Agronomic context and presentation of the project
Plant-feeding bugs constitute an important technical barrier in market gardening because there are few or no registered plant protection products (conventional or biocontrol) to ensure their control. In addition, the few registered products (pyrethroids) have harmful effects on the beneficial insects used for the management of other pests (whiteflies, thrips...). Insecticide treatments aimed at bugs disrupt the beneficial fauna, causing the outbreaks of pest populations such as thrips on eggplant, or whiteflies on tomato. The aim of the IMPULsE project was to provide solutions to growers for the management of three pest/crop complexes: Nesidiocoris tenuis on tomato, Nezara viridula and Lygus sp. on eggplant and Eurydema sp. on cabbage.
A first article assessed the project mid-term [1]. The results on the use of insect-proof nets in protected eggplant crops, and yellow dry-glue sticky cards for trapping and monitoring Nesidiocoris were presented. The IMPULsE project also proposed to refine the biocontrol solutions, and the combination of the already existing protection levers with those studied in the project. Finally, the use of agro-ecological management strategies with trap and indicator plants was tested for the management of different bugs in protected and open-field crops.