in France in protectedstrawberry crops due to difficulties with chemical control, especially on soilless crops. Variousdifferent pests can attack strawberries, including: aphids, mites, thrips, tarsonemids, mirid bugsand, more recently, Drosophila suzukii. A survey was carried out from 2010 to 2012 in the southeastof France that confirmed the presence of up to six aphid species. Since 2008, promising trialresults from aphid control have been obtained in experimental tunnels, based on the efficiency oflacewings that were released onto aphid-infested plants and parasitism by certain parasitoidsadapted to aphid species.