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Overwintering of conidia of Venturia inaequalis associated with shoots and buds was determined, and the contribution to early spring epidemics of apple scab was evaluated during three consecutive seasons (1999 to 2001) in the Netherlands. Examinations of shoot samples collected before bud break showed that the percentage of shoots with superficial black fungal mycelia or conidia was above 65%, and the mean number of conidia on a 1-cm piece of shoot length ranged from 581 to 1,033. However, germination tests showed that the viability of conidia on shoots was less than 1.5%. No macroscopic scab lesions were detected on the scales of dormant buds. However, microscopic examinations of individual bud tissues demonstrated that the number of conidia was >3,000 per 100 buds in each year. The mean viability of conidia associated with buds ranged from 0.7 to 1.9% and from 3.7 to 10.5% for the outer and inner bud tissues, respectively. Results of field assessments at tight-cluster phenological stage showed that the percentage of infection caused by the viable overwintered conidia ranged from 0.3 to 3.8% in the various treatments. Our results indicated that conidia were unlikely to overwinter on the surface of shoots or outer bud tissues, where they were exposed to fluctuating environmental conditions, and, consequently, were unlikely to play a role in initiating an early epidemic of apple scab in the spring. However, our results indicated a risk from overwintered conidia in the inner bud tissues arising from a high level of scab the previous autumn. Therefore, orchards with high levels of apple scab, where ascosporic inoculum is much reduced, e.g., by sanitation, should be protected in early spring by means of fungicide treatment at green tip.

Soil and plant testing programs are still based on ‘trial and error’ methods and lack scientific underpinning in terms of relevant soil chemical and plant nutritional processes, and are site-specific. The programs are valuable when the objective is to diagnose and predict deficiencies of plant nutrients. The programs are less valuable for refined fertilizer strategies, like Integrated Nutrient Management, which are e ssential in the near future to satisfy changing agricultural, environmental, economic and legislative boundary conditions. A more scientific approach to soil and plant testing programs appears desirable. To reduce undesirable side-effects o f fertilization on the environment, more emphasis should be placed on fertilizer type and on timing and method of application. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Sendee: 1-800-342-9678. E-mail address: getinfo@haworthpressinc.com].

In fruit growing high values of spray drift are found compared to arable field applications. In arable spraying drift reducing nozzles are certified for use as drift reducing measures. The nozzles which may potentially reduce drift in fruit growing are not jet classified as drift reducing nozzles, although they are available on the market. The development of a nozzle classification system to identify the drift reduction potential of spray nozzles used in fruit crop spraying would open this market. The results of the initial setup of a nozzle classification system for spray drift reduction in orchard spraying based on drop size measurements is described. An evaluation was made of measured drop size characteristics of a series of nozzles in reference to performed field measurements of two characteristic nozzles; Albuz lilac and Lechler ID9001. Based on these anchor points the ranking of the volume fraction of drops smaller than 100 μm (V100) of the nozzle to be classified could be scaled to yield a potential drift reduction, assuming a linear relationship between V100 and spray drift deposition. Within this system, the determination of threshold nozzles for the drift reduction classes 50%, 75%, 90% and 95% drift reduction are described. Identified threshold nozzles for these classes are TeeJet DG8002, Albuz AVI 80015, Lechler ID9001 and Albuz TVI80025 all at 7 bar spray pressure, except for the Lechler ID 9001 which is used at 5 bar pressure. These nozzles will be used in field drift measurements to validate the model.

Measurements of the water boards have shown that pesticide concentrations in surface water have decreased less than was expected based on model calculations. Possibly, the implementation of spray drift reducing techniques is overestimated in the model calculation. The impact of point sources is probably underestimated. A project was initiated for the quantification and qualification of possible point sources in Dutch agriculture. Several point source entries were identified: e.g. internal and external cleaning of sprayers, filling stations and discharge of transport water from fruit sorting installations. A method was developed to discriminate the contamination of the pesticide activities in their possible impact on surface waters; the POint Source SUrface waters Model (POSSUM).

