Both culinary apples such as Bramley and desert apples such as Braeburn, Cox, Gala along with the increasingly popular newer varieties such as Jazz and Pink Lady are a traditional crop for British horticulture.

Whilst the total area dedicated to apple growing in the UK has remained relatively stable over the past 20 years our production volume has increased. Higher yields of apples are due to an intensification of the growing practices for apple trees. Higher yielding trees, higher planting densities, intensification of tree management, investment in infrastructure such as irrigation and advances in plant nutrition and plant health management have all contributed towards increasing apple production.  

Apple growers are however looking to find ways to balance this intensification of their apple growing system with environmental management plans and the sustainability of both their business and the farming practices used.  

It is this balance between intensification and sustainability where biological products from Andermatt play a role to support apple growers to produce a high quality, fresh and nutritious crop.      

Andermatt are a global producer of biological and sustainable solutions relied upon as part of an integrated cropping system for apples around the world. Apples and codling moth (Cydia pomonella) is indeed where it all started for Andermatt back in 1988 and Madex remains the cornerstone of our apple solutions portfolio for British apple growers still today.  

Management of pest insects in apple crops

Best practice for pest insect management starts with insect monitoring using pheromone traps. Accurately identifying which pest insects are present within a crop, and correctly identifying when an action threshold has been reached ensures efficient use of insecticides. Whilst computer modelling is increasingly being used to calculate pest populations, especially for the more common pest species, pheromone traps offer a low-cost field specific data point to guide decisions or confirm computer model estimations.   

A range of insect pest pheromone traps are available including codling moth (Cydia pomonella), Summer Fruit Tortrix (SFT, Adoxophyes orana), Fruit Tree Tortrix (FTT, Archips podana) and Light Brown Apple Moth (LBAM, Epiphyas postvittana). Refill packs of sticky inserts and pheromones are also available so that the plastic red delta traps can be reused for multiple seasons. 

Madex® Top

Madex® Top is a biological insecticide specifically targeting codling moth (Cydia pomonella) caterpillars. Sprayed onto apple trees to target codling moth as they move between egg hatch and burrowing into the fruit. Containing a codling moth specific baculovirus (CpGv), Madex® Top is suitable for use in any codling moth control spray program.  

Delfin®

Delfin® is a biological insecticide targeting a wide range of Lepidoptera caterpillars. Sprayed onto the apple trees, Delfin® has to be ingested by the pest insect. Authorised to be applied throughout the apple growing season, it offers flexibility for se in an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program against a range of caterpillar pest species.  

Advantages of integrating Andermatt products into your apple growing system: