Mauro Varner Di Cantine Mezzacorona

24 years of mating disruption application on grape for L. botrana and E. ambiguella control MEZZACORONA GROUP EXPERIENCE

Feeding Europe with fewer pesticides European Parliament – Brussels - 4 November 2014

Mauro Varner Mezzacorona S.C.A. Luisa Mattedi Fondazione E. Mach MEZZACORONA GROUP A little history

The winery of Mezzocorona was founded on 1904 MEZZACORONA GROUP IN ITALY

3000 ha in Trentino 2.500 ha grape – 500 ha apple

300 ha in South Tyrol

1000 ha in Sicily 700 ha grape GRAPE SURFACE

MEZZACORONA: 2.800 ha – 1.600 associated farmers Average surface/farm = 1,7 ha

less than 2 ha 77,8 %

from 2 to 5 ha 17 %

from 5 to 10 ha 4,2 %

more than 10 ha 1 % FROM 1991 TO 2014 MATING DISRUPTION ON GRAPE MATING DISRUPTION ON GRAPE IN TRENTINO

• in Trentino there are 10.000 hectares of grape

• from 2003, MD is applied on ALL the hectares (9.700 hectares)

• … now a little bit of history of mating disruption application in

Mezzacorona vineyards… MATING DISRUPTION on GRAPE – YEAR 1991 MEZZACORONA SCA - ESAT - ISTITUTO AGRARIO S. MICHELE A/A

• 1991 from field trials to practical application

• small surface (13,7 ha)

• 55 growers were involved, Mezzacorona Winery, ESAT

technician of the area and Istituto Agrario di S. Michele all’Adige

• without cooperatives involvement, the small size of the farms

would had been an obstacle for the practical application of

mating disruption MATING DISRUPTION – WIDE AREA EFFECT MEZZOCORONA AREA

5 % clusters% grappoli with con larvae larve 4 3

2 1

0 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

1500

1200 matingSuperficie disruption in confusione hectares

900

600

300

0 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 MATING DISRUPTION & PEST POPULATION clusters with larvae (%) – First generation damage assessment

10 MATING DISRUPTION - MEZZOCORONA 8 6 4 2 0 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

10 MATING MATING DISRUPTION - MEZZOLOMBARDO 8 DISRUPTION 6 4 2 0 19921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014 FROM 2001 Eupoecilia ambiguella APPEARANCE MATING DISRUPTION on GRAPE - YEARS 1991- 2014 DISPENSER TYPES – ROTALIANA PLAIN FROM 2002 PRODUCTS APPLICATION IN RELATION

TO INSECTS PRESENCE HECTARES % MATING DISRUPTION SURFACE WITH or WITHOUT INSECTICIDE SPRAY- MEZZOCORONA

%% superficieuntreated senzasurface trattamento %% Superficietreated surface trattata 100 1,6 2,2 0,5 0,5 0,2 9,3 90 80 70 60

50 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 98,4 100 100 100 100 100 100 97,8 100 99,5 100 100 100 99,5 99,8 90,7 40 30 20 10 0

199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014 A. ljungiana AVERAGE DAMAGE ON CLUSTER MEZZOCORONA AREA

90 DANNOAVERAGE MEDIODAMAGE 80 MASSIMOMAX DAMAGE 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 MATING DISRUPTION ON A. ljungiana

5 DannoMD - AVERAGE medio DAMAGE confusione dannoNO MD - AVERAGE medio DAMAGEesterno 4,5 4 3,5 3 2,53 2,5

2 1,74 1,5 1,10 0,89 1 0,71

0,5 0,30 0,21 0,03 0,00 0,00 0,05 0,00 0 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 FROM 2013 - TRIPLE PURPOSE PRODUCT Lobesia + Eupoecilia + Argyrotaenia “POSITIVE EFFECTs” OF MATING DISRUPTION MATING DISRUPTION – YEAR 2014 MEZZACORONA GROUP

3.000 ha – Trentino (grape & apple) 300 ha – South Tyrol 700 ha - Sicily 25 ha - Sicily for Planococcus ficus (trial) 14

1975 12,0 1976 10,2 1977 6,6 1978 10,8 1979 12,0 1980 6,0 INSECTICIDE USE (kg/ha/ INSECTICIDE 1981 6,0 1982 8,4 1983 8,4 VINEYARDS MEZZACORONA 1984 5,4 1985 4,8 1986 6,7 1987 4,6 1988 4,8 1989 9,4 1990 5,2 1991 4,0 1992 3,8 1993 3,5 1994 4,0 1995 4,0 1996 4,0 1997 4,3 1998 2,4 1999 0,4 2000 0,3 mating disruption 2001 0,6 wide area project

2002 0,6 year 2003 0,6 2004 1,2 2005 0,6 2006 0,2 ) 2007 0,2 2008 0,1 2009 0,1 2010 0,1 2011 0,1 2012 0,1 2013 0,1 2014 1,2 INSECTICIDES RESIDUES HARVESTED GRAPES - MEZZACORONA

0,5

0,4

0,3

0,2

ppm o mg/Kg

0,1

19911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013 INSECTICIDES RESIDUES WINES - MEZZACORONA

0,080

0,070

0,060

0,050

0,040

0,030

ppm o mg/Kg 0,020

0,010

0,000

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 “NEW POSSIBLE PROBLEMS” THAT MAY LEAD TO AN INCREASE OF INSECTICIDES APPLICATION VECTOR OF Flavescence dorée (Scaphoideus titanus) VECTOR OF BOIS NOIR (Hyalesthes obsoletus) VINE MEALY BUG (Planococcus ficus) VINE MEALY BUG (Planococcus ficus) HARVEST DAMAGE ASSESSMENT – 28/8/2014

30 Mating Mating disruption Farm TEST disruption + insecticides standard 25

10 14,9 13,4

Gradoattacco su grappolo 5 9,8 8,3 1,4 1,2 1,3 0,9 0

I6 TEST I6

difesa

difesa aziendale I3 aziendale I6

H2aziendale

Confusione45g Confusione90g

Confusione90g+

Confusione+ 45g SPECIAL THANKS TO: • ALL the people that helped, in various forms, for 24 years the application of mating disruption • TO Marino Gobber, Roberto Lucin, Massimo Frioli, Ronny Dalponte, Alberto Gelmetti, Marco Beozzo, Michele Bonetti, Martino Andreoli, Martino Adami, Flavia Forno for their great help • TO all the growers that allowed the use of their farms and followed up properly all our indications • Mezzacorona Group managers for their continuous support on environmental friendly activities • TO Rizzoli Fabio (Mezzacorona Group CEO) for his precious stimulus on both day-to-day work and long term views … thank you for your the attention…