Abstract
The olive fruit fly is worldwide considered a major harmful pest of the olive agroecosystem. In Italy, the fruit fly infestation is traditionally countered by spraying chemical insecticides (e.g., dimethoate), but due to the recent ban of dimethoate by the Reg EU2019/1090 and the increasing awareness of consumers of food sustainability, the interest in developing chemical-free alternatives to pesticides, such as the use of particle-films, is rising. A field experiment was conducted to assess the effect of different particle films (kaolin-base and zeolitite-base) on leaf gas exchanges and leaf optical properties. Results showed that with the dust accumulation on the leaves’ surface, photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, transpiration and water use efficiency were significantly lower in kaolin-treated olive trees compared to those treated with zeolitite and to the control, while olive trees treated with zeolitite showed physiological parameters similar to the untreated plants. Microstructural differences of different particle film on the leaf and olive surfaces emerged by ESEM observations also influenced leaf optical properties. Oils produced by zeolitite-treated plants show higher intensities of gustatory and olfactory secondary flavors compared to kaolin and test oils.
Highlights
The olive fruit fly (Bactrocera oleae) is worldwide considered a major harmful pest of the olive agroecosystem
Showed that a kaolinthe production of micronized powder from the granular material resulting from building based particle film formulation significantly reduced fruit infestation levels; the authors hypothesized that adult flies may fail to recognize kaolin sprayed olive trees, and the gravid females are repelled due to the tactile unsuitable surface texture of particle filmtreated olives
From an economic point of view, Chabazite zeolite (CHA)-zeolitite represents an advantage because the recommended application rate is five times lower than that commonly used for kaolin
Summary
The olive fruit fly (Bactrocera oleae) is worldwide considered a major harmful pest of the olive agroecosystem. Under certain environmental conditions (high humidity and precipitations and temperature below 28–30 ◦ C), the fruit fly is responsible for large infestations that seriously compromise olive yield and oil quality [1]. In Italy, the fruit fly infestation is traditionally countered by spraying chemical insecticides such as dimethoate (in integrated regime) or by applying organic formulations (organic farming) [3]. Taking into account the recent ban of dimethoate [4] and the increasing awareness of consumers of food sustainability, the interest in developing natural and chemical-free alternatives to pesticides, such as organic agrochemicals or the use of geologic material as particle film, is rising [5]. Agronomic practices are one of the keys to allow the development of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) market niches, guaranteeing high and constant quality standards [6]
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