Characterisation of apple orchard management systems in a French Mediterranean Vulnerable Zone

The objective of our study was to characterise cropping systems in apple ar boriculture in the Carpentras basin. The study area has been listed as a "V ulnerable Zone" since 1993 under the European Nitrate Directive 91/676. It consists of 10 French districts located in the Mediterranean region north-e ast of Avignon. Interviews were conducted with 18 of the 22 identified farm ers, the sample covering a variety of cropping patterns. We compared and an alysed the farmers' practices in terms of fertiliser application, pest and disease management, thinning and irrigation, spotlighting the role of crop indicators to decide and trigger the operations. As a result, we identified and characterised three main types of cropping systems. These were ranked according to risks of pollution by nitrate and pesticides. The systems were then confronted with soil types. The study showed that the potentially les s polluting cropping systems are also situated in the less sensitive areas.