In Dutch municipalities there is a discussion on the safe distance between houses and agricultural activities, especially the application of plant protection products (PPP) in fruit orchards. At this moment a generic safety distance or buffer zone of 50 m is taken into account. Based on general drift reducing measures taken by growers to reduce spray drift to the surface water it is questioned whether this safety distance can be reduced. An evaluation of spray drift data of standard and drift reducing techniques in orchard spraying is analysed for spray drift deposition to the soil and airborne spray drift next to the orchard. Based on spray drift deposition and estimated concentration in the air a comparison is made with dermal, inhalatory and secondary dermal Acceptable Exposure Limits (AEL) for humans. Based on the available spray drift data for standard conventional spraying and the use of venturi low-drift nozzles safety distances are estimated for people standing in the home garden, and at the front of the house. These distances are calculated for often used fungicides and insecticides in orchard, such as captan, thiram, fenoxycarb, flonicamid, methoxyfenozide, and pirimicarb. Safety distances are calculated for both the dormant and the full leaf stage of the trees. Such safety distances are based on the most important scenario by thiram in the full leaf stage and captan in the dormant leaf stage, and range between 20 and 50 m. Safe distances are more dependent on the toxicity of the PPP than on the spray drift level.

In de fruitteeltsector zijn de mogelijkheden voor investeringen beperkt door de geringe financiële marges. De sector kijkt mede daarom naar de bruikbaarheid van innovaties uit andere sectoren. Driftarme spuitdoppen worden volop toegepast in de akkerbouw. Na een periode van experimenteren en verbeteren zijn er nu doppen die geschikt zijn voor toepassing in de fruitteelt.

1. The use of flowering vegetation has been widely advocated as a strategy for providing parasitoids and predators with nectar and pollen. However, their herbivorous hosts and prey may exploit floral food sources as well. 2. Previous laboratory studies have shown that not all flower species are equally suitable in providing accessible nectar. Relatively little is known about actual nectar exploitation under field conditions. 3. The present study investigates nectar exploitation by the pest, Plutella xylostella, and its parasitoid, Diadegma semiclausum, under field conditions and examines whether floral nectar exploitation in the field can be predicted based on controlled laboratory studies. 4. Insects were collected from fields bordered by flowering margins containing Fagopyrum esculentum, Lobularia maritima, Anethum graveolens, Centaurea jacea or the grass Lolium perenne (control). Whole insect bodies were individually assayed by HPLC to establish their sugar profile as a measure of the level of energy reserves and the degree of food source use. 5. The average overall sugar content of P. xylostella and D. semiclausum collected in fields bordered by flowering margins was significantly higher than those of individuals collected from grass-bordered control plots. To the authors' knowledge, this represents the first demonstration that nectar-providing plants enhance the energetic state of herbivores under field conditions. 6. In contrast to earlier laboratory studies, the present study did not find elevated sugar contents in P. xylostella and D. semiclausum individuals collected from fields bordered by buckwheat (F. esculentum). 7. The present study shows widespread sugar feeding by both the herbivore and its parasitoid. It also shows that laboratory studies establishing nectar exploitation under controlled conditions can not always be extrapolated to actual exploitation under field conditions. This emphasises the importance of studying field-collected insects with regard to food source use and nutritional status.

