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Monilinia fructicola has been a quarantine pathogen in Europe until 2014; however, the disease risk remains large for Prunus species, because of the continuing spreading around Europe. In order to assess the impact of this fungus on apricot fruits, differences in variety susceptibility need to be evaluated.

International audience; Secondary metabolites, such as phenolics, are plant defence substances. In the present study, the impact of Monilinia laxa inoculation under controlled conditions on phenolic content of apricot branches was investigated. A bi-parental hybrid population issued from Bergeron and Bakour cultivars (BerBa) and consisting of 192 hybrids was studied. The susceptibility of the BerBa population to M. laxa was evaluated by measuring the length of the necrosed tissues and the concentration of fungal DNA by qPCR in the branches 8 days post-inoculation. The results exhibit significant differences between the two parental cultivars in terms of necrosis length, which confirm their different susceptibility to the pathogen. A considerably high content of 2′,6′-dihydroxy-4′–methoxyacetophenone hexoside was found in branch tissues of Bakour (tolerant parental cultivar), amounting to 1.72 mg/g and 1.41 mg/g of fresh weight in non-inoculated and inoculated samples, respectively. The content of this compound in Bergeron branch tissues was several times lower, amounting to 0.24 mg/g and 0.14 mg/g of fresh weight in non-inoculated and inoculated samples, respectively. In the inoculated branches, scopolin was almost twice as abundant in the tolerant parental cultivar branch tissues as in the susceptible ones. In general, after inoculation a lower content of phenolic compounds was observed for hybrids with longer necrosed tissue. A Principal Component Analysis showed that at 8 days post-inoculation M. laxa concentration in the branches and the content of phenolic compounds, such as scopolin and chlorogenic acids, were negatively correlated. Additionally, the antifungal activity of pure phenolic compounds against M. laxa mycelial growth and spore germination was investigated. At a concentration of 500 mg/L, up to 40 % inhibition of M. laxa mycelial growth by scopoletin, up to 60 % inhibition by 2′,4′,6′-trihydroxyacetophenone and total inhibition by 2′-hydroxy-4′-methoxyacetophenone was observed. Scopoletin and 2′,4′,6′-trihydroxyacetophenone also inhibited spore germination by about 50 %. These results can serve to improve breeding programs aiming to develop apricot cultivars resistant to brown rot blossom blight.

Organic apricot production is currently not profitable. The main obstacle to sustainable profitability is the brown rot disease caused by the fungus Monilinia laxa. Differences exist in the apricot germplasm in the brown rot susceptibility. A good evaluation of Monilinia is essential for a precise diagnosis of the disease and for exhibiting differences between tolerant and susceptible cultivars and genotypes. For this purpose, different evaluation methods of disease susceptibility were developed and compared in a bi-parental population between ‘Bakour’ (tolerant to M. laxa) and ‘Bergeron’ (susceptible). The method consists in the observation of naturally infected trees on open field assessing the percentage of twigs showing symptoms of M. laxa infection. However, this method is weather dependent in relation with temperature, humidity and rain period during the flowering and needs to take into account the annual variation of Monilinia climatic contamination risk for each tree as a covariate. For this reason, new methods of evaluation of M. laxa were developed under the controlled conditions. In the first new method, a spore suspension was sprayed on flowers of each genotype, the second method consisted in putting exactly one drop of spores on the pistil, and finally for the third method a plug of mycelium was placed on the branch of each genotype, after removing the bark. Different levels of infection were observed within the bi-parental population for the three controlled phenotyping evaluations. No good correlation between the visual assessment in the field and the new controlled evaluation methods on branches or flowers was found. Surprisingly, symptoms in petals were not linked with the Monilinia infection according to our observations. However, a segregation was observed for the visual assessment and for the evaluation test on branches. Based onto the observed variability, a QTL approach can be applied for assessing the genetic components involved in M. laxa resistance.

Switzerland is often associated with mountains, lakes, snowy landscapes, cheese and chocolate. This small country located in the center of Europe is characterized by a variety of local cultures, traditions and culinary habits. This chapter presents the traditional and typical food products produced and consumed in Switzerland. The southern region of the country is particularly reviewed because there is a great number of labeled products. Swiss Food Law and corresponding laws reflect the Swiss culture, tradition and values. The chapter covers some of the particularities that show the constant conflict of Switzerland: economically dependent on the European Union, but still having the “freedom” not to be a member of it. A special focus is on the legal instruments to protection the origin of food products, to allow Novel Food on the Swiss market and to support small Food Business Operators who maintain in particular the important Swiss milk and cheese industry for sustainable business in the globalized world.

