Flower strips are a known management strategy used in orchards and vegetable production which provide habitat for beneficial insects increasing biocontrol of pests and pollination of crop plants. Flowers strips between tree-rows however, are not widely implemented in fruit production because of logistical challenges such as additional machinery, and high efforts needed for establishing and maintenance of flowers strips. Nevertheless, especially stone fruit orchards could benefit from flowering structures.
The majority of table cherry in Switzerland and more and more also plum and apricot orchards, are equipped with a rain-protection roofs and lateral insect nets. The nets do not only hinder pests like fruit flies from entering but also, as a relevant drawback, natural enemies of most pests. Particularly the build-up of colonies of aphids is facilitated by the insect nets and the lack of nectar and pollen source that some of their natural enemies require. Consequently, natural predation is low.
In this project we test the use of either:
perennial "flower reservoirs" installed in areas adjacent to the tree-rows where tractors etc. do not transit or
pre-planted "flower boxes" distributed within the orchard in places where they do not disturb the management.
We expect that, these two strategies, will provide similar benefits than those provided by flower strips between tree-rows, while reducing the logistical challenges and maintenance efforts needed from farmers, and therefore, increasing its acceptance and implementation.
Project partners
