Strategies and timing of protection practices against Cydia pomonella (L.) in apple orchards

Abstract: The understanding of actual farmer practices is essential to identify the constraints for the adoption of new integrated pest management strategies. From data collected in 2006 in 71 randomised pear and apple orchards in a small production area in south France, our objective was to comprehend the management practices against codling moth (Cydia pomonella L.). We first investigated the timing and frequencies of insecticide applications in relation with national and regional recommendations. The orchards were classified according to three management strategies: conventional with major use of chemical insecticides, MD associating mating disruption with chemical pesticides and organic orchards. For each plot and day, the probability of applying an insecticide was described by a logistic model taking into account the main variables that influence farmers’ decisions to make the application. The protection strategies significantly affected the number of insecticides applied against C. pomonella, the application frequencies during the risk periods of each generation of the pest and the choice of active ingredients. Farmers followed the application guidelines more closely within MD protection strategy.