IPM of aphids in vegetable seed production: main challenges and possible approaches

Abstract: Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is the standard European crop protection policy
and aims at allowing every farmer to produce profitable yield using the most recent techniques while limiting negative environmental impact. However, every cultural production system presents key challenges which can hamper the adoption of IPM if these remain unsolved. As such, the seed production sector is characterized by an atypical set of challenges such as limited temperature control, long production cycles and wide pest diversity. These challenges reduce the efficacy of some of the established IPM control methods, among which biocontrol. Furthermore, lack of knowledge about specific economic injury levels (EILs) jeopardizes chances of rational pesticide use. By using aphid as key reference pest group, I share my experience in approaching these sector-bound challenges and propose a resilient framework for sustainable seed production based on different augmentative and conservation biocontrol techniques.