Apples crop management

Berkelmans R, Ferris H, Tenuta M, van Bruggen AHC (2003) Effects of long-term crop management on nematode trophic levels other than plant feeders disappear after 1 year of disruptive soil management. Appl Soil Ecol 23 223-235... 

Thorbek P, Bilde T. 2004. Reduced numbers of generalist arthropod predators after crop management. J Appl Ecol 41 526-538. 

Another new aspect of this concept is that it does not include a single optimum quality. For example, some consumers like green, firm, juicy apples, and others prefer blushed, sweet, aromatic apples. So, there is some freedom to choose a more growth-related or a more differentiation-related optimal balance when managing the crop. 

We measured many properties of the soil, the growing crop and the carrots, after harvest and after storage. The results were studied in relation to the management factors, and mutual correlations were computed. This procedure enabled us to contribute to the validation of the IQC, the validation of the new parameters and the evaluation of carrot management. Details of the methods and results of the carrot experiments are described elsewhere (Northolt et al., 2004). As with apple, we only mention some of the results here that are relevant to the IQC. 

Abawi GS, Widmer TL (2000) Impact of soil health management practices on soilbome pathogens, nematodes and root diseases of vegetable crops. Appl Soil Ecol 15 37-47... 

Peters RD, Sturz AV, Carter MA, Sanderson JB (2003) Developing disease-suppressive soils through crop rotation and tillage management practices. Soil Till Res 72 181-192 Pfiffner L, Luka H (2003) Effects of low-input farming systems on carabids and epigeal spiders - a paired farm approach. Basic Appl Ecol 4 117-127 Pimentel D, Harvey C, Resosudarmo P, Sinclair K, Kurz D, McNair M, Crist S, Shpritz L, Fitton L, Saffouri R, Blair R (1995) Environmental and economic costs of soil erosion and conservation benefits. Science 267 1117-1123... 

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The Problem An orchard contains 240 apple trees, which produce, on average, 2 bushels of apples per year. If the orchard manager increases the number of trees in the orchard by 60, she calculates that the amount of apples will be reduced by 1 peck per tree. If she goes ahead and plants those 60 additional trees, will the total crop be greater or smaller than the crop obtained from the original 240 trees ... 

Another success in resistance management involves not just a single key pest species, but a whole complex of phytophagous arthropod pests of apple in the United States (39). It also focuses on resistance management of a number of beneficial arthropod predators and parasitoids that provide significant biological control of a variety of secondary pests on this crop. 

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