Integrated pest management
Cryptolaemus montrouzieri
Since March 2001, the Lyon Botanical Garden is testing an anti parasitic system different from the chemical mode : the integrated pest management. It is the rational application of biological, physical, chemical and cultural measures that aims at improving the plants. This system was chosen for several reasons :
Cryptolaemus montrouzieri
Mulsant
- The sanitary protection for the agents.
- The sanitary protection for the public
- Respecting the environment
- The efficiency against some recalcitrant parasites
- Limiting phytotoxicity
Freeing predators
A biological mode, which consists in regular predators releases in terms of the parasite’s infestation. Before the firsts releases, it is necessary to trap parasites in order to identify them and to estimate the infestation’s width. These traps appear as glued panels with a different colour on each side depending on which parasite is searched.
Aphelinus abdominalis parasiting aphids
Dalman
A chemical mode, which is complementary to the biological mode, consisting in pin-point treatments, with suitable and low-toxicity products that protect the auxiliary fauna. The goal of these treatments is to correct – when it is necessary – the hearts of the infestation that are too important.
Leptomastix dactylopii Howard
However we are only at the perfecting step, the results are already positive on the parasites point and on the sanitary point :
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The tolerance threshold is still low
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The frequency of chemical treatments has lowed of 50%
The biological mode holds a very important place in our anti-parasitic system. We hope that it will become a true alternative method to the use of chemical products.