Apricots are climacteric fruits characterized by a fast ripening process after harvest. To avoid fruit quality losses during storage, transport and distribution, fruits are often harvested at an unripe maturity stage, resulting in lower sensory quality and higher heterogeneity of the batches in the supply chain. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of two ripening stages at harvest, two storage temperatures (1 and 8°C), and 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) treatment on apricot quality and ethylene production of the cultivars ‘Goldrich’ and ‘Orangered’. Fruit were stored under regular atmosphere (92% relative humidity). During storage and shelf life, firmness was the highest evolving parameter compared to acidity, sugar content and skin colour. The ripening stage of the fruits highly influenced the decrease in firmness during storage. Firmness decrease was 10 to 20% lower for unripe fruits, and no firmness decrease was observed for unripe ‘Orangered’. The same tendencies were observed with ethylene production. Climacteric rise was influenced by the fruit ripening stage and was delayed (5 days) for unripe fruits. Unripe ‘Orangered’ did not produce ethylene; probably due to the non-activation of ethylene biosynthesis genes in unripe fruits. The influence of 1-MCP treatment on firmness change and ethylene production differed depending on the measurement moment: no influence was observed directly after storage, whereas, after 3 days of shelf-life, fruit softening and ethylene production were reduced by using 1-MCP. In contrast, storage temperature highly influenced firmness and ethylene production, exhibiting a 20% higher softening and an earlier (>20 days) climacteric rise at 8°C compared to 1°C for ‘Goldrich’. For ‘Orangered’, ethylene production began after 7 days of storage, independently of the temperature. The interactions between the different influencing factors, as well as potential recommendations for the apricot supply chain actors, are discussed.

Winters and early springs are predicted to become warmer in temperate climates under continued global warming, which in turn is expected to promote earlier plant development. By contrast, there is no consensus about the changes in the occurrence and severity of late spring frosts. If the frequency and severity of late spring frosts remain unchanged in the future or change less than spring phenology of plants does, vulnerable plant organs (dehardened buds, young leaves, flowers or young fruits) may be more exposed to frost damage. Here we analyzed long-term temperature data from the period 1975–2016 in 50 locations in Switzerland and used different phenological models calibrated with long-term series of the flowering and leaf-out timing of two fruit trees (apple and cherry) and two forest trees (Norway spruce and European beech) to test whether the risk of frost damage has increased during this period. Overall, despite the substantial increase in temperature during the study period, the risk of frost damage was not reduced because spring phenology has advanced at a faster rate than the date of the last spring frost. In contrast, we found that the risk of frost exposure and subsequent potential damage has increased for all four species at the vast majority of stations located at elevations higher than 800 m while remaining unchanged at lower elevations. The different trends between lower and higher elevations are due to the date of the last spring frost moving less at higher altitudes than at lower altitudes, combined with stronger phenological shifts at higher elevations. This latter trend likely results from a stronger warming during late compared to earlier spring and from the increasing role of other limiting factors at lower elevations (chilling and photoperiod). Our results suggest that frost risk needs to be considered carefully when promoting the introduction of new varieties of fruit trees or exotic forest tree species adapted to warmer and drier climates or when considering new plantations at higher elevations.

Apricots have a short storage life principally caused by a rapid softening, which increases the sensitivity of the fruit to mechanical damage, and to the development of fungal diseases. The current methods to assess fruit firmness give limited information on the evolution and the mechanisms of softening. With the aim of developing novel strategies to better monitor fruit softening, a multi-parameter approach measuring textural properties was evaluated and compared to a reference method whose results are obtained from a unique parameter. &lsquo, Goldrich&rsquo, and &lsquo, Orangered&reg, &rsquo, apricots were used in this study as representative cultivars with substantially different post-harvest behavior. The results showed that this multi-parametric approach allows detailed evaluation of the influence of storage conditions on apricots&rsquo, textural properties. The correlations found between firmness values measured by the standard method and the multiple textural parameters obtained by the compression and the puncture tests on the fruit flesh had r-values ranging from 0.6 to 0.78. Parameters related to the skin were, however, poorly correlated with the standard method, with r-values all below 0.4. Taken together, these results demonstrate that a multi-parameter approach allows a better understanding of how storage conditions influence the softening of apricots in a cultivar-specific manner.

