Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), the Mediterranean fruit fly, is one of the key pest species affecting deciduous fruit orchards along the Mediterranean coasts. Because of global warming, C. capitata is gradually spreading north and is becoming a major pest of apples. Determining the susceptibility of the main apple varieties grown in the region will serve as a cornerstone to the management of this pest. In this study, we show the results of a field and laboratory no‐choice test conducted to determine the Medfly preferences on different apple cultivars. The seven main varieties of apples (Gala, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Kanzi, Morgen Dallago and Fuji) were tested. The results demonstrate that C. capitata lays eggs on all apple cultivars in both field and laboratory conditions. The Granny Smith, Red Delicious and Morgen Dallago varieties showed the lowest susceptibility in laboratory conditions, (0.75, 1.55, 2 oviposition punctures/fruit, respectively), with significant differences in oviposition compared to the Golden Delicious, Kanzi and Fuji (3.27, 3.31, 3.1 oviposition punctures/fruit, respectively) varieties, which were shown to be the most susceptible to Medfly attack in laboratory conditions. On the other hand, only slight and not statistically significant differences emerged from the field trials. In relation to the physico‐chemical characteristics, the apple cultivars showing the lowest susceptibility (Granny Smith, Red Delicious and Morgen Dallago) had harder peels and pulps and lower sugar contents than the most susceptible cultivars (Golden Delicious, Fuji and Kanzi). These results were also confirmed through evaluation of larval development on different varieties. In fact, Granny Smith, Red Delicious and Morgen Dallago were the three varieties that did not allow adequate larval and adult development and reduced the possibility of the emergence of a new generation.

The use of conservation and sustainable practices could restore the abundance and richness of soil organisms in agroecosystems. Fitting in this context, this study aimed to highlight whether and how different soil living communities reacted to the conversion from an integrated to an organic orchard. The metataxonomic approach for fungi and bacteria and the determination of biological forms of diatoms and microarthropods were applied. Soil analyses were carried out in order to evaluate the effect of soil chemical features on four major soil living communities. Our results showed that the different taxa reacted with different speeds to the management changes. Fungi responded quickly to the changes, suggesting that modification in agricultural practices had a greater impact on fungal communities. Bacteria and microarthropods were more affected by abiotic parameters and less by the management. The diatom composition seemed to be affected by seasonality but the highest H’ (Shannon index) value was measured in the organic system. Fungi, but also diatoms, seemed to be promising for monitoring changes in the soil since they were sensitive to both the soil features and the anthropic impact. Our study showed that soil biodiversity could be affected by the conversion to sustainable management practices from the early years of an orchard onwards. Therefore, better ecological orchard management may strengthen soil sustainability and resilience in historically agricultural regions.