Trial over four years in fruit orchards: fireblight, mildew, codling moth.

Summary

Trial-area:
6 ha, from it approximately 2 ha pears and 4 ha different apple cultivars

Treatment:
since 1994 regularly penac-p 3041 as well as p 3042, penac-k 1541

One didn't give up conventional treatment completely. A total changeover is only practicable, when a slow step by step reduction of the conventional products is planned. The above users did not purchase or use any mineral fertiliser since 1993.

Observations of the year 1994

Apple Elstar : Early and complete drop of foliage – normaly at beginning of winter still many leaves on trees.

Apple Jonagold : The fallen foliage usaully forms a stinking and rotting layer on the soil, but since the application of penac this foliage decomposes completely until spring. Amongst others, this is also due to the ever increasing amount of earthworms.

Even with extreme stress-situations, like for instance dryness and heat, the trees were in an excellent condition with juicy green leaves.

The with fireblight infected shoots were repelled by the tree. The fresh shoots were no longer fireblight infected

Observations of the year 1995

The last fungicidal treatment took place beginning of June. Afterwards, only penac-p was used. In this year, mildew occurrence was extremely high, but in the trial area no mildew was noticed.

The trial-farm is situated in the middle of the fireblight area. In this year, a block of Golden Delicious was so badly infested that one expected none of the trees would have survived by autumn. Since one preverse to use organic products penac-p was implemented.

After some consecutive sprays with each 500 g penac-p the fireblight stopped. Most infected shoots were repelled and therefore no fireblight pruning was necessary..

Observations of the year 1996

After soil analysis done in February it was determined that no application of fertiliser was necessary. The soil, rich in humus, was in a well looked after condition.

Despite the infection-pressure through mildew in this cultivation-area, like in 1995 these orchards were free of mildew.

The pressure through the codling moth was very high throughout all farms in that region, even though the losses here was not higher as on the conventional farms. Merely in July, alsystin was sprayed here once.

There was disappointment with the pear "AlexanderLucas", as these were already in the previous year badly attacked by the "Birnblattsauger" (pear leaf sucker). Other farms in the region was also under heavy pressure so that the major part of the harvest had to be given to the juice industry.

The block with Golden Delicious (see 1995) again showed no attack of fireblight.