Control of Scaphoideus titanus with Natural Products in Organic Vineyards.

The leafhopper is the vector of ' Phytoplasma vitis', the causal agent of Flavescence dorée (FD) a key disease for European viticulture. In organic vineyards, the control of relies mostly on the use of pyrethrins that have suboptimal efficacy. During 2016, three field trials were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of kaolin, orange oil, insecticidal soap and spinosad against nymphs, in comparison with pyrethrins. The activity of kaolin was evaluated also in the laboratory. In all field trials, kaolin had an efficacy against nymphs comparable to pyrethrins, while the other products were not effective. Laboratory results confirmed that kaolin increased nymph mortality. In organic vineyards, kaolin and pyrethrins are valuable tools in the management of FD. Nevertheless, their efficacy is lower compared to that of the synthetic insecticides used in conventional viticulture. Therefore, further research should be conducted in order to identify alternatives to synthetic insecticides for control in the context of organic viticulture.