Effects of sustainable integrated pest management on carrots yiel quality

Abstract

The usage of sustainable plant protection system not only the alternative to traditional plant protection, but also lets to control pests more effectively and forecasting model helps to select optimal application time for pest occurrence. Compare the number of damaged carrots in conventional and sustainable cropping systems there were not found any statistical differences. The protection system from carrots flies showed that spraying by P. rosae forecasting model was more accurate and more efficient (70.27- 84.95%) than conventional (54.05 – 60.18) because the number of damaged carrots decrease. P. rosae forecasting model was adapted to local conditions as well as implemented in horticultural sector in order to ensure optimal use of plant protection products and can be used in sustainable cropping system, because the number of damaged carrots decrease. Relatively large amounts of pesticides are used to control pests in horticulture. Therefore monitoring and forecast systems become very important. By monitoring main pests numbers and considering thresholds it is possible to reduce loss of quality in vegetable yield. Recent years in horticulture noticed a rapid growth of sustainable cropping systems in Lithuania. In this system the same active ingredients of plant protection products can’t be used more than two times per season and harvest interval have to be 1.5 times longer than indicated on the label. For this reason investigation on the efficiency of forecasting models for carrot fly Psila rosae was carried out at the Institute of Horticulture, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry in 2011-2012. The aim was to compare carrots yield quality, when insecticides was used according forecasting system iMETOS®sm (sustainable) and conventional cropping systems. For carrot fly control optimization P. rosae emergence model based on soil temperature accumulation system. Yellow sticky traps (IVOGR – System) were used to monitor carrot fly imagoes. Application was made with the same insecticides, but not in the same time.