Stink bugs cause great quality problems: pears and apples are strongly deformed, with the flesh containing yellow-orange/brown spongy to stony tissue. In organic pear orchards, more than 50% of production losses caused by forest bugs has been recorded in recent years. The operational group wants to seize the recent threat of the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) (Halyomorpha halys) as an opportunity to exploit and implement new recently acquired knowledge in the development of new innovative and practice-oriented control strategies for controlling stink bugs in apple and pear orchards.
Operational Group: OG2017-25
Contact: Tim Beliën (tim.belien@pcfruit.be) and Gertie Peusens (gertie.peusens@pcfruit.be)
Timing: 1/12/2017-30/11/2019
Financing: EIP (European Innovation Partnership) – Europees Landbouwfonds voor Plattelandsontwikkeling – Vlaamse Gemeenschap KBO-1KDH2AC-WT
Partnership: Bioforum vakgroep biologisch fruit (K. De Coninck) and Fruitconsult (M. Polfliet)