Identifying and implementing subsidiary crops to control pests: the case of the cabbage root fly, a pest of vegetable brassicas

As part of the REPULSE project (CASDAR), we looked into whether any plant could contain crop infestation by cabbage maggots (Delia radicum), a key pest of vegetable brassicas. We conducted an open-ended screening of a wide array of aromatic plants under semi-controlled conditions and were able to identify two species with great ability to contain pest oviposition on broccoli. These two subsidiary crops were then tested under natural in-field infestation conditions, with the potential of one of them being confirmed.