Beneficials play an important part in the control of pear sucker populations (Psylla pyri) in pear orchards. However, they often come too late or are present in too small numbers, to prevent damage. Therefore, a correction with a crop protection product, is necessary in many cases. More and more of these correctors are disappearing, however, which threatens to make control of the pear sucker very difficult.
In organic pear growing, the pear sucker is alleged to be less of a problem than in integrated (IP) growing. What can we learn from how the pear sucker is tackled in organic growing? What is the role played by beneficials and what organic crop protection products are used by organic growers?
You can read the answers in the EFM April edition.