Climate and landscape composition explain agronomic practices, pesticide use and grape yield in vineyards across Italy

Context Worldwide, organic farming is being promoted as one of the main alternatives to intensive conventional farming. However, the benefits of organic agriculture are still controversial and need to be tested across wide environmental gradients. Objective Here, we carried out an observational study to test how agronomic practices, pest management, environmental impact and yield of conventional and organic vineyards changed along wide climatic and landscape gradients across Italy. Methods We used a block design with 38 pairs of conventional and organic vineyards across Italy. Results and conclusions Most agronomic practices did not differ between conventional and organic vineyards. By contrast, landscape composition and climate were strong predictors of management in both systems. First, increasing semi-natural areas around the vineyards reduced pesticide pressure and related environmental impacts, but was also associated with lower yield. Second, irrespective of the farming system, a warm and dry climate was associated with reduced fungicide pressure. Conventional farming had a yield gain of 40% in cold and wet climate compared to organic but the yield gap disappeared in the warmest regions. Significance In both farming systems, we observed a large variability in management practices that was mainly explained by climate and landscape composition. This large variability should be considered when evaluating the benefits and drawbacks of different farming systems under contrasting environmental contexts

Grape leafhopper management with emphasis on monitoring techniques, cultural practices and insecticide use

La viticoltura si sta espandendo in tutto il mondo grazie alla sua rilevanza economica e sociale. Il cambiamento climatico sta permettendo la coltivazione della vite in nuove aree del mondo, rappresentando un altro fattore che influenza il futuro della viticoltura. La viticoltura fa largo uso di pesticidi a causa dell'elevata sensibilità della vite a parassiti e malattie, ma l'uso dei pesticidi è oggetto di discussione a causa dei loro effetti sulla salute umana e sull'ambiente. Per questo motivo, la Commissione europea ha vietato l'uso di alcuni principi attivi. Tra questi, alcuni erano considerati estremamente efficaci contro le cicaline. A causa di questi fatti, in questa tesi si studiano metodi per ridurre l'applicazione di insetticidi.Viticulture is expanding worldwide due to its economic and social relevance. Climate change is allowing vine cultivation in new areas of the World representing another factor influencing the future of viticulture. Viticulture relies heavily on pesticides due to the high sensitivity of vines to pests and diseases, but pesticide use is a matter of discussion because of their effects on human health and the environment. Therefore, the European Commission has prohibited the use of some active ingredients. Among them some were considered extremely effective against leafhoppers. Due to this facts in this thesis methods to reduce insecticide application are studied

Xylosandrus germanus (Blandford, 1894) on Grapevines in Italy with a Compilation of World Scolytine Weevils Developing on Vitaceae

The invasive ambrosia beetle Xylosandrus germanus (Curculionidae: Scolytinae: Xyleborini) is recorded for the first time infesting wine grapes in Italy. The type of the attack is illustrated and the possible causes of the onset of the infestation are discussed. Furthermore, given the continuously increasing number of alien wood-borer beetles introduced worldwide, we provide and discuss the updated world checklist of Scolytinae attacking Vitaceae, and Vitis sp. in particular

Efficacy of Conventional and Organic Insecticides against Scaphoideus titanus: Field and Semi-Field Trials

Scaphoideus titanus is the main vector of phytoplasmas associated with Flavescence dorée (FD), one of the most serious threats to viticulture in many European countries. To minimize the spread of this disease, mandatory control measures against S. titanus were decided in Europe. In the 1990s, the repeated application of insecticides (mainly organophosphates) proved to be an effective measure to control the vector and the related disease in north-eastern Italy. These insecticides and most of the neonicotinoids were recently banned from European viticulture. Serious FD issues detected in the recent years in northern Italy could be related to the use of less effective insecticides. Trials aimed at evaluating the efficacy of the most used conventional and organic insecticides in the control of S. titanus have been performed in semi-field and field conditions to test this hypothesis. In efficacy trials, carried out in four vineyards, etofenprox and deltamethrin proved to be the best conventional insecticides, while pyrethrins were the most impactful among organic insecticides. Insecticide residual activity was evaluated in semi-field and field conditions. Acrinathrin showed the most significant residual effects in both conditions. In semi-field trials, most of the pyrethroids were associated with good results in terms of residual activity. However, these effects declined in field conditions, probably due to high temperatures. Organic insecticides showed poor results in terms of residual efficacy. Implications of these results in the context of Integrated Pest Management in conventional and organic viticulture are discussed

Efficacy of Conventional and Organic Insecticides against <i>Scaphoideus titanus</i>: Field and Semi-Field Trials

Scaphoideus titanus is the main vector of phytoplasmas associated with Flavescence dorée (FD), one of the most serious threats to viticulture in many European countries. To minimize the spread of this disease, mandatory control measures against S. titanus were decided in Europe. In the 1990s, the repeated application of insecticides (mainly organophosphates) proved to be an effective measure to control the vector and the related disease in north-eastern Italy. These insecticides and most of the neonicotinoids were recently banned from European viticulture. Serious FD issues detected in the recent years in northern Italy could be related to the use of less effective insecticides. Trials aimed at evaluating the efficacy of the most used conventional and organic insecticides in the control of S. titanus have been performed in semi-field and field conditions to test this hypothesis. In efficacy trials, carried out in four vineyards, etofenprox and deltamethrin proved to be the best conventional insecticides, while pyrethrins were the most impactful among organic insecticides. Insecticide residual activity was evaluated in semi-field and field conditions. Acrinathrin showed the most significant residual effects in both conditions. In semi-field trials, most of the pyrethroids were associated with good results in terms of residual activity. However, these effects declined in field conditions, probably due to high temperatures. Organic insecticides showed poor results in terms of residual efficacy. Implications of these results in the context of Integrated Pest Management in conventional and organic viticulture are discussed