Control methods in organic citrus against the new invasive Mealybug Delottococcus aberiae
Delottococcus aberiae is a widespread invasive mealybug native to South Africa. It reaches high population levels and causes severe distortion and size reduction in developing fruits. Combining different methodologies, such as precautionary measures, application of plant protection products, an attract-and-kill system with sexual pheromone, physical barriers against ants and the release of predators, may help […]
Functional biodiversity: Mediterranean plants to improve natural enemies in organic citrus
Resurgent pests or invasive exotic pests (e.g., two new species of mealybugs, or the Trioza erytreae, transmitter of the Huanglongbing disease (HLB)) are major challenges of the Mediterranean citriculture). The solution could be to increase the presence and prevalence of natural enemies of pests through the introduction of plant biodiversity such as perimeter hedges, ground […]
Agroecological crop protection for sustainable agriculture
Crop losses from pests threaten global food security and safety. In the last six decades, pest control using chemical pesticides has resulted in important yield gains per unit area, worldwide. However, the long-term sustainability of chemical pest control has been increasingly thrown into doubt due to the negative impact on human health, biodiversity, and the […]
