Understanding and accompanying the evolution of the strategies of orchard management on tree farms. Application to the phytosanitary protection of apple inFrance

Markets ask for perfect looking fruits, without any symptoms of diseases or insect bites. To fulfill these criteria, fruit tree farmers spray pesticides that have negative impacts on human health and on the environment. Alternative methods can be risky and affect the economic performances of the farm. Based on the example of apple crop protection, the most sprayed fruit tree crop, this study addresses the following issue: which approach can be implemented to support fruit tree farmers in evaluating ways of changing their production strategies and their impacts on farm performances?The first phase of the study aims at describing and understanding the protection strategies implemented by farmers, and at evaluating their impacts on farm performances. Practices of pesticide use were analyzed using 557 spray records of a cooperative. Frequency, toxicity and efficiency indicators were used to evaluate practices’ environmental and health impacts. Then, 35 interviews were conducted in two regions of France, to understand farmers’ decision making processes that influence these practices, and to identify the levers and barriers for evolving towards less pesticide use.Despite a common climatic and marketing context, four types of pesticide use sets were identified. Three types showed a relatively important use of a given pesticide category: anti-scab, anti-insect, natural pesticides. The fourth one was balanced. Within each type, the different indicators covered a large range of scores. The frequency indicator covered a diversity of practices. It was not linked with the efficiency indicator, and it explained only a part of the plots’ environmental toxicity. Possible actions for improvements towards less pesticide use were discussed, such as taking into account the diversity of practices and improving the monitoring of the pests and diseases corresponding to the most sprayed pesticides.Studying the decision making processes at the farm scale highlighted three different strategies, depending on the farmers’ environmental and economic objectives. Each strategy was consistent regarding the farmers’ objectives, their marketing strategy, their labor resources, their position between diversification and specialization, and the apple area. Work organization and marketing strategy were considered as instrumental components for defining alternative strategies and for anticipating implementation difficulties.A methodology aiming at supporting fruit tree farmers in their strategical thinking towards innovative production strategies was developed during the second phase of the study. A simulation tool called CoHort was developed with two technicians. CoHort depicts the structure7of a tree fruit farm, the crop management per homogeneous block and its work organization. Each scenario corresponds to a specific configuration of the farm. It is evaluated in terms of economic and environmental performances and of impacts on work organization. The simulation results feed the discussions between farmers and their technicians on the potential evolutions of the farm. CoHort was used at first by addressing some farmers’ projects regarding their farm evolution projects. Then it was used on de novo scenarios allowing exploring new types of evolutions such as combining apple and sheep production within a farm.The analysis at both farm and plot scales permitted to capture the complexity and the diversity of the management processes observed in the farm sample surveyed. It provided the knowledge required to develop a support process based on a generic simulation tool, which can cover a large diversity of farm contexts and projects. A mid-term objective is to transfer CoHort to the technicians for extending their advice activities to strategic issues. The whole approach could also be used at the supply chain scale, or on other fruit tree crops. Indeed, enhancing transitions towards less pesticide used will require to involve the whole fruit supply chains.Les marchés réclament des fruits parfaits sans symptômes de maladies ou piqures. En conséquence, les arboriculteurs appliquent des pesticides ayant des effets négatifs sur l’environnement et la santé. Des méthodes alternatives existent mais peuvent être risquées et réduire les performances agronomiques. Face à ces enjeux et sur l’exemple de la protection en culture de pommes, la plus traitée en pesticides, l’étude vise à répondre à la problématique suivante : quelle démarche mettre en place pour aider les arboriculteurs à évaluer leurs marges de manoeuvre et les effets d’une évolution de leur stratégie de production sur le fonctionnement et les performances de leur exploitation ?La première phase de la démarche vise à comprendre les stratégies de protection des arboriculteurs et évaluer leurs effets sur les performances des exploitations. Les pratiques d’utilisation des pesticides d’une coopérative ont été analysées à partir de 557 calendriers de traitements, à l’aide d’indicateurs de fréquence, de toxicité et d’efficience. Puis 35 enquêtes qualitatives ont été conduites dans deux régions pour comprendre les processus qui aboutissent à ces pratiques et identifier les leviers et freins à leurs évolutions.Malgré un contexte commun, quatre grands types de pratiques ont été mis en évidence. Trois types se distinguent par une utilisation relativement importante d’un type de pesticide : anti-tavelure, anti-insecte, pesticides naturels, et la quatrième est équilibrée. Pour chaque type, les indicateurs couvrent une diversité de valeurs. Les liens entre eux sont complexes, et montrent que l’indicateur de fréquence cache une diversité de pratiques, n’est pas synonyme d’efficience, et n’explique qu’en partie la toxicité environnementale des parcelles. Des actions pour diminuer l’utilisation des pesticides ont été discutées, comme la prise en compte de la diversité et l’amélioration de la surveillance des ravageurs et maladies correspondants aux pesticides les plus utilisés.L’étude des processus aboutissant aux choix des pratiques de protection à l’échelle de l’exploitation a mis en évidence trois stratégies, répondant à des objectifs environnementaux et économiques différents. Pour chaque stratégie, ces objectifs sont cohérents avec la stratégie commerciale, les ressources en main d’oeuvre, la diversification/spécialisation et la surface cultivée. L’influence de l’organisation du travail et de la stratégie commerciale sont à prendre en compte pour aider les stratégies à évoluer et anticiper les freins aux transitions.La seconde phase vise à développer un processus d’accompagnement des producteurs dans leurs réflexions d’évolution de leur stratégie. Un outil de simulation (CoHort) a été co-construit5avec deux techniciens de coopérative. Il représente la structure et le fonctionnement d’une exploitation arboricole, dans sa dimension technique et son organisation du travail. Chaque scénario est évalué après simulation en termes économique, environnemental et de bilan travail. Ces résultats alimentent la discussion entre producteurs et techniciens sur les évolutions des exploitations envisageables. CoHort a été utilisé sur des exploitations ayant des projets d’évolution, puis sur des scénarios de rupture élargissant les types de changement explorés : cas de l’introduction d’ovins dans les vergers.En combinant les échelles parcelle et exploitation, la démarche saisit la complexité et la diversité des processus analysés. Ces connaissances ont permis de développer un processus d’accompagnement des producteurs basé sur un outil générique, qui prend en compte leurs contraintes et la diversité des situations.A moyen terme, l’outil de simulation CoHort sera transmis aux techniciens. La démarche globale pourrait être déployée sur un territoire plus large ou utilisée pour d’autres types de productions arboricoles. Mais pour déclencher des transitions et produire des fruits sans pesticides, de la filière entière doit être intégrée aux réflexions