Professional and scientific networks built around the production of sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) led to the collection of phenology data for a wide range of cultivars grown in experimental sites characterized by highly contrasted climatic conditions. We present a dataset of flowering and maturity dates, recorded each year for one tree when available, or the average of several trees for each cultivar, over a period of 37 years (1978–2015). Such a dataset is extremely valuable for characterizing the phenological response to climate change, and the plasticity of the different cultivars’ behaviour under different environmental conditions. In addition, this dataset will support the development of predictive models for sweet cherry phenology exploitable at the continental scale, and will help anticipate breeding strategies in order to maintain and improve sweet cherry production in Europe.

Xanthomonas arboricola pv. pruni causes bacterial spot of stone fruit resulting in severe yield losses in apricot production systems. Present on all continents, the pathogen is regulated in Europe as a quarantine organism. Host resistance is an important component of integrated pest management; however, little work has been done describing resistance against X. arboricola pv. pruni. In this study, an apricot population derived from the cross “Harostar” × “Rouge de Mauves” was used to construct two parental genetic maps and to perform a quantitative trait locus analysis of resistance to X. arboricola pv. pruni. A population of 101 F1 individuals was inoculated twice for two consecutive years in a quarantine greenhouse with a mixture of bacterial strains, and disease incidence and resistance index data were collected. A major QTL for disease incidence and resistance index accounting respectively for 53 % (LOD score of 15.43) and 46 % (LOD score of 12.26) of the phenotypic variation was identified at the same position on linkage group 5 of “Rouge de Mauves.” Microsatellite marker UDAp-452 co-segregated with the resistance, and two flanking microsatellites, namely BPPCT037 and BPPCT038A, were identified. When dividing the population according to the alleles of UDAp-452, the subgroup with unfavorable allele had a disease incidence of 32.6 % whereas the group with favorable allele had a disease incidence of 21 %, leading to a reduction of 35.6 % in disease incidence. This study is a first step towards the marker-assisted breeding of new apricot varieties with an increased tolerance to X. arboricola pv. pruni.

With 3 figures and 2 tables Abstract In a previous study, a QTL analysis was conducted on a pear F1 progeny derived from a cross ‘Passe Crassane’ (PC) × ‘Harrow Sweet’ (HS). Four genomic regions associated with fire blight resistance were identified, including two main QTL located on linkage groups (LGs), 2A and 4 of ‘Harrow Sweet’ (HS02A and HS04). In the present study, we report the combination of LGs HS02A and HS02B into a single LG by mapping additional SSR loci from Malus or Pyrus spp. We could thereby precisely identify a single major QTL on LG HS02. We also confirm a putative QTL on LG HS04 by including new SSR markers to the pre-existing LG HS04. Based on SSR marker analysis of ‘Harrow Sweet’ pedigree, the major HS02 QTL is presumed to originate from the cultivar ‘Early Sweet’, while the HS04 QTL was traced from ‘Harrow Sweet’ back to ‘Bartlett’. We also describe the validation of the major HS02 QTL for the fire blight severity trait in a second F1 progeny derived from a cross ‘Angelys’ × ‘Harrow Sweet’.

The ability of portable Near Infrared Spectroscopy to determine apricot fruit quality has been studied. Calibration models allowing the determination of soluble solids content (SSC), total acidity (TA) and firmness (Fi) of apricots were carried out with variable precisions. Models were built for each variety and global models combining different varieties were attempted. SSC was determined with a root mean square error of cross-validation (RMSECV) comprised between 0.67 and 1.1 °Brix and R -values between 0.88 and 0.96. Concerning Fi, the accuracy of the prediction was variety dependant. These predictions were correct for the varieties Kioto and Harostar with RMSECV-values between 6.2% and 13% ( R -values between 0.85 and 0.92) and unsatisfactory for Bergarouge (RMSECV = 24%). TA was predicted with RMSECV-values between 0.79 and 2.61 g 100 ml −1 and R -values between 0.73 and 0.97. In a second application, near infrared spectra were used to classify apricot fruits according to their variety and colour intensity with correct efficiency. The results obtained in the present study showed that NIRS technology could be applicable to apricot quality and that such portable devices could help to obtain a complete follow-up of the fruits in orchards and during post-harvest.

