Press release. Technical Dissemination Videoconference on GOS #fruitCARE trials: "Substitution of PPPs in stone fruit, red fruits and table grapes."

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[:is]On June 25, a technical conference for dissemination organized by the Supraautonomous Operative Group #fruitCARE focused on the advances and field tests that are being carried out to establish substitution programs for Plant Protection Products (PPPs) in stone fruit, red fruits and table grapes. These products listed on the substitution list issued by EFSA in 2015 do not meet the 100% safety criteria set by the European Commission in terms of their level of persistence or harmful potential for the environment or human health. In just 4 years, 72% of the 970 active substances have disappeared from the market which until then had been used in phytosanitary products.

On this day, the project #fruitCARE and his motivation, in which he works with the list of Candidates for Replacement (CfS) of the European Commission and its effects on three families of crops, red fruits, stone fruit and table grapes.

The day was opened by Alfonso Galvez Caravaca, General Secretary of ASAJA which gave way to Carlos Garrido, Coordinator of the General Subdirectorate for Innovation and Digitization of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, who told us about aid for innovation in this sector and the projects that are being developed like this one from #fruitCARE.

Next, the representatives of the project's Operational Group, raquel valdes, R&D Director of IDEAGRO and Javier Arizmendi, Director of Operations zeryaThey explained the current situation and the progress that is being made.

On this day we also had the participation of 3 other Operative Groups who told us the main idea of their projects and how they have been developing them.

First of all, the representatives of the Operational Group of FitosCerezoSarah Gonzalez of FEPEX and Anthony Sanchez of the CTAEX, they told us about their integrated pest, disease and weed control program that rationalizes the use of phytosanitary products in cherry tree cultivation. The project has been interrupted due to the crisis situation caused by COVID-19

Second, the representative of the Stone Fruit Operational GroupAntonio Hernandez of FECOAM, explained to us their innovation project for the adaptation to climate change of these crops, and they told us about the problems that climate change generates for the cultivation of stone fruit and how they are managing to design, develop and optimize systems, methods and cultural practices , aimed at facilitating the adaptation of the Productive Guidelines for Stone Fruit Trees.

And, thirdly, we talk to the person in charge of the project Go InnowaterMiguel Mora Gomez, of the Operational Group of Go Innowater. A project that aims to improve the use of water and energy in modernized irrigation of fruit trees, improving irrigation water management and incorporating renewable energy.

It was a very interesting day where we were able to learn a little more about the situation of this type of crop, and what and how we can make agriculture more efficient and sustainable. The project continues and we expect to continue to have the same results, which have been very satisfactory so far with no perceptible change in production.

 

Project #fruitCARE

He project #fruitCARE arises from the need to form an operational working group in the sector that allows to give scientific-technological support and tangible solutions to producers since this suppression of active materials is causing them a big problem.

In these first months of the project, work is being done in parallel on all the technical activities of the project, beginning with the identification and selection of the raw materials to be evaluated, the application of alternative strategies in the field, as well as the search for low-impact post-harvest alternatives. . This operational group seeks to establish PPP substitution programs, thus increasing competitiveness in the fruit producing sector in Spain, anticipating the adaptation of these crops to the new European requirements.

During the month of June, visits were made to the stone fruit, table grape and red fruit test fields.

The stone fruit field is located in Calamonte (Mérida) and the candidate materials for substitution are tebuconazole and difenoconazole.  To date, there is no presence of monilia or ear in any of the plots. The strategies carried out are based on a combination of different products applied at key moments for the crop, specifically Serenade Max, Procrop Shield, Basten and Amicos Sec. The plum harvest has begun and today its commercial quality and potential post-harvest useful life are being evaluated with the aim of to evaluate the influence of these alternative treatments on their postharvest quality.

The table grape field is located in Hondón de las Nieves (Alicante). The active material to be replaced is tebuconazole and so far there has been no presence of powdery mildew in any of the plots. In this case, in addition to evaluating different treatments without residues (Procrop Shield, Araw, Amicos Sec and OSPO Vi55), the fitness of different types of biodegradable bags to achieve a more homogeneous and golden grape color with a lower environmental impact.

This month has also been used to monitor one of the red fruit test fields, located in Isla Cristina (Huelva). The active material to be replaced is difenoconazole and, for the moment, no significant differences are observed between the tunnels treated with this material and the test areas treated with the alternative. Waiting to evaluate the performance and production in each case, these results are very promising.

 

In these last two weeks, the tests corresponding to the search for strategies have also been carried out. alternatives to Fludioxonil (authorized post-harvest treatment for stone fruit), both in Extremadura with peach, plum and nectarine, and in Zaragoza, with cherry of the Lapins variety. The efficacy of different treatments of natural origin has been evaluated (a strain of Bacillus, isolated in UNITE and with very good results against Monilinia, and a commercial product of natural origin and with zero residue, SANI FH-L)

The project has received a grant of €599,636.03, of which €479,708.82 comes from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (FEADER) within the National Rural Development Program 2014-2020.

European Commission. Food, Farming, Fisheries

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