Il controllo della mosca delle olive in olivicoltura integrata e biologica.

Bactrocera oleae (Rossi) is the key pest of the olive agroecosystem; it is distributed in all Italian olive crops, except in some areas at higher altitude where low temperatures do not allow the development of the fly. The olive fruit fly development is strictly affected by temperature. It can complete from one up to five generations per year in areas with high annual average temperature (coastal and/or southern areas). The harmfulness of the species is related to the number of generations and weather conditions which may fluctuate considerably year by year, region by region. Recent researches on behavior and natural history of the tephritid fly have pointed out that it has developed a mutualistic symbiosis with bacteria which allows an increase of its growth rate. In this article authors present control strategies permitted in integrated and organic olive crops. The currently widespread early harvesting and timely milling reduce the harmful influence of late olive fruit fly infestations; together with mass trapping and with repellent/oviposition deterrent sprays by copper products and clays, these practices allow an increasingly sustainable effective control of the olive fruit fly.