Within the framework of the INTERCROPVALUES project, the public company INTIA has developed a case study of co-innovation (CICS 8) in agriculture based on the reduction of pests in horticultural crops with the involvement of different agents in the sector with whom barriers to the implementation and development of intercropping are identified. To this end, various workshops have been held, and work has been done on the design and implementation of trials with these crops, providing technical information on them to the agricultural sector.
The case study was carried out on a plot belonging to a farmer in Funes (Navarra) who belongs to the Funes cooperative, with INTIA’s experimentation and consultancy team. The objectives of this experience include transferring the use of mixtures to a real scale, involving the sector, accompanying it in the process, and determining the degree of applicability, barriers and opportunities.
The actions carried out in this second year consisted of the development of a demonstration trial on an 8,000 m2 plot where a conventional plantation was compared with one of intercropping broccoli and vetch, as a strategy for integrated pest management. The spring broccoli crop was planted at the end of March 2024 and the vetch was broadcast sown with a fertiliser spreader, prior to a shallow cultivation pass to incorporate it, in mid-May 2024. The aim of this trial was to test its possible effect in reducing the incidence of the cabbage root fly (Delia radicum) in particular, as well as other crop pests, such as the mealy aphid (Brevicoryne brassicae), whitefly (Aleyrodes proletella), flea beetle (Phyllotreta sp.) and plutella (Plutella xylostella), and to evaluate the implications for crop management.
The low presence of pests in the crop did not allow conclusions on the effect of vetch on the target pests, especially on cabbage fly, as no laying was observed in the felt traps placed in the plot. In the case of aphids, a lower presence was observed in the vetch plot, although the overall presence levels were low, so this cultivation technique will need to be studied further over the course of more seasons.
Furthermore, in order to observe a greater effect of the presence of vetch among the broccoli for the control of flies and other pests such as flea beetles, aphids and whiteflies, this campaign will involve sowing at the beginning of the crop, as no flies were observed in the felt traps placed in the plot.
Remix Project as a precedent (2019-2020).
Within the framework of the Remix project (https://www.remix-intercrops.eu/), INTIA developed experiments in species diversification as a strategy for reducing pests in broccoli. Specifically, a mixture of broccoli and vetch (Vicia sativa) at the Cadreita Experimental Farm. The experiments obtained positive results. The campaigns studied were:
- Spring broccoli in 2019, to reduce Brevicoryne, Plutella and whitefly
- Autumn broccoli in 2020 to reduce aphids and whitefly
INTIA has prepared a video showing the activities and results of this experience developed in CICS 8. You can watch it here:
This article was written by the communication team at INTIA.