Fars - Iran has deployed a non-chemical mass-trapping method for the first time to control the grape berry moth, successfully applying the technology across 25 hectares of vineyards in Fars southern province.

 

The pilot project was carried out in Doshman-Ziari, Mamasani County, where field assessments showed the method effectively suppressed pest populations while helping protect grape yields and quality, according to Ahad Bahjat Haghighi, head of the Fars Agricultural Organization.

 

“The mass-trapping technique uses pheromone-based traps to capture adult moths before they reproduce, disrupting the pest’s life cycle and reducing the need for chemical pesticides.”

 

Haghighi said the approach is based on integrated pest management (IPM) principles and can help protect beneficial insects, reduce environmental contamination and support the production of crops with lower pesticide residues.

 

He credited continuous field monitoring, farmers’ participation and provincial plant-protection specialists with the project’s success, saying Fars plans to expand the use of biological and non-chemical pest-control methods.

 

The province is also promoting clean agricultural technologies, smart pest-monitoring systems and more efficient use of farm inputs as part of its strategy to support sustainable production and protect natural resources, the official further said.