Replacement of Copper Fungicides in Organic Production of Grapevine and Apple in Europe (REPCO)

The objective of REPCO is to replace copper fungicides in organic agriculture by new measures for control of downy mildew (Plasmopara viticola) in grapevine and scab (Venturia inaequalis) in apple. Both major European organic crops strongly depend on copper fungicides with application of a total of 38 kg copper per ha permitted between 2002 and 2006. Permitted amounts will be reduced stepwise during the following years (Council Regulation (EEC) 2092/91, Annex II) to avoid environmental risks. In European countries where copper fungicides are already out of use, production of organic apples suffers severe economical problems because of insufficient scab control.
Potentiators of resistance and organically based fungicides will be screened and evaluated in grapevine and apple. Biocontrol agents affecting the overwintering stages of both diseases and hyperparasites of V. inaequalis will be selected. The risk of pathogen evolution during use of novel control measures will be estimated to allow the development of sustainable strategies. Effects of crop management practices in organic agriculture on overwintering of V. inaequalis will be assessed.
Novel disease control measures and knowledge on pathogen evolution and Venturia- overwintering will be integrated into novel organic management systems. ‘Pipeline’ products already under development elsewhere, an antagonist against V. inaequalis and a potentiator of resistance against P. viticola, will be included and optimised in their use, where necessary.

Consortium

• Plant Research International B.V., Wageningen, The Netherlands: Jürgen Köhl
• Staatliches Weinbauinstitut (WBI), Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany: Hanns-Heinz Kassemeyer
• Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland: Lucius Tamm
• Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zürich (ETHZ), Zürich, Switzerland: Cesare Gessler
• Istituto Agrario di San Michele all'Adige (IASMA), Michele all'Adige, Italy: Ilaria Pertot
• Groupe de Recherche en Agriculture Biolique (GRAB), Avignon, France: Cyril Bertrand
• Applied Plant Research B.V. (PPO), Wageningen, The Netherlands: Bart Heijne
• The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University (KVL), Frederiksberg C, Denmark: John Hockenhull
• Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences (DIAS), Aarslev, Denmark: Hanne Lindhard Pedersen
• ECOVIN Bundesverband Ökologischer Weinbau, Oppenheim, Germany: Paulin Köpfer
• Bio Fruit Advies, Zoelmond, The Netherlands: Marc Trapman
• Prophyta GmbH, Malchow/Poel, Germany: Stefan Brückner

German version