The Instituto Tecnológico del Plástico, AIMPLAS, is coordinating the CITRIC-SÀ project to combat pseudococci (known as cotonet), one of the most difficult pests to manage in the cultivation of citrus and kakis, in a sustainable, safe, and healthy way, while maintaining the yield and competitiveness of the crops.
The project, funded by the Valencian Innovation Agency (AVI), is led by the Cooperative of Llíria, which is responsible for researching the new application strategy. Idai Nature, a company that specializes in the design and development of natural products based on botanical extracts and microorganisms for application in organic farming, and the Mediterranean Agroforestry Institute of the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), which will analyze the effectiveness of the control of pseudococcids in crops, are also participating in it. Aimplas brings its experience in the encapsulation by adsorption and coating of natural botanical extracts, as well as the incorporation of them in polymer matrixes.
"The objective of CITRIC-SÀ is to mitigate the adverse effects on the environment that the synthetic chemicals currently used in the protection of citrus and kaki crops have by replacing them with formulations of natural origin, based on active substances from botanical extracts. The new products will help reduce the environmental problems caused by conventional agriculture, reducing the negative impacts generated by the increasingly widespread use of chemical plant protection products, favoring environmental sustainability and mitigating climate change," Aimplas stated.
Innovative application methods
"One of the most relevant innovations that the project brings is the methodology to apply the new products, which takes into account the different attack areas in citrus and kakis (leaf, fruit, trunk, and soil), the seasonal dynamics, and the stages of development. Thus the formulations will be developed for foliar application (by spraying) by the company Idai Nature, soil application (by means of functionalized capsules), and trunk application (by means of paints or varnishes) by Aimplas."
"This will promote a sustainable and healthy agri-food sector, contributing to reducing climate change, maintaining crop yields, and significantly reducing the spread of toxic substances to the environment, air, and soil, thanks to natural formulations and very localized applications."
Source: aimplas.es