Adapting apple ideotypes to low-input fruit production agro-ecosystems

Luciana Parisi (1) , Laurent Jamar (2) , Marc Lateur (2) , Francois Laurens (3) , Pierre-Eric Lauri (4, 5)

1 PV - Unité de Pathologie Végétale
2 Department of Life Sciences, Unit Breeding & Biodiversity
3 IRHS - Institut de Recherche en Horticulture et Semences
4 UMR AGAP - Amélioration génétique et adaptation des plantes méditerranéennes et tropicales
5 AFEF - Architecture et Fonctionnement des Espèces Fruitières [AGAP]

Current commercial apple growing is highly dependent on off-farm inputs and it is urgent to develop new strategies to remedy this situation. The challenge for the future is to achieve lower-input apple orchards, whether under Integrated Fruit Production (IFP) or Organic Fruit Production (OFP) systems. This paper analyses the different agronomic factors that play key roles both in the current and future ‘More Sustainable Orchard’, with particular attention on plant protection. Firstly, the concept of ‘ideotype’ is developed, emphasizing the most important characteristics of optimal ideotypes for apple. Secondly, current knowledge on the relationships between genotype, cultural practices and the environment is presented and discussed. This paper deals with properties that need to be combined at plant material and orchard levels to optimise the IFP and OFP low-input systems. The focus is on: (a) the main characteristics of apple ideotypes; (b) breeding strategies; and (c) adapted cultural practices and control measures in the orchards.

Mots clés: Apple breeding; Sustainable orchard; Low-input systems; Integrated fruit production (IFP); Pest and disease control; Malus x domestica; Organic fruit production (OFP); Cultural practices

Domaines: Sciences agricoles; Biologie végétale; Biologie du développement; Biodiversité et Ecologie

Luciana Parisi, Laurent Jamar, Marc Lateur, Francois Laurens, Pierre-Eric Lauri. Adapting apple ideotypes to low-input fruit production agro-ecosystems. Organic Farming, Prototype for Sustainable Agricultures, Springer Verlag, pp.131-148, 2014, Prototype for Sustainable Agricultures, 978-94-007-7926-6. ⟨10.1007/978-94-007-7927-3_7⟩. ⟨hal-01209958⟩