The goal of ISAFRUIT to increase fruit consumption has strong foundations in the new knowledge created by a multidisciplinary team of natural and social scientists addressing critical aspects of the multi-faceted fruit chain. Bridging the gap between disciplines proved to be a substantial challenge, as they have quite different languages, methods, and networks. In March 2008, ISAFRUIT launched an initiative to address this gap and named it the “Vasco da Gama process”, after the Portuguese explorer who, early in the 16th century, embarked in the first ships to sail directly from Europe to India and to bridge the gap between continents and cultures. ISAFRUIT’s process for bridging between research disciplines was to discover if the research conducted indeed contributed to increased fruit consumption in Europe. For this purpose, the Quality Function Deployment (QFD) method was applied. This includes the construction of a House of Quality (HoQ), which is a conceptual and graphical tool that presents the positive and negative relationships between technical quality traits, as studied and influenced by pre- and post-harvest experiments, and consumer-demand terms. This paper explains the methodology in greater detail. The first experience with this process showed that, even if scientists from different disciplines were keen to be involved, there was a need for a sustained effort to drive such a process. The process is still underway, and specific results will be published later

In 2006 the project ISAFRUIT (www.isafruit.org)--"Increasing fruit consumption through a trans disciplinary approach leading to high quality produce from environmentally safe, sustainable methods"--was launched within the 6th Framework Program of the EC. Within the project's work package ECOFRUIT (WP 5.1 - Safe European fruit from a healthy environment) a Crop Adapted Spray Application (CASA) system is developed. This system is developed to ensure efficient and safe spray application in orchards according to actual needs and with respect to the environment. The system consists of three components: 1. Crop Identification System (CIS), 2. Environmentally Dependent Application System (EDAS), and 3. Crop Health Sensor (CHS). A sprayer prototype able to automatically adapt spray and air distribution according to the characteristics of the target, to the level of crop disease and to the environmental conditions is under development

De quarantaineziekte bruinrot van aardappel, veroorzaakt door de bacterie Ralstonia (voorheen : Pseudomonas solanacearum) werd in Nederland voor het eerst met zekerheid aangetroffen in 1992. Het betrof een geïsoleerd geval in Zuid-Limburg, dat later verbonden bleek te zijn met een eerder opgetreden besmetting in België. Sindsdien is door een grote inspanning van de Plantenziektenkundige Dienst (PD), de Nederlandse Algemene Keuringsdienst (NAK), het bedrijfsleven en het onderzoek (Plant Research International (PRI - voorheen IPO) en Wageningen Universiteit veel bereikt. Dit artikel geeft een overzicht van de aanpak en het onderzoek sinds de uitbraak van bruinrot in 1995 en werpt een blik vooruit naar toekomstige ontwikkelingen

Dead (dormant) flower buds of pear are an important phenomenon in pear production in the Netherlands. Vigourous or unbalanced tree growth and Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae (P.s.s.) are mentioned as likely causes of dead flower buds. Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae was occasionally isolated from diseased flower buds. However, Alternaria alternata was nearly always isolated from diseased buds and also often in symptomless flower buds. By identifying the causal agent of dead flower buds disease, an effective control strategy can be developed. In field trials it was proven that fungicide treatments can reduce disease incidences significantly.

A study was carried out to investigate soil quality of dryland farming systems of Mbeere District, Eastern Kenya and its implications on agricultural sustainability. Soil sampling was done in years 2002 and 2004 from 30 study farms and same sampling sites and from paired adjacent land-use systems (bush fallow and cultivated fields). Physical, chemical and biological laboratory analyses were carried out. Factor analysis showed that the main soil quality indicators for evaluating sustainability of the dryland farming systems of the district were texture; organic matter, exchangeable bases (Ca, Mg, K, and Na); extractable nutrients (P and Zn); and acidity (pH). Cultivated soils were characterised by low pH, nutrient deficiencies (N, P, Cu, and Zn) and low organic matter and a decline in organic C, total N, exchangeable K and extractable P across time. They were also lower in exchangeable bases and microbial biomass C than adjacent bush fallow soils. We conclude that the soils are degraded and farming systems are partially unsustainable and may increasingly be so in the near future if declining soil quality is not addressed

Measurements of pesticide concentrations in surface water by the water boards show that they have decreased less than was expected from model calculations. Possibly, the implementation of spray drift reducing techniques is overestimated in the model calculation. The impact of point sources is probably underestimated. A project was initiated for the quantification and qualification of possible point sources in Dutch fruit culture. From a survey it was concluded that the majority of fruit growers do not posses the mandatory equipment regarding filling and cleaning of sprayers. This creates a potential environmental risk for surface water contamination. Further research is focused on: internal and external cleaning of sprayers, environmental impact of the washings, discharge of transport water from fruit sorting installations, and bioremediation systems for processing contaminated water.

