DISEASE MANAGEMENT IN ORGANIC DISEASE MANAGEMENT IN ORGANIC FARMING: PROBLEMS, AVAILABLE FARMING: PROBLEMS, AVAILABLE

TOOLS AND PERSPECTIVESTOOLS AND PERSPECTIVES

M. Lodovica Gullino and Angelo Garibaldi

AGRINNOVA, Center of Competence for the innovation in the agro-environmental

sector, University of Torino

PROBLEMS

AVAILABLE TOOLS

PERSPECTIVES

SUMMARYSUMMARY

DISEASE MANAGEMENT

From disease control to disease management

Disease control in organic farming is not equal tobiological control

Disease control in organic farming is not a simple conversion from fungicides to admitted compounds

Disease control, as well as, in a more general view,

crop protection in organic farming is a quite complex

activity which should rely, even more than in

traditional agriculture, on a number of methods.

The use of compounds admitted in organic farming

does not list first among the different methods.

MAIN PROBLEMSMAIN PROBLEMS

1) Diseases most difficult to be managed

2) Crops

Diseases most difficult to be managedDiseases most difficult to be managed

•Soilborne pathogens

•Foliar diseases

•Post-harvest pathogens

•Pathogens transmitted through seeds

Difficult CropsDifficult Crops

•Vegetables

•Fruit

•Ornamentals

AVAILABLE TOOLSAVAILABLE TOOLS

•Cultural practices

•Resistant varieties

•Diagnostic

•Compounds admitted in organic farming

Compounds admitted in organic Compounds admitted in organic farmingfarming

•Copper, sulphur

•“Natural” compounds

•Biocontrol agents

PERSPECTIVESPERSPECTIVES

•Increasing surfaces organically grown

•New crops

•Mediterranean crops

New challenges/1New challenges/1

•To satisfy the needs of a higher number of consumers

•To apply the principles of organic farming in less vocated areas

•To consume organic produce far away from the production site

New challenges/2New challenges/2

•The role of the distribution sector

•More industrialized versus traditional organic farming

•Biotech and organic farming: two separate worlds?

TEACHING ACTIVITIES/1TEACHING ACTIVITIES/1

B’S Degree in Organic FarmingB’S Degree in Organic Farming

•need of thorough education in a sector living a strong growth

•special attention to the study of organic production systems of mediterranean and italian crops

TEACHING ACTIVITIES/2TEACHING ACTIVITIES/2

Master of Science in AgroecologyMaster of Science in Agroecology

•International curriculum of the Master of Science in Sustainable Crop Protection “The Plant Doctor”

•In collaboration with Università della Tuscia and with FESIA consortium (France) and NOVA consortium (Northern Europe))