The effect of alternative treatment methods on the population evolution of Metcalfa pruinosa in gooseberry culture

Abstract

European level research has shown that Metcalfa pruinosa attacks over 300 plant species. The results of this research on the effect of alternative pest control methods in gooseberry cultivation could be applied to other plants of the more than 300 species attacked by Metcalfa pruinosa. The attack capacity of Metcalfa pruinosa is influenced by the following factors: variety tolerance, the phenological stage corresponding to the attack, climatic conditions and the type of treatment applied. The alternative treatment methods investigated in this study involved the application of infusions of: Urtica dioica, Mentha piperita, Thymus serpyllum and Mentha pulegium, plants that have beneficial effects on humans. The applied treatments had different effects, with the most effective being the infusion of Thymus serpyllum across all variants.