The potential of Biological Soil Disinfestation (BSD) to control potato brown rot, caused by Ralstonia solanacearum race 3 biovar 2, was investigated. BSD involves the induction of anaerobic soil conditions by increasing microbial respiration through incorporation of fresh organic amendments (here: grass or potato haulms) and by reducing re-supply of oxygen by covering with airtight plastic sheets. Control treatments were left without cover and amendment, or amended without covering or covered only without amendment. The effect of BSD on survival of R. solanacearum was tested at three different scales: in 1-l glass mesocosms under laboratory conditions, in 1.2-m-diam microplots positioned in an outdoor quarantine field, and in a naturally infested commercial field. Within a few days, anaerobic conditions developed in the BSD-treated soils. In the mesocosm and microplot experiment, anaerobic conditions persisted till the end of the 4-week experimental period. In the field experiment, the period of anaerobiosis was shorter due to birds damaging the plastic cover. In all three experiments, BSD reduced soil populations of R. solanacearum significantly by 92.5% to >99.9% compared to the non-amended and uncovered control treatments. In the field experiment, BSD also resulted in a significant reduction of R. solanacearum survival in potato tubers buried at 15 or 35 cm and in the rapid decomposition of superficially buried potatoes remaining after harvesting, thus destroying an important inoculum reservoir of R. solanacearum. The treatments with grass amendment only or covering with only plastic did not result in anaerobic conditions and did not decrease R. solanacearum populations during the experimental period. PCR-DGGE analyses of 16S-rDNA from soil samples of the various treatments in the mesocosm and microplot experiments revealed that BSD hardly affected bacterial diversity but did result in clear shifts in the composition of the bacterial community. The possible implications of these shifts are discussed. It is concluded that BSD has the potential to strongly decrease soil infestation levels of R. solanacearum and to become an important element in a sustainable and effective management strategy for potato brown rot, especially in areas where the disease is endemic.

Whereas nectar and pollen provision to predators and parasitoids is often a main objective in pursuing agricultural biodiversity, we generally know little about whether the flowering plant species involved are actually suitable as insect food sources or what their ultimate impact is on biological pest control. Here we highlight the potential as well as the pitfalls of using biodiversity in conservation biological control and discuss how we can optimise the benefits

Interview met Stef Schreuder van het PPO-fruitteelt. Het areaal frambozen zal naar verwachting behoorlijk gaan uitbreiden. De één verwelkomt nieuwe telers met open armen. Andere partijen stellen zich juist sceptisch op

`Elstar¿, the most widely grown apple variety in the Netherlands, requires adequate fruit thinning to obtain regular bearing and the commercially desired fruit size and fruit quality. During several years studies have been carried out to look for alternative thinning methods to replace carbaryl, an insectide which also induced thinning when applied to young fruitlets, but that is no longer registered in the Netherlands. During recent years research on apple thinning has focused on the use of ammonium thiosulphate (ATS) as a flower thinner combined with 6-benzyladenine (BA) as a fruitlet thinner. This paper reports on a trial in which the fruit thinning efficacy of this combined treatment with ATS and that of BA on its own were evaluated. In addition, the use of slaked lime (Ca(OH)2) to cover the leaves and reduce leaf photosynthesis at three different times during fruitlet development was tested, alone or in combination with an application of BA. The best chemical thinning treatment of this trial was the combination of 3 applications of ATS during flowering followed by BA at a fruit size of 13.8¿mm. This treatment gave 82% of the thinning necessary to obtain the target fruit load. This treatment also effectively improved fruit size distributions, fruit colour and internal fruit quality. Slaked lime did not thin `Elstar¿ effectively, most probably because it did not cause sufficient reduction of light interception by the canopy.