Apple, Malusdomestica, is the most important fruit grown within the tem- perate zonobiome. It is attacked by both fruit-damaging and leaf-damaging lepidopteran pest insects, which require regular control such as the carpopha- gous codling moth, Cydia pomonella, or frequent control such as the phyllopha- gous apple leaf miner, Lyonetia clerkella. As many environmentally friendly pest control tactics are only effective at low levels of infestation, host plant resistance is a promising future component of integrated pest management systems, but knowledge is still lacking on such genetically based approaches against lepidopteran pests. The aim of the study was to identify molecular markers linked to C. pomonella and L. clerkella resistance or susceptibility in commercial apple as well as markers linked to selected fruit traits. The number of C. pomonella-infested fruits and the number of L. clerkella mines were quan- tified as measures of apple resistance or susceptibility to the studied moth spe- cies. Herbivore surveys on 160 apple genotypes, representing a segregating F1 cross of the apple cultivars 'Fiesta' and 'Discovery', were carried out during two consecutive years and at two sites in Switzerland. Broad-sense heritability was 29.9% (C. pomonella), 18.2% (L. clerkella), 21.9% (fruit number) and 16.6% (fruit diameter). A subsequent analysis identified a quantitative trait locus (QTL) associated to C. pomonella susceptibility on the Discovery linkage group 10. The closest marker to this QTL was the random amplified poly- morphic marker Z19-350. No significant QTL was identified for resistance to L. clerkella. A putative QTL associated to fruit number was identified on Fiesta linkage group 12. The presented QTL associated with C. pomonella susceptibil- ity and the putative QTL linked to fruit number may facilitate marker-assisted breeding of resistant apple cultivars with cropping traits desirable for optimal fruit production.

The impact of repeated culture of perennial plants (i.e. in long-term monoculture) on the ecology of plant-beneficial bacteria is unknown. Here, the influence of extremely long-term monocultures of grapevine (up to 1603 years) on rhizosphere populations of fluorescent pseudomonads carrying the biosynthetic genes phlD for 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol and/or hcnAB for hydrogen cyanide was determined. Soils from long-term and adjacent short-term monoculture vineyards (or brushland) in four regions of Switzerland were baited with grapevine or tobacco plantlets, and rhizosphere pseudomonads were studied by most probable number (MPN)-PCR. Higher numbers and percentages of phlD(+) and of hcnAB(+) rhizosphere pseudomonads were detected on using soil from long-term vineyards. On focusing on phlD, restriction fragment length polymorphism profiling of the last phlD-positive MPN wells revealed seven phlD alleles (three exclusively on tobacco, thereof two new ones). Higher numbers of phlD alleles coincided with a lower prevalence of the allele displayed by the well-studied biocontrol strain Pseudomonas fluorescens F113. The prevalence of this allele was 35% for tobacco in long-term monoculture soils vs. >60% in the other three cases. We conclude that soils from long-term grapevine monocultures represent an untapped resource for isolating novel biocontrol Pseudomonas strains when tobacco is used as bait.

Esca disease, as well as other trunk diseases of grapevine, is an important wood disease that impedes the water transport in plants by clogging the xylem vessels. This type of effect is not detectable for years, due to the long latency time of the disease. In a field experiment, the susceptibility of Vitis vinifera cv. Cabernet sauvignon and Merlot to esca disease was evaluated by visual assessment of foliar symptoms and by necrosis and white rot indexes. C. sauvignon was highly susceptible and Merlot was tolerant to esca. The characteristics of fast chlorophyll a fluorescence transient were investigated in attached leaves by using the so-called JIP-test. The fluorescence transient was analyzed and plants without visible esca foliar symptoms were compared with those showing symptoms. In C. sauvignon, alteration of the photosynthetic apparatus could be detected 2 months before the appearance of foliar symptoms in autumn. To our knowledge, this is the first report of early detection of esca disease using a nondestructive method. For Merlot, only one JIP-test parameter was affected. However, when both cultivars were compared, the relationship of the performance index (defined by the density of reaction centers (RCs) and by the yields φPo and ψo; PIABS = [RC/ABS][φPo/(1 − φPo)][ψo/(1 − ψo)]) versus the calculated rate of the electron transfer [probability that an absorbed photon moves an electron further than Q A − ; φEo = φPoψo = (TRo/ABS)(ETo/TRo) = ETo/ABS = (1 − F0/FM)(1 − VJ)] permitted us to separate the highest performing cultivar Merlot from the susceptible C. sauvignon. Also, the method used allowed us to detect modification of the photosystem II (PS II) performance in greenhouse-grown Riesling × Sylvaner after a drought stress. Finally, the comparison of the fluorescence transients of esca-affected and drought-stressed grapevines provided information on the differentiated functional-behavior patterns of PS II for the two stress types. These results suggest that esca infection cannot simply be interpreted as a water transport deficit through xylem dysfunction, but that other reaction mechanisms in the plants must be considered. The possibility to use fast chlorophyll a fluorescence monitoring as a wood decay early detection tool is discussed.

Nine strains of the fungus Phomopsis spp. were isolated from a vineyard showing decline from the disease esca. Strains were screened for their ability to produce secondary metabolites showing chemical diversity. The culture extracts of each strain were analyzed by liquid chromatography-ultraviolet-diode array detection-mass spectrometry. Three strains were selected for the isolation and characterization of eight of the major metabolites. Structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analyses including two-dimensional NMR and mass spectrometry and by comparison to literature data. Among the isolated metabolites were the known phomopsolide B (1), sydowinin A (6), sydowinol (7), cytosporone B (8), and four new furanones named phomopsolidones A-D (2-5). The fungal strains were identified as Phomopsis sp., Phomopsis viticola Sacc and, Phomopsis viticola complex. Biological assays on Vitis vinifera leaves and callus tissue, antibacterial, and insecticidal activities were evaluated. The results revealed variability regarding secondary metabolites with species of Phomopsis sp. associated with grapevine, raising the question of cultivar-driven strain selection and phytotoxins biosynthesis in grapevine plants.

UMR 1334 AGAP : Equipe AFEF ‘Architecture et Fonctionnement des Espèces fruitières’ ; Team AFFS ‘Architecture and Functioning of Fruit Species’; In the current context of global warming, an analysis is required of spatially-extensive and long-term blooming data in fruit trees to make up for insufficient information on regional-scale blooming changes and determinisms that are key to the phenological adaptation of these species. We therefore analysed blooming dates over long periods at climate-contrasted sites in Western Europe, focusing mainly on the Golden Delicious apple that is grown worldwide. On average, blooming advances were more pronounced in northern continental (10 days) than in western oceanic (6–7 days) regions, while the shortest advance was found on the Mediterranean coastline. Temporal trends toward blooming phase shortenings were also observed in continental regions. These regional differences in temporal variability across Western Europe resulted in a decrease in spatial variability, i.e. shorter time intervals between blooming dates in contrasted regions (8–10-day decrease for full bloom between Mediterranean and continental regions). Fitted sequential models were used to reproduce phenological changes. Marked trends toward shorter simulated durations of forcing period (bud growth from dormancy release to blooming) and high positive correlations between these durations and observed blooming dates support the notion that blooming advances and shortenings are mainly due to faster satisfaction of the heating requirement. However, trends toward later dormancy releases were also noted in oceanic and Mediterranean regions. This could tend toward blooming delays and explain the shorter advances in these regions despite similar or greater warming. The regional differences in simulated chilling and forcing periods were consistent with the regional differences in temperature increases.

A method for the simultaneous determination of 33 pesticides or degradation products together with patulin in apples by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was developed. The method involved homogenization of the apples, extraction with ammonium acetate-acetic acid solution in methanol-water by ultrasonication, filtration, and determination by LC-MS/MS. The repeatability and within-laboratory reproducibility for the three spiking levels 0.02, 0.04 and 0.2 mg kg(-1) were between 4% and 35%. In general, the repeatability and reproducibility were about 10-20%. The limits of quantification (LOQs) were between 0.01 and 0.14 mg kg(-1). The method was used on incurred samples from parts of the ISAFRUIT project financed by the European Commission under the 6th Framework Programme. Samples were analysed at four different stages: after harvest, after storage (controlled), after a water bath, and after 28 days at room temperature. Pesticide residues were found at all stages, but no significant differences in the concentration were seen between the stages analysed. The concentration decreased significantly only for tolylfluanid after storage at room temperature for 28 days when only 0-6% of the original amount of tolylfluanid remained in the apples. No patulin was found in the apples stored for 28 days at room temperature and no growth of Penicillium expansum was observed on these apples. However, when the apples were inoculated with a spore suspension of P. expansum, high concentrations of patulin were found.

