News
Field visits at research stations working in the BIO-INCROP project on citrus and on apple have had great success in 2013
BIO-INCROP project has obtained great interest from stakeholders at INTERPOMA 2012
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Project stakeholders
Target groups of the project are:
- Organic Growers and Organic farmers associations
- Regional, National and European committees involved in setting guidelines in organic farming
- Students and Researchers
- Consumers
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Biodiversity and natural resources for new technologies in organic fruit production
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Main outcomes at this stage?
Plant growth assay is an effective option to evaluate soil health of
multi-generation apple orchards in temperate agro-environments where soil
organic matter does not represent a limiting fertility factor.
Soil enzymes are very useful indicators of changes in soil quality when
converting degraded citrus to organic management in Mediterranean environment.
Replant disease in organic and conventional apple orchards, in central Europe,
has a consistent biotic origin which is responsible for about 30 % of growth
reduction in multi-generation orchards.
Fungal pathogens are responsible for growth reduction due to apple replant
disease, however they represent the minority of total soil fungi which colonize
roots. To the contrary, several soil inhabiting microorganisms have potentiality
to induce root growth and they represent a resource to be exploited for
increasing plant growth/soil health.
Pre-plant treatment in multi-generation apple orchards with different organic
amendments and cover crops showed a variable effect on growth of newly-planted
fruit trees; it ranged from negative to positive.
Techniques based on the application of organic matter shortly before replanting
are not successful in total control of soil-borne diseases in citrus degraded
orchards, but do reduce the damage to soil organic matter and biological
activity that more aggressive techniques such as solarization cause. A larger
build-up of organic fertility seems necessary to reclaim severely infected
citrus orchards, previously destined for replanting, to make rapid colonization
by Phytophthora difficult. Vegetal covers seem very promising in this respect as
they cause a large stimulation of biological activity in soil.
Two over ten bio-formulates evaluated among those available on the market were
effective for controlling Phytophthora cactorum attack on newlyplanted apple
trees, while none resulted effective in reducing common replant disease. In
citrus, on the other hand, commercial bio-formulates did not show any
effectiveness against soil-borne diseases and when some nutritional effects were
found, they could be related to the inorganic content of the formulate.
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Main project activities
Project activities are organized as it follows:
I. Early evaluation in greenhouse bioassay
Diagnosis:
- Evaluation of soil borne pest and pathogens involved in replant disease
- Role of rhizosphere bacterial and fungal communities in plant health
Selection of naturally available resources to increase microbial diversity and biomass:
- Compost and organic amendments
- Cover crops and wild plants selected on basis of plant/microorganisms interaction
Survey of available means for controlling replant disease:
- Evaluation of biological active formulates
- Investigation of new low input agronomical options
II. Full field trials
These activities are aimed to investigate management strategies for controlling replant problems in degraded orchards. The Spanish partner (IVIA) will perform research activities for improving soil biological fertility and plant health in degraded citrus orchards and about conversion to organic of degraded citrus orchards.
German (DLR), Austrian (HAID) and Italian (LRC) partners will focus on soil management and pre-plant combined treatments to minimize apple replant disease. |
The BIO-INCROP project aims
The project will search new agro-management techniques for organic orchards. Research activity is planned in two climate zones of the Europe: Temperate tree fruit production regions, with apple crop as target and Mediterranean ones, with citrus crop as target. The research strategy is based on microbial components involved in soil suppressiveness and biological soil fertility.
The research actions are based on the exploitation of two categories of natural resources:
- Biological resources indigenous to soil system
- Natural resources exogenous to orchards
Background
The EU 27 trend of fruit production has decreased from 70 to
60 million tons during the period from 2000 to 2009. There are many causes of
this yield decline, but the main reason is the decline of soil health due to the
eco-functional intensification of growing areas specialising in fruit
production. Replant disease, due to a series of soil borne pathogens, is the
main biotic component of fruit tree decline. Microbial diversity, along with
microbial biomass, represents the main component of soil suppressiveness: the
natural ability of soil to control soil-borne pathogenic agents of replant
disease.
Benefits of the project
The expected benefits are:
- New diagnostic tools for evaluating the actual occurrence of the biotic
components of fruit tree replant disease.
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An increased use of indigenous or external natural resources for developing
innovative management options aimed at increasing and preserving soil microbial
biomass and diversity in organic fruit tree orchards.
- Integration of the national guidelines for certified organic production with
agro-management strategies based on eco-functional intensification of organic
cropping systems
- Support for critical adoption by farmers of available organic amendments and
bio-products and for developing practices aimed at increasing soil
suppressiveness according to the available natural resources and environmental
conditions. Therefore the first users of the project results will be organic
growers and agricultural extension services.
The project results will represent
a support to Regional and National Committees in improving protocols and
guidelines in organic farming. Finally, the BIO-INCROP objectives represent
added value to the organic food production for European consumers, who are
receptive to strategies aimed at increasing biodiversity and preserving
environmental safety.
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Search Organic Eprints
The open archive includes a vast amount of documents on organic certification
Search the open archive
More search options on www.orgprints.org
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BIO-INCROP
Innovative cropping techniques to increase soil health in organic fruit tree crops
8 partners, 6 countries
Coordinator
Senior Scientist Luisa Maria Manici, Agricultural Research Council, Italy
Partners
Head of Department Markus Kelderer, Laimburg Research Centre for Agriculture and Foresty, Italy
Colaborador Científico Adjunto Rodolfo Canet, Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias, Spain
Manager Gerhard Baab, DLR Rheinpfalz, Center of competence, Germany
Researcher Thomas Rühmer, Landwirtschaftliches Versuchszentrum Graz-Haidegg, Austria
Researcher Ingrid Whittle, University of Innsbruch, Austria
PhD Andraes Naef, Agroscope Changins-Wädenswil Research Station, Switzerland
Dr. Suat Kaymak,
GDAR, Plant Protection Central Research Institute,
Ankara, Turkey
Dr. PINAR Hasan
Alata Horticulture Research Station,
Mersin, Turkey
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[Evaluations of apple rootstock plant growth at the end of in pot test]
[Ilyonectria torresensis, an agent apple replant disease. Spores and mycelia under microscope]
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