Whereas nectar and pollen provision to predators and parasitoids is a main objective in pursuing agricultural biodiversity, we often know little about whether the flowering plant species involved are actually suitable as insect food sources or about their ultimate impact on biological pest control. This paper highlights the potential and the pitfalls of using biodiversity in conservation biological control and discusses how the benefits can be optimized

The effect of inoculations with yeasts occurring on apple surfaces and fungicide treatments on the russeting of Elstar apples was studied. Captan, dithianon and a water treatment were implemented to study the interaction between the fungicides, the inoculated yeast species and Aureobasidium pullulans, and the development of russet. All yeast inoculations aggravated russet, but Rhodotorula glutinis, Sporidiobolus pararoseus and A. pullulans did so to a greater extent than the other species. Both captan and dithianon significantly reduced russeting. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis showed that inoculations with R. glutinis and S. pararoseus seemed to suppress other yeast species present on the apple surface.

Two, 4-year studies on summer epidemic progress of apple scab were conducted at Randwijk, the Netherlands, from 1998 until 2001 and at Eperjeske, Hungary, from 2000 until 2003. Disease assessments were made on scab-susceptible cv. Jonagold. A range of nonlinear growth functions were fitted to a total of 96 disease progress curves (3 treatment classes × 2 plant parts × 2 disease measures × 4 years × 2 locations) of apple scab incidence and severity. The three-parameter logistic model gave the most consistent fit across three treatment classes in the experiment (integrated, organic-sprayed, and organic-unsprayed). Parameters estimated or calculated from the three-parameter logistic function were used to analyze disease progress. These were disease incidence and severity on the day of the first assessment (Ys); final disease incidence or upper asymptote for incidence (Yif) or severity (Ysf); fruit incidence and severity on day 40, after which no new lesions on fruits appeared (Y40); leaf incidence and severity on day 75, at which shoot growth stopped (Y 75); relative (β) and “absolute” (θ) rates of disease progress; inflection point (M); and area under the disease progress curve (AUDPCS) standardized by the duration of the total epidemic. Comparisons among disease progress curves were made by correlation and factor analysis followed by Varimax rotation. There were large differences but high positive correlations among the parameters Ys, Yf, θ, and AUDPCS across the three treatment classes. In the factor analysis, two factors accounted for more than 85% of the total variance for both incidence and severity. Factor 1 gave an overall description of epidemic progress of both scab incidence and severity and included the parameters Yf, Y40, Y75, θ, and AUDPCS. Factor 2 identified a relationship between the relative rate parameter (β) and the inflection point (M) for severity and a relationship between disease incidence and severity. For an integrated or an organic orchard, θ, AUDPCS, and one of Yf or Y75 (because of the link with host phenology) can characterize apple scab epidemics during summer. Based on these findings, improved scab management approaches were provided for integrated and organic apple production systems.

