Organic hazelnut pest and disease management
Last updated on February 6, 2025Find information about managing pests and diseases in an organic hazelnut orchard. Good monitoring is the basis of pest and disease management in organic growing.
As a general rule, sanitation and clean orchard practices are recommended in hazelnut orchards, including plant-blight resistant, and insect and pathogen-free nursery stock.
Long-term field trials with blight resistant hazelnuts have not happened in B.C. It remains to be seen whether:
- Eastern Filbert Blight will still need to be managed to some degree, or
- Other diseases not previously an issue will present in the new varieties
Types of control
Products used to control blight are limited to cultural practices (removing infected branches) and copper. Copper must be re-applied after rain, requiring multiple applications during the storm season. Too many applications can result in toxic levels of copper build up in the soil, so caution is required.
Biological control focuses on increasing populations of natural enemies. For example, mating disruption.
- For more information, visit Oregon State University's Sustainable Hazelnut Production: Filbertworm Control by Mating Disruption
Product verification
Organic growers must verify product acceptability with their Certification Body (CB) before use. Some certifying bodies have published approved lists. There is an industry driven initiative attempting to collate a national list of approved pest/disease/plant control and plant nutrient products. Interested growers should contact the Certified Organic Associations of BC (COABC) in Vernon.
Other pest and disease management resources
Check out other pages on the Hazelnut production guide for more information about disease and pests.
The major issues are the same for conventional and organic, and although there are less products available for organic there are still some products available.