The benefits of crop auxiliaries in the fight against the ash aphid

Apple production is a sector of excellence in France (1.5 million tonnes). Apple growers have a real desire to produce quality apples that meet consumer expectations and respect the environment. In recent years, the fight against the ash aphid has become increasingly complicated to manage, due to the withdrawal of phytosanitary products and the evloution of the pest as temperatures rise. The DEPHY Pommes network engineers from Charente Maritime - Deux Sèvres (Julia CROMBEZ) and Pays de Loire (Nadia TOUNSI) have been working with producers involved in the DEPHY programme on managing this pest using biological control. This method involves using predatory auxiliaries (hoverflies, lacewings) to control the ash aphid and thus reduce the use of phytosanitary products. The releases were made early in the season, i.e. in spring around flowering, in order to limit the aphid's initial potential and enable the auxiliaries to contain the development of populations during May, when this pest causes damage to fruit. Julie CADOT, DEPHY apple network engineer at the Tarn-et-Garonne Chamber of Agriculture, has been working on biodiversity management to encourage the optimum presence of auxiliaries to control this pest. The results of the 2023 trials will be presented at the conference.