The impact of repeated culture of perennial plants (i.e. in long-term monoculture) on the ecology of plant-beneficial bacteria is unknown. Here, the influence of extremely long-term monocultures of grapevine (up to 1603 years) on rhizosphere populations of fluorescent pseudomonads carrying the biosynthetic genes phlD for 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol and/or hcnAB for hydrogen cyanide was determined. Soils from long-term and adjacent short-term monoculture vineyards (or brushland) in four regions of Switzerland were baited with grapevine or tobacco plantlets, and rhizosphere pseudomonads were studied by most probable number (MPN)-PCR. Higher numbers and percentages of phlD(+) and of hcnAB(+) rhizosphere pseudomonads were detected on using soil from long-term vineyards. On focusing on phlD, restriction fragment length polymorphism profiling of the last phlD-positive MPN wells revealed seven phlD alleles (three exclusively on tobacco, thereof two new ones). Higher numbers of phlD alleles coincided with a lower prevalence of the allele displayed by the well-studied biocontrol strain Pseudomonas fluorescens F113. The prevalence of this allele was 35% for tobacco in long-term monoculture soils vs.60% in the other three cases. We conclude that soils from long-term grapevine monocultures represent an untapped resource for isolating novel biocontrol Pseudomonas strains when tobacco is used as bait.

International audience; In the context of climate change, the fruit tree sector has specific vulnerabilities, such as perennial plantations and a complex flowering process to achieve fruit production. More particularly, warming impacts on floral bud phenology and their subjacent effects have been investigated for fruit tree species in different European regions. Numerous flowering data collected in contrasting temperature conditions (location, period) highlighted similar and significant advances in dates of different phenological stages for all the locations and fruit species. That means strong impacts of temperature changes in Europe (low interactions cultivar x temperature). The statistical analysis supports a general coincidence at the end of the 1980s between abrupt phenological changes toward flowering advances and marked climate changes toward higher temperatures. Moreover, the use of modelling parameters highly suggests that warming exerted two opposing effects simultaneously, i.e., a slower mean rate of completion for the chilling requirement and a higher mean rate of completion of the heat requirement. A more pronounced intensity of this last effect, in agreement with more marked temperature increases in winter than in autumn, might explain flowering advances. Nevertheless, some regional differences have been also highlighted, which needs further investigations.

Eutypine, 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, and 3-phenyllactic acid are some of the phytotoxins produced by the pathogens causing Eutypa dieback and esca disease, two trunk diseases of grapevine (Vitis vinifera). Known biocontrol agents such as Fusarium lateritium and Trichoderma sp. were screened for their ability to consume these toxins. Transformation time courses were performed, and an high-performance liquid chromatography-based method was developed to analyze toxin metabolism and to identify and quantify the converted products. The results show that the aldehyde function of eutypine was reduced to eutypinol, as by V. vinifera cv. Merlot, the cultivar tolerant to Eutypa dieback. We revealed a supplementary detoxification pathway, not known in Merlot, where the aldehyde function was oxidized to eutypinic acid. Moreover, some strains tested could further metabolize the transformation products. Every strain tested could transform 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde to the corresponding alcohol and acid, and these intermediates disappeared totally at the end of the time courses. When biological assays on cells of V. vinifera cv. Chasselas were carried out, the transformation products exhibited a lower toxicity than the toxins. The possibility of selecting new biocontrol agents against trunk diseases of grapevine based on microbial detoxification is discussed.

SummarySeven pesticide application strategies were investigated to control apple scab (Venturia inaequalis) and powdery mildew (Podosphaera leucotricha) and, at the same time, fulfil the new quality standards implemented by some German retailers. These demand that pesticide residues should be below 80% of European Maximum Residue Levels (EU MRL) and that the number of residues present at levels above 0.01 mg kg−1 should be limited to a maximum of four. The strategies fulfilled the requirement to use combinations of different active substances in order to prevent the emergence of resistance to pesticides. The trials were conducted at two sites in Switzerland, in 2007, and all strategies and applications were in accordance with actual practice. Four replicates of apple samples from each strategy were then analysed for pesticide residues. The incidence of infection with apple scab and powdery mildew were monitored during the season in order to evaluate the efficacy of the different strategies. The efficacies...

Small agricultural firms have to cope with increasing economic, legal and environmental difficulties. The purpose of the paper is to identify whether there are available research outputs to these challenges, focusing on the Swiss traditional fruit sector. Identification of firms’ needs using face-to-face interviews and a focus group allowed us to prioritize innovations. Knowledge and innovation transfer gaps were identified thanks to bibliometric analysis, providing hints for research program orientations. The main sectoral needs were related to varieties like increasing pest and disease resistance, weather sensitivity, and ripening behavior. Knowledge produced by research institutions was partly related to the firms’ needs. The study demonstrated a need for better coordination between agricultural stakeholders and researchers. Knowledge must be transferred and shared in the network with greater efficiency by extending interactions and involving stakeholders earlier in the innovation process. However, the search for scientific outputs should include more specificities of the local environment.JEL Codes: O31, O32