A methodology for redesigning agroecological radical production systems at the farm level

International audienceA redesign process at the farm level may be required for agricultural production systems to evolve in a manner that reduces their environmental and health impacts. This process leads to imagining configurations described as “radical” because they reach beyond the limits posed by the substitution of synthetic inputs by natural ones. An assessment of the possible effects of these configurations on farm functioning and performance is required to inform stakeholders about the advantages of testing and implementing them. This study describes an approach for designing and assessing such configurations that involves researchers, technicians and farmers. Some of these stakeholders can play the role of designers, who lead the redesign process, and/or experts, who provide references and knowledge throughout the exercise. The approach is based on six principles (evaluation, plausibility, precision, flexibility, diversity, iteration) and includes eight steps. Based on a diagnosis of the production context (step 1), some ideas of radical production system are imagined (step 2), which define the kind of experts to be involved (step 3). A farm, virtual or real, then is selected and characterized as a case study (step 4), and the specific objectives driving the farm's redesign process are described (step 5). Scenarios are then designed and characterized (step 6), quantitatively assessed using a simulation tool dedicated to the kind of production system studied (step 7), and compared in order to feed debates between designers and experts on the merits and limits of the various options designed (step 8). Steps 6 through 8 may be repeated as new ideas emerge. This methodology is illustrated with the case of a farm specialized in apple production on which a sheep unit is introduced to reduce pesticide use by ensuring grass management and reducing pest pressure. Two scenarios are designed according to the kind of sheep management. CoHort software was used to assess the two scenarios in terms of economic performance, frequency of pesticide use, and farm work organization. The limits and values of this redesign process are discussed regarding the hypothesis that must be made to characterize virtual biodiversity-based systems, the kind of involvement expected from farmers, and the opportunities provided by moving from the farm to territory scale in the case of crop-livestock systems. This redesign approach can potentially be applied to many topics, ranging from the consistent combination of agroecological practices to futuristic scenarios involving robots

A simulation tool to support the design of crop management strategies in fruit tree farms. Application to the reduction of pesticide use

International audienceStrategic decisions condition the orientation and associated agricultural practices of farms for many years, especially in fruit production where trees are planted for ten to fifteen years. However, this type of decision is rarely addressed in decision support approaches. An approach was developed to support strategic thinking in fruit tree farms through the use of a simulation tool called CoHort and built in Excel. CoHort evaluates the impacts of a given set of practices on the economic performances (gross and net margins), labour organization and phytosanitary performances (Treatment Frequency Index) of fruit tree farms. It has been built with cooperatives technicians and used with apple farmers in a partic-ipatory process to integrate the needs and objectives of the farmers and technicians. The approach alternates between simulations with the tool and discussions with the farmer. It is illustrated for two apple farmers in France aiming to reduce their pesticide use. The first farmer wanted to convert five hectares out of eight to organic production. Simulations showed that the raw margin was increased by 259%, the Treatment Frequency Index was reduced of 26%, but the labour demand was 9% higher. The second farmer wanted to replace 1.5 hectares out of 15 ha with a new scab-resistant cultivar. Results showed that the average TFI at the farm scale was decreased by 17%, the labour demand was similar, and the raw margin increased by 5%. Based on simulation outputs apple farmers could estimate the possible impacts of their projects to their farm. The tool flexibility allows using it with different farm structures and projects

Factors driving growers' selection and implementation of an apple crop protection strategy at the farm level

While protecting their crops, apple growers must also satisfy the requirements of their buyers regarding pesticide residues and fruit characteristics. Based on an analysis of farm pesticide application schedules and semi-structured interviews of 35 apple growers in two areas of France, this study described how growers designed and implemented their apple protection strategies, and identified the factors which helped and/or prevented them from using less pesticide. Different combinations of economic and environmental concerns led to three main protection strategies. Growers implementing the bioecological strategy (S1) had high environmental concerns, used no synthetic pesticides, and compensated their lower yields with high selling prices. Growers implementing the combined strategy (S2) had moderate environmental concerns. They planted scab-resistant varieties and sprayed natural products, while diversifying their outlets and cultivars to compensate for low selling prices. The low risk strategy (S3) was implemented by growers from cooperatives with low environmental concerns who aimed for high yields and visual quality by using mainly synthetic pesticides. S2 and S3 growers were constrained by low selling prices and by the increased workload and economic risks represented by alternative methods. Extending the range of alternatives to pesticides and implementing innovative advice methodologies could be levers to reduce pesticide use