Italy: An organic product to fight chestnut tortrix

A new organic weapon against chestnut tortrix - Ecodian CT, a pheromone product, has obtained a temporary registration and therefore producers will be able to start using it over the next few days.

Benedetto Accinelli explains that it is the first pheromone product specifically for the two most harmful species - C. fagiglandana and C. splendana. A wire is installed in the grove to disorient males and impede mating.

Chestnut producers can also contact experts Massimo Dal Pane and Matteo Scommegna to learn more. The registration was obtained also thanks to the pressure from the production world, which tested the pheromone with excellent results.

Chestnut tortrix is causing much harm to the fruit. Ecodian CT is sold in 3 mm wire rolls. The wire is made up of a cellulose core impregnated with specific pheromones and covered in a biodegradable plastic material. It works for 70-80 days depending on the temperature.

600 to 900 metres of wire must be used per hectare according to the scope of the infestation as well as size, age and arrangement of the grove (layout, tree height, slope). The treatment is more effective with large groves.

It must be installed before the insects start to fly, generally in June. In order to monitor the insects, we recommend installing specific traps (Traptest model). Once cut in 6 metre sections, the wire must pass through hooks hanging from branches at least 1.5 metres from the ground.

There must be no more than 20 metres between the wires to maintain an optimal pheromone level. Tests coordinated by professor Antonio De Cristofaro from the University of Molise and financed by Regione Campania led to the extraordinary registration. In optimal conditions, the damage can be reduced by 60-80%.

Ecodian CT has been developed to be completely biodegradable, therefore it requires no maintenance when applied. In addition, it is simple to use and to transport, also in mountain areas.

It can therefore be used by organic businesses as it leaves no residues and does not interfere with useful insects or other organic control methods. It obtained the 120-day temporary registration on 28th April 2017 with number 17002.

Contacts:
Massimo Dal Pane
Tel.: (+39) 335.1848904
Email: mdalpane@isagro.com

Matteo Scommegna
Tel.: (+39) 337.1260712
Email: mscommegna@isagro.com

Benedetto Accinelli
Tel.: (+39) 335.5382197
Email: riff98@riff98.it