A 2-year study was conducted to determine the widespread occurrence of overwintered conidial inoculum of Venturia inaequalis and its impact on the apple scab control in 18 apple orchards (organic and integrated) with various levels of scab in the Netherlands. Autumn assessments of scab lesions showed that the integrated orchards had a significantly lower scab incidence ( 60%). At the bud-break phenological stage, the mean numbers of nonviable and viable conidia on 1 cm pieces of shoots ranged from 1 to about 90 and from 6 to more than 1000 in the integrated and the organic orchards, respectively, for both years. However, viable conidia on shoots were found only in 2 integrated and 6 organic orchards out of the 18 and the viability of conidia was below 2%. The mean numbers of viable and nonviable conidia per 100 buds ranged from 24 to more than 1000 and from 230 to almost 5000 in the integrated and the organic orchards, respectively, for both years. In both years, some 60–85% of the conidia was found on the outer bud scales. The percentage viability associated with the outer bud tissues was below 2% for all the orchards. However, the percentage of viable conidia within the inner bud tissues ranged from 0% to 6% in the integrated and from 2% to 11% in the organic orchards for both years. Differences between the organic and the integrated orchards were clearly demonstrated for overwintered conidia associated with both shoot and bud samples. The relationship between autumn scab incidence and numbers of overwintered conidia associated with shoots or buds was exponential. If the autumn scab incidence was above 40%, then the number of overwintered conidia markedly increased. We conclude that specific treatments for overwintering conidia of Venturia inaequalis may not be necessary in integrated orchards with a low scab incidence in the previous autumn. However, the risk of early scab epidemics initiated by overwintered conidia potentially is high in organic orchards. Preventative measures in early spring and also in the previous year must be established in these orchards.

Aerial concentration of ascospores of Venturia inaequalis and incidence of apple scab were monitored in an orchard during the ascospore release seasons in 1999, 2000 and 2001 on susceptible (Jonagold) and moderately resistant (Schone van Boskoop) apple cultivars. A 1-ha orchard was divided into an inoculum source block (approximately 0.34 ha) and an inoculum-free block (approximately 0.66 ha) where inoculum was excluded by covering the soil surface with polythene sheets. Ascospore numbers and disease incidence were measured within the inoculum-free block at different distances from the inoculum block. Ascospores were sampled with three Burkard volumetric spore traps located at 0, 21 and 45 m from the border of the inoculum block. To determine the incidence of infection, clusters of leaves were assessed at six distances from the border of the infected source from the time the first symptoms appeared. Each year, the aerial ascospore concentration significantly decreased with distance from the source, as did the incidence of infected clusters. Cultivar susceptibility to apple scab markedly influenced incidence of infected clusters and disease gradients. The effect of horizontal distance from the source was identifiable up to 18 m and 33 m for cv. Schone van Boskoop and cv. Jonagold, respectively, beyond which disease was negligible. The disease gradients for cultivar Jonagold in 1999, 2000 and 2001 were well described by an exponential model with gradient coefficients of -0.036, -0.042 and -0.047, respectively. The number of infected clusters at the source border for this cultivar differed significantly over the 3 years. A single exponential model with a gradient coefficient of -0.035 adequately described the disease gradients for cultivar Schone van Boskoop in each of the 3 years. Further analysis showed highly significant correlations (r > 0.85, P

Durable resistance to scab (Venturia inaequalis) of newly introduced cultivars is needed to achieve a considerable reduction of pesticide use. However, the assessment in the field on the level and durability of scab resistance is time and space consuming. A proper and fast indoor test should be a convenient tool to discard cultivars with a limited level of resistance at an early stage. As a result, field tests can include only the better cultivars. This approach has been tried out by comparing field data with data from a glasshouse test, comprising twelve new and seven well-known susceptible and resistant (with and without Vf) cultivars which have been tested with six isolates of scab from different origins, virulence and aggressiveness, including race 6 and 7. Young trees on M.9 rootstock were infected and after a 17 day period at high humidity, sporulation and chlorosis have been observed. If the set of isolates is broad and well-chosen it seems possible to assess susceptibility and possibly also durability. To optimize the choice of isolates, it is desirable to know the pedigree of the cultivars that are tested. In addition, this procedure allows the use of highly virulent and aggressive races, that should be avoided in field tests for the risk of spreading

