Control of Neofabraea spp. in organic fruit production
During storage, this disease causes significant damage. Infection occurs in the field, but symptoms become evident after a few months. Crop losses can exceed over 50 percent. Precautionary measures and the correct placement of the orchard (aeration) make it possible to reduce the pressure of this disease.
Progetto LifeGrace: utilizzo dei pascoli per la loro conservazione
L’obiettivo principale di LIFE_GRACE è promuovere la conservazione di 3 habitat seminaturali della Direttiva “Habitat” (6210*, 6220* e 6230*), attraverso il loro utilizzo da parte di 7 razze autoctone locali minacciate di erosione genetica (Bovino Maremmano, Cavallo Romano della Maremma Laziale, Cavallo Agricolo Italiano da Tiro Pesante Rapido, Cavallo Tolfetano, Pony di Esperia, Capra Grigia […]
Revision of Vitamin E recommendations for dairy cows in organic agriculture: a review-based approach
Published in “Biological Agriculture and Horticulture”. Vitamin E is essential and supplementation to the diet is often needed to meet the requirements of farm animals. This is particularly relevant during long indoor periods where conserved forages must be fed, as conservation can degrade Vitamin E. However, synthetic vitamins are regarded as contentious inputs in organic […]
Introducing predatory mites into fruit orchards
I parassiti succhiatori, come i ragnetti rossi, gli acari delle foglie di pero e gli acari della ruggine delle prugne, colpiscono spesso gli alberi da frutto e causano ingenti danni ai frutti. L’utilizzo dell’acaro predatore Typhlodromus pyri può essere una soluzione di controllo biologico di successo per questi parassiti succhiatori. Dopo l’introduzione degli acari predatori, […]
Management of Pesticide Residues in Organic Products IFOAM Organics Europe Position Paper
In Europe (and worldwide), we currently largely rely on conventional agricultural systems, in which synthetic pesticides and other agrochemical products are allowed and applied. The discussion on pesticide residues must be situated in this context. Organic production does not allow the use of synthetic pesticides, artificial fertilizers or any herbicides. However, their widespread use by […]
Pilot study of spray drift on small organic farms in Switzerland
Spray drift is a major problem for organic farmers, particularly in small fields (Speiser and Kretzschmar, 2021). To support the advocacy work of IFOAM Organics Europe concerning this issue, the present study was carried out.
Presence of pesticides in the environment, transition into organic food, and implications for quality assurance along the European organic food chain – A review
The use of synthetic pesticides is not allowed in organic production, but traces of synthetic pesticides are regularly detected in organic food. To safeguard the integrity of organic production, organic certifiers are obliged to investigate the causes for pesticide residues on organic food, entailing high costs to the organic sector. Such residues can have various […]
FIBL: The state of knowledge about (organic) farming and biodiversity updated
FiBL biodiversity expert Lukas Pfiffner has updated the factsheet on the effects of production and cultivation systems on biological diversity. The publication is available for download free of charge in the FiBL Shop. To promote species diversity is one of the principles of organic farming. Do scientific studies on actual farms bear out that the […]
Farmland practices are driving bird population decline across Europe
Declines in European bird populations are reported for decades but the direct effect of major anthropogenic pressures on such declines remains unquantified. Causal relationships between pressures and bird population responses are difficult to identify as pressures interact at different spatial scales and responses vary among species. Here, we uncover direct relationships between population time-series of […]
The potential of biofumigation to control soil borne pests, pathogens and weeds
Soil-borne pests and pathogens can bring major constraints to crop production and their suppression often relies on synthetic chemicals that can be ineffective and/or expensive. A crop protection approach with broad efficacy and applicability for a wide range of crops and agronomic situations is needed. A group of UK growers who have been using and […]
