THE APPLICATION OF INTEGRATED PRODUCTION ON PLUM AND APRICOT IN EMILIA-ROMAGNA (ITALY)

The “Regional project 1986–1990 for the diffusion of integrated pest management in orchards and vineyards”, and the Regional Crop Advisory Service created on the base of this first experience, involves, in 1995, approximately, a total area of 17,900 hectares of fruit orchards (700 hectares of plum and 600 of apricot fruit orchards, more or less 17% of the total regional surface) covering over 7,300 farms.

The project aims to involve approximately 50% of the fruit growing farms in Emilia-Romagna by improving technicians activity and applying a quality trade-mark to promote the produce of farms practicing integrated production methods.

The text provides details of methods used for integrated pest management and other agronomic methods applied in plum and apricot fruit orchards and some of the results obtained.

An analysis of the emerging problems and research and experimentation status is given.