UK: Stripes of flowers and predatory insects save pesticides in gardens

Fresh Apple

Fruits

United Kingdom

Sustainability & Environmental Impact

Innovation & Technology

Published Mar 27, 2024

Tridge summary

A study by the University of Reading has found that planting wildflower strips next to apple orchards can significantly cut down on fruit damage and reduce pesticide use. Involving five apple orchards in Great Britain, the research showed that orchards with adjacent flower fields experienced only 48% of trees with damaged fruit, compared to 80% in orchards without these flower strips. This method not only increased the yield of undamaged premium apples by 6.9% but also attracted beneficial insects, leading to a healthier ecosystem. The findings highlight the potential of integrating flower strips into orchards to improve crop quality and sustainability by diminishing the need for chemical insecticides.

Disclaimer: The above summary was generated by a state-of-the-art LLM model and is intended for informational purposes only. It is recommended that readers refer to the original article for more context.

Original content

Research from the University of Reading (UK) has shown that flies, scale insects and ladybugs living in wildflower strips help produce more undamaged apples and reduce pesticide loads. This is reported by Science Daily. Flower fields were planted next to 5 apple orchards in Great Britain. A research team from the University of Reading found that only 48% of trees in such orchards had damaged fruit. At the same time, 80% of the fruits were damaged in the control orchards. In this case, by laying flower strips, you can collect 6.9% more undamaged premium apples. “Planting flowers next to fruit trees is a surefire way to prevent damage to the crop as it reduces reliance on insecticides. We'll get more good bugs on farms and better British food in supermarkets as more flower strips are added around gardens," said Charlotte Howard, lead author of the study. The study used large strips of wildflowers, the width of ...

Source: Agrotimes