Institute for Plant Protection, NARO

This group is developing sustainable control methods capable of reducing agricultural chemical use to control major pests on fruit trees and tea plants. These include the following initiatives.

• Spider mites are harmful pests and difficult to control on fruit trees becaue these mites rapidly develop resistance to many types of insecticides. The group is developing an effective, sustainable spider mite control system through practical use of predatory mites (a form of natural enemy). Harmless pesticides for predatory mites are applied to other pests, along with moderate groundcover weeds, to conserve the native predatory mites and boost efficacy of spider mite control in orchards. Supplemental release of commercial predatory mites is also added to stabilize the spider mite controlling effect.
• Developing pest control technologies based on use of disease-resistant varieties of fruit trees and tea plants, and countermeasures against bacterial canker of apples, pears, and peaches.
• Developing insect pest behavior control technologies using physical methods and reducing damage to fruit trees and tea plants.