Five pathogens were added to vegetable, fruit and garden waste and their survival was studied during mesophilic (maximum temperature 40 degreesC) anaerobic digestion. Digestion during 6 weeks took. place with a 50/50% (v/v) ratio of digested and fresh, tem undigested material, respectively. Survival of the plant pathogens Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. asparagi and Ralstonia solanacearum, and of the human pathogen Salmonella typhimurium was below the detection levels, and survival of the plant pathogen Plasmodiophora brassicae was low in one experiment and below the detection level in two replicates. In addition, numbers of Enterobacteriaceae originally present in the waste decreased significantly during digestion. However, sclerotia of the plant pathogen Sclerotium cepivorum recovered from the digestion vessel were, at least in part, viable. It is concluded that many pathogens may be inactivated readily, but that anaerobically digested compost may involve some significant phytohygienic problems. From this study, it can,be concluded that vegetable, fruit and garden waste containing onions infected with S. cepivorum should be avoided. (C) 2003 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

1. Post-dispersal seed losses in annual arable weed species are poorly quantified, but may be of significance for natural population control, especially if they can be manipulated. We hypothesized that weed seed predation on the soil surface was significant, so we measured rates in the field to estimate annual seed losses due to predation. 2. Temporal patterns of weed seed losses due to predation ('demand') as well as weed seed production ('supply') were measured from May to June until harvest in August 1999 and 2000 during 2-week exposure periods in four organic cereal fields in the Netherlands. The proportion of weed seeds lost to predators M-i (number of seeds consumed per number of seeds exposed per 14 days) was measured, using cards containing seeds of Stellaria media, Chenopodium album or Avena fatua. Seed production, Y-i (number of seeds per m 2 per 14 days), was measured in 2000, using seed traps. 3. Annual seed loss due to predation, (M) over bar (number of seeds consumed per number of seeds produced per year), was calculated based on M-i and the exposure period of seeds to predators, starting with seed shed and ending with seed burial. The importance of the length of the exposure period on total seed loss was explored using a model. 4. The temporal trend in M-i was consistent among farms and years: high in June and early July, lower in the second half of July and negligible in August and after harvest. Total seed production varied considerably among fields, i.e. 800-16 000 seeds per m(2) per year. The timing of peak seed production also varied substantially. 5. Calculated (M) over bar ranged from 32% to 70%, when assuming continuous exposure of seeds to predators from seed shed till crop harvest. When exposure was limited to 2 or 4 weeks after seed shed, (M) over bar decreased to 18-57% or 28-67%, respectively. Differences between fields and weed species were mainly due to differences in the timing of seed shed. 6. Synthesis and applications. Our results suggest that seed predation in organic cereal fields is an important factor shaping the population dynamics of arable weeds. A combination of environmental conditions (hot and dry weather) and agricultural practices (an early crop sowing) can advance weed phenology and postpone seed burial, resulting in higher proportions of weed seed loss to predation in cereals.

Testing of planting material for freedom from phytopathogenic bacteria is an important, although not exclusive, method for control of bacterial diseases of plants. Ideally, pathogen-free or pathogen-/disease-resistant planting material is desirable, but this situation is not always possible on a practical basis. For most bacterial pathogens, resistance is not available in cultivated hosts, and production of pathogen-free planting material requires strict certification schemes via several routes. These include (i) indexing, with subsequent removal of infected/contaminated material from the production chain; (ii) meristem and other tissue culture production systems; (iii) thermo- or chemotherapy; (iv) plant or seed surface disinfection for epiphytic bacterial pathogens; (v) avoidance or decontamination of contaminated production factors such as substrate, soil or irrigation water. These methods cannot guarantee 100% freedom from the pathogen or disease during crop multiplication from certified planting material, because of factors such as sampling error, experimental error, test sensitivities, limitations of therapies (e.g. phytotoxicity or insufficient penetration), re-introduction of the pathogen, insufficient hygiene or decontamination during planting and multiplication of clean propagating material, and manipulations during trade and production. These factors are discussed with reference to several bacterial plant diseases, in particular control of bacterial brown rot and ring rot of potato in Europe and North America. The most efficient control of bacterial diseases can be expected through a combination of the use of healthy/tested planting material and good cultivation practice, including strict crop and storage hygiene.

