Farmer's own decisions outweigh management strategies in reducing pesticide use in apple orchards

Efforts to reduce pesticide use, driven by concerns over their harmful effects on biodiversity and human health, have promoted alternative agricultural practices. How the farmers combine these practices in conjunction with field features, and the impact of these combinations on pesticide use remains poorly understood. This study aimed to identify orchard management strategies associated with reduced insecticide and fungicide use in apple orchards in south-eastern France. We further examined whether reductions in chemical pesticide use increased reliance on biopesticides, and evaluated the relative contributions of advisory organizations and farmers' identity to pesticide applications. We collected data from 171 orchards managed by 51 farmers, who provided treatment schedules for 2021–2023. Treatment frequency indices were calculated by pesticide category (chemical fungicides, biocontrol insecticides…), further broken down by product family (copper, virus…), target pest and specificity. We used principal component analyses (PCAs) to identify major patterns in farmer's management strategies, combining both practices (Alt'Carpo netting, irrigation type…) and orchard features (row orientation, length of adjacent hedges…). The effects of these management strategies on variation in pesticide use were then investigated using linear mixed models that included the PCA coordinates of orchards as explanatory variables. Additional models were run to assess the effects of individual practices. Pesticide use was driven primarily by farmer identity, with advisory organizations and management strategies exerting limited influence. No trade-off was observed between chemical pesticides and biopesticides: orchards sprayed with more chemical pesticides were also sprayed with more biopesticides. The absence of dominant strategies suggests considerable flexibility in orchard management. While some management strategies were associated with lower pesticide use, these effects were mainly attributable to a few single practices. Effective low-pesticide strategies included Alt'Carpo netting, an early variety, a windbreak hedge (all associated with reduced insecticide use), and flood irrigation without sprinklers (associated with reduced fungicide use). Overall, orchards with low pesticide use did not suffer higher pest or disease pressure. This study highlights significant potential for reducing pesticides in apple orchards, emphasizing the need for a deeper understanding of farmers' decision-making, regarding both pesticide applications and practices implemented at orchard establishment. Future research should further investigate these management strategies, with particular attention to their labor, market requirements and economic viability. • Farmer identity was the main driver of pesticide use intensity. • No trade-off was found between chemical pesticides and biopesticides. • Management strategies reducing pesticide use were identified. • No single management strategy was dominant. • Most low-pesticide orchards did not experience increased pest or disease pressure.