Conceptual Framework for Analyzing Combinations of Agroecological Levers
Combining orchard protection methods
The challenge
To reduce pesticide use in arboriculture, producers now have many alternative solutions at their disposal: insect nets, mating disruption, beneficial insects, hedges that promote biodiversity, resistant varieties, etc. The problem? These techniques are often combined, but without always knowing how they interact with each other. Within certain combinations, practices can reinforce each other, while others can have antagonistic effects. A better understanding of these interactions can help optimize crop protection.
The objective of the project
CACOLAC aims to understand how different protection methods work together to limit pests and promote natural enemies in apple orchards. The goal is to identify the best combinations of practices to minimize pesticide use while controlling pests.
How does it work?
The project is structured around three complementary approaches:
Modeling to understand Researchers create mathematical models that simulate the dynamics of pest and beneficial insect populations. These tools make it possible to predict how different combinations of methods will interact with these dynamics over time and space.
Analyzing field data The team studies what is actually happening in commercial orchards in the Lower Durance Valley to measure the concrete effect of different combinations of practices on all pests and treatments.
Co-developing with professionals Fruit growers, agricultural advisors, and researchers are working together to develop a clear classification of the different methods and design realistic scenarios for implementation at the orchard and regional levels.
An original approach
CACOLAC's strength lies in the ongoing dialogue between theoretical models and field observations, all rooted in a participatory approach with stakeholders in the agricultural sector. This combination ensures that the tools developed will be both scientifically robust and practically usable.
Expected results
The project will identify:
- Which methods reinforce each other (synergies);
- Which, on the contrary, weaken each other (antagonisms);
- How to organize these methods in time and space for optimal efficiency.
This knowledge will be translated into recommendations for fruit growers, and the approaches developed can be adapted to other types of orchards and perennial crops.
Towards tailor-made protection
CACOLAC paves the way for rational, localized orchard protection management, where each combination of methods is chosen based on the local context to achieve the best results with the least possible use of pesticides.
Funding : Office Français de la Biodiversité
