FruitCARE advances in its trials and pre-harvest strategies

Despite the COVID-19 crisis, the innovation project developed by the FRUITCARE operating group, of which IDEAGRO is a part, has begun its trials and marking the necessary strategies in each of the plots of table grapes, stone fruit and red fruits to treat in your research.

In 2015, EFSA issued a list of candidate active substances to be replaced in the coming years. This project seeks to anticipate these substitutions, finding alternatives that adapt crops to the new European public health requirements.

During these months, progress has been made in two important phases of the project. The first stage seeks to measure the impact of the suppression of various active substances both in pre-harvest and post-harvest.

At this stage, the changes that will take place in the production process of each crop are being evaluated, in the event that the candidate active material is finally replaced.

Field trials have already begun in strawberry crops in Huelva and stone fruit in Extremadura, in which the efficacy of different agents of biological origin and different cultural techniques will be evaluated.

The second phase in which the group has advanced has been in the definition of the different strategies for the replacement of the selected active materials in accordance with the suggestions of the technical staff and the project partner producers themselves.

In addition, the taking of soil and water samples has begun, as well as the planning of the study of entomofauna that will allow us to evaluate, at the end of the project, the real environmental impact of the strategies proposed in it.

The task force is made up of eight members: ASAJA Region of Murcia, ZERYA Producciones sin Residuos SL, IDEAGRO, ACOPAEX, ESNEPI, TARAY, University of Zaragoza and AulaDei PCTAD Foundation. Each of these companies, from the perspective and experience of their activity, will provide the Operating Group with a joint vision.

OPERATIONAL GROUP COMPONENTS

ASAJA Region of Murcia He is the representative of GOS FRUITCARE and is responsible for the FruitCare project, and also for carrying out the tasks of dissemination and dissemination of the results obtained with the execution of this project, through the formation of sectorial tables or working groups.

This project is very important for the association, since "We work on solving problems that directly affect the sector we represent, and therefore it can be very beneficial for all of them.s”, they point out from the organization.

For ZERYA Productions without Waste It is a very exciting project, which is in line with the 20 years of research that endorse the brand, specialized in sustainability and waste-free production.

In charge of the project is the study of the impact of the possible elimination of different active materials, the identification of the most problematic materials, selection of test plots and varieties.

For ACOPAEX, as a producer and marketer of stone fruit, “The gradual prohibition of phytosanitary active materials used by our producers makes it necessary to search for alternatives that allow obtaining sustainable and quality productions, which is why we believe participation in this project is necessary.«.

On the other hand, the PCTAD participates in the FRUITCARE project as technical-economic coordinator of the project.

“Contributes technically as a research organization by coordinating part of the tasks associated with the search for substitution strategies based on the application of low-impact post-harvest technologies”.

snepi develops actions in mountain territories with the purpose of making economic models more sustainable. The Benasque Valley is very oriented towards tourism.

“We try to support the implementation of ecological mountain agriculture models. With FruitCare we have the opportunity to contribute our red fruit experimental plots (aronia, haskap, blackberry, cherry) to the project and disseminate the results and opportunities of these crops in mountain territories”.

For SAT La Redondela It is also a very interesting project. For its part, it will participate with the contribution of red fruit experimental farms, in addition to the control of these, monitoring of environmental conditions and supply of the product in all trials.

IDEAGRO, an independent applied research company at the service of the agri-food sector with extensive experience in residue-free production, will participate in the design of PPPs substitution protocols, coordinate and carry out field efficacy trials, evaluating the degradation curves of the products tested, as well as the monitoring of farms in Andalusia (berries), Extremadura (stone fruit) and Alicante (table grapes).

The Zaragoza's University will participate as a research body. The Research Group on Food of Plant Origin will be responsible for the efficacy tests (at laboratory level) of the different biocidal compounds included as possible alternatives. In addition, it will collaborate, together with PCTAD, in the application of different post-harvest technologies.

GRANTS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF AGRI-FOOD INNOVATION PROJECTS BY SUPRA-AUTONOMOUS OPERATIONAL GROUPS, IN RELATION TO THE EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION FOR INNOVATION IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY AND SUSTAINABILITY. EUROPEAN AGRICULTURAL FUND FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT (EAFRD), MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD, NATIONAL RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM 2014-2020.

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