Nature’s little helpers

Due to integrated production you can enjoy premium-quality South Tyrolean apples, safe in the knowledge that nature is highly protected.

Integrated production uses nature’s powers of resistance, preserves useful insects and promotes their dissemination.

South Tyrol’s fruit growers have implemented the following ecological measures:

• installing nesting boxes for useful hole-nesting birds, such as titmice or hoopoes;
• laying nets on the ground to keep maybugs away from the trees;
• leaving piles of stones as hiding places for useful animals such as weasels and adders;
• using pheromones to confuse a variety of pests;
• The farmers constantly check their apple trees for signs of pests. Pesticides are only used when the economic damage threshold has been reached. The approved pesticides are strictly limited. They have no acute toxic effect on humans or animals and are rapidly degradable. The residues are significantly below the legal standards, useful insects are protected and water, soil and air are not contaminated.
• The fruit growers keep orchard registers in which they record all measures taken.