Cultural Operations Against Pests: The Kiwifruit Crop

Adopting the right cultural practices is fundamental to controlling pests effectively in the kiwifruit crop. In this short article we present four of the main pests affecting kiwifruit in Portugal, along with the cultural measures recommended to tackle them.

Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata)

• Mass trapping using traps baited with an attractant;
• Autocidal control through the release of sterile males into the orchard.

Thrips (Heliothrips haemorrhoidalis)

• Removing host weeds;
• Use of predatory mites and insects.

Nematode (Meloidogyne hapla)

• Carrying out nematological soil analyses (mandatory under integrated production) and soaking the plants in a nematicide solution before planting.

Snails

• Weed control in the orchard and, in extreme cases, application of a molluscicide. Spraying copper- or zinc-based products on the weeds and the trunks helps to control low-level infestations.

Bringing these practices together contributes to the sustainability of production, safeguarding plant health and fruit quality while reducing reliance on chemicals and preserving the ecological balance of the orchard.

Do you grow kiwifruit?

Tell us your biggest difficulty in controlling pests in the crop!