Aphids are one of the main pests in modern organic stone fruit production, especially when covered with rain-protection roofs and closed with insect nets. Natural enemies are often present in too low quantities and/or come too late when the damage is already severe.
Solution
Promote the natural regulation of the black cherry aphid by releasing natural enemies in the season and providing habitat and food sources to enable population growth (e.g., via flower strips).
Description
Aphids can be regulated without or with fewer plant protection applications, thanks to natural enemies.
Practical recommendations
Indirect regulation with natural enemies
The following natural enemies are effective in regulating the stone fruit aphids, e.g., the black cherry aphid:
• Hoverflies: Larvae feed on aphids (Picture 2). Adults need to feed on nectar and pollen (Picture 4).
• Ladybug: Larvae and adults feed on aphids (Picture 6, 7). Adults of some ladybug species also need pollen.
• Parasitic wasps: Adults lay their eggs within the aphids. The aspect of the parasitised aphid (aphid mum-my) is typical for each parasitoid (Pictures 9, 10, 11). Adults feed on nectar.
• Lacewings: Larvae feed on aphids (Picture 14). Adults feed on nectar, pollen, and honeydew (Picture 16).
These natural enemies can be released early in the season (March/April) and/or promoted by implementing flower strips around and within the orchard.
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In order to use the comment function, you must register with the third-party provider "Disqus".
When you activate this function, your browser establishes a direct connection with the servers of the third-party provider. We would like to point out that data is transmitted to the third-party provider after activation, and the latter may set cookies that can also be used for analysis and marketing purposes. For more information, please refer to our privacy policy.
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