Influence of hail-nets against Codling moth on the main adversities of pears: first observations carried out in Emilia-Romagna (Northern Italy) during the years 2011 and 2012

Abstract: In Emilia-Romagna (Northern Italy) the codling moth control in pear and apple orchards has been very difficult over the last 10 years. Modern IPM strategies provide for the integration between chemical and biotechnological options (e.g.: CpGV, MD), mainly used in organic farming. The control costs are high and success is not always guaranteed. For this reason, for some years, experiments with anti-insect nets for codling moth control have been ongoing. The system, was developed in the south of France in 2005 and is called “Alt’Carpo”. The results obtained in Italy in the period 2011-2012 confirm the power of the nets to control the codling moth. The Cydia pomonella damage is so high that its complete control, without the use of insecticides, is a very interesting result. The hail-nets against codling moth also seem to give additional advantages in the suppression of many other adversities excluding metcalfa and, secondly, pear psylla and Tingidae. The observations reported are preliminary, and further studies are needed to confirm the results obtained up to now.