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Pest management in organic rapeseed production
Project
Project code: 2806OE050, JKI-SF-08-1116
Contract period: 01.09.2008
- 31.03.2012
Budget: 92,544 Euro
Purpose of research: Applied research
Crops of organically grown oilseed rape (Brassica napus) are threatened by numerous pest insects (cabbage stem flea beetle, rape stem weevil, cabbage stem weevil, pollen beetle, cabbage seed weevil, and pod midge) which seccessively attack the crop at various growth stages, frequently causing complete yield losses. The project aims at the development of appropriate techniques for the management of theses pests in organic winter oilseed rape at an on-farm level. Management techniques include sowing trap crop strips of turnip rape (Brassica rapa) along field edges, intercropping of rape with with turnip rape and targeted applications of various natural substances (vegetable oils, plant extracts, Quassia, etc. as direct control measures. As turnip rape flowers earöier in the season and is more attractive to the pesta than oilseed rape, pest insects could be maintained on the crop until the damage-susceptible growth stage of oilseed rape is completed. Such techniques can potentially prevent damage to oilseed rape plants by diverting pests away from the main crop and by reducing pest numbers on oilseed rape, particularly at high pressure. Within this project, results obtained by collaborating partners (Julius Kühn-Institut). The project targets at the following objectives: 1. To screen the attractiveness and suitability of double-low cultivars of turnip rap 2. To evaluate the effects of trap crop strips and intercropping on levels of pest
Section overview
Subjects
- Crop Protection