A logistic regression model was built to describe the effect of picking time and the most relevant commercially applied storage factors on the incidence of core breakdown in pears (Pyrus communis L. cv. Conference). The statistical analysis showed that the probability of core breakdown depended on several variables in a more complicated way than assumed before. In general, more mature fruit, stored at lower O-2 and higher CO2 concentrations, at a higher temperature and for longer times are more susceptible to core breakdown. However, delaying the controlled atmosphere (CA) conditions for 21 days decreased the core breakdown incidence efficiently even for late-picked fruit. Together with a proper delay of CA, a sufficiently high O-2 concentration during CA was most important. The model was validated with data of 16 orchards gathered over five harvest seasons in two countries which gives it a wide validity range and a high practical relevance. (C) 2002 Silsoc Research Institute. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Toelatingsonderzoek van contactherbicide Spotlight Plus (carfentrazone-ethyl) voor de boom- en vaste plantenteelt.

Toelatingsonderzoek van contactherbicide Spotlight Plus (carfentrazone-ethyl) voor de boom- en vaste plantenteelt.

In kasproeven testte PPO de werkzaamheid van contactherbiciden in verschillende doseringen, en bij toevoeging van hulpstoffen, bij de bestrijding van de onkruiden melganzevoet en hanepoot. Uit de sterk verbeterde werking blijkt dat bij een verstandig gebruik van hulpstoffen de grenzen van LageDoseringsSystemen (LDS) nog niet zijn bereikt. In veldproeven werd de werking onderzocht van hulpstoffen bij lage doseringen van verschillende tankmixen herbiciden voor de bestrijding van perzikkruid en hanepoot in suikerbieten en maïs

Gegevens in bijgaande tabellen: 1) Arbeidsbehoefte en kosten voor vier oogstsystemen in de witloftrek; 2) Berekening investeringsruimte systeem Robolof bij twee bedrijfsgrootten. Gegevens in bijgaande grafieken:1) Verband tussen kg-productie per trekbak en de arbeidsprestatie (kg geoogst lof/uur/persoon), gebaseerd op een tijdstudie op praktijkbedrijven; 2) Verband tussen aantal wortels per trekbak en de arbeidsbehoefte (sec./wortel) gebaseerd op een tijdstudie op praktijkbedrijven; 3) Verband tussen arbeidsprestatie en produktkwaliteit gebaseerd op een tijdstudie op praktijkbedrijven; 4) Totale kosten van het oogstsysteem inclusief arbeid en kosten per kg witlof gerelateerd aan drie te trekken arealen witlof voor het systeem dubbele afsnijmachine en twee oogstbanden

Eind jaren negentig startte PPO-fruit in Randwijk een onderzoek naar sierperen als bestuiver voor gewone peer. De toename van Conference-beplantingen, de afname van het belang van andere perenrassen en de toename van blokbeplantingen maakten be beschikbaarheid van enkele goede sierbestuivers wenselijk. In 2006 werd belsoten tot introductie, en sinds 2007 werken hieraan negen Nederlandse vruchtboomkwekers mee

De afgelopen vier jaar zijn in een proef zes groeiremmingsstrategieen met elkaar vergeleken

Nederland had twee jaar geleden de primeur: Santana, een hyperallergeen appelras voor mensen met appelallergie. Wageningen UR heeft de ervaringen van de consumenten over 2006 en 2007 onderzocht. De vermindering van de allergische reactie is ongeveer volgens verwachting en de tevredenheid blijkt hoog te zijn

Oorwormen zijn alleseters. Omdat ze naast dierlijk voedsel en afval ook wel bladeren en vruchten aanvreten, richt een deel van de landbouwkundige aandacht voor oorwormen zich op hun bestrijding als plaag. In de moderne appel- en perenteelt worden oorwormen echter vooral beschouwd als welkome bestrijders van insectenplagen