In integrated fruit growing, the farmer ensures the orchard’s natural balance while at the same encouraging natural defences.
The farmer protects beneficial insects (such as ladybirds) and birds and promotes their spread through targeted ecological measures such as the installation of nesting boxes or piles of stones as hiding places for weasels and vipers.
With integrated cultivation, the farmer may use pesticides - but only if ecological means are no longer sufficient and the harvest is in danger.
All pesticides are subject to the strict quality guidelines of AGRIOS. This body strictly governs which means may be used. For instance, they must not present any acute danger to humans or animals, they must be quickly degradable and be capable of conserving the safety of water, soil and air. Traces of pesticides in South Tyrol are always below the legally prescribed standards.
Each apple with the PGI seal can be traced back to the respective farmer and orchard, thus guaranteeing high quality and certainty of origin.