Sustainable production systems for organic apple production

Summary

Organic apples are often sold for fresh consumption and therefore have to obtain high quality requirements. The fruits must obtain the right size and be undamaged without important infections of pest and diseases. Apple scab causes brown or black spots on the fruits and severe infections can result in fruits not suitable for consumption. This disease causes big reduction in yield and quality in organic production. Copper is an effective fungicide to control diseases and is used in organic apple production in some European countries. Copper has not been permitted in Denmark the last 10 years and the European Union wants to reject it from the list of pesticides permitted in organic production. To improve the quality and yield in organic apple production, it is important to find the best culture techniques. Combinations of cultivars, nitrogen availability, rootstocks and planting distances are tried to prevent or reduce apple scab infections.