“The means of phytosanitary ware defence (MDF) open an opportunity more than interesting in the integrated production of crops”

The agronutrientes engloban a wide range of nutritional products of high performance that consider indispensable for a modern agriculture, already was in traditional crops or forced, in the open air or under cover. We have analysed with Ricardo Villuendas, president of AEFA, the health of which enjoys the industry of agronutrientes in our country and which are the lines of investigation that are carrying out in the 40 companies associated that allow to the agriculturalist choose between the best available options in this moment, technologically speaking, to world-wide level.

Ricardo Villuendas, president of AEFA.

AEFA Has like one of the main aims the collaborate with the Public Administrations so much to level of the CC AA, as to level of the ministry, contributing always ideas through periodic meetings, posing allegations to the rules that go developing, like the next legislation of fertilizantes national, or receiving and interpreting the European legislation, in which it participates in the platform CIRCA BC of the WG-1 (Working Group) in relation to the multiple discussions on the future requirements that will have to fulfil so much the fertilizantes organic like inorganic in the future European law.

Also are permanently informed of the advances that are producing in relation to a future rule in Europe on bioestimulantes that develops in the breast of the EBIC (European Biostimulant Industry Council). Of the most notable appearances goes informing to the companies associated, of punctual way if it exists urgency, or through the monthly bulletin that receive all the associated and more widely in the general boards of the association.

With the publication of the Or.M. 1470/2007, they opened some enormous expectations in all the sector so much of the manufacturers as of the distributors, technicians and agriculturalists, since said norm came to occupy the empty legislative that came from from the fertilizantes and affine, period in which they already came working some companies with products, as for example the extracts of marine seaweeds, that with the entrance in force of the RD 824/2005 remained excluded of the rule.

The Or.M. 1470 it has not contributed to normalise and give clarity to the sector by his insufficient legislative definition, such as it has come insisting from AEFA during long, although it is not less true that also have contributed so much the agents communicators, in some cases when presenting unfeasible products, as also the own Administration by his passivity, since of the 2.058 communications presented till lately time were slopes of review but of 70%, what has favoured that of “to river revolved gain of fishermen”.

From AEFA want to do the things well, because there is not another way for those companies that want to have future. Thus, we are expectantes in front of the new RD on means of phytosanitary ware defence (MDF) that is next to publish . With the spirit to follow contributing our knowledges and our collaboration go to participate in some days that on MDF has summoned the ministry with the CC AA for finals of April. There we will be presents jointly with other associations of the sector like Aefisa, Afieco, Aepla and IBMA, with the end to debate and know in depth the new normative.

In the actuality exist numerous lower crops, between which can stand out the artichoke, the spinach, the espárrago, the celery, the escarole, or aromatic species like the rúcula, the albahaca, and tropical fruit like the mango, the papayas or the raspberry, the medlar or crops of fourth range, etc., that hardly have active matters registered. It is due to that the high costs of the phytosanitary ware register do not allow the amortización of the cost, by what the agriculturalist does not arrive to have of sufficient tools neither effective for the control of pathogens that affect to these crops. We have proposed to the ministry the permission of some MDF (other means of phytosanitary ware defence) with use restricted to these crops, with complementary action, that would help to mitigate the estragos that cause the own pathogens of these crops and that besides fits with the aims of the integrated cheese cheese gestión of plagues that recommends to prioritise the utilisation of products no classified like dangerous, as it is the case of the majority of the substances of these means of phytosanitary ware defence.

They are two types of substances totally complementary. Each one of the types is directed to a distinct function. As well as the phytosanitary ware are directed to the fight against plagues, exerting a direct effect on the same, the fitofortificantes differ in the final aim, that is to say, his application on the plant allows that the crop develop the natural defences that already possesses, but with more celerity, allowing that it resist of way more effective the effects of the biotic and abiotic stress. The fortificantes do not have a direct effect on the plagues, but they allow that the plant resist better the attacks of the same and in this roots the difference with the phytosanitary ware conventional.

Many of our companies have gone evolving over time to products more agrotecnológicos, by the own demand of the market. This means to follow contributing solutions to the crops and to the agriculturalist, and in this ours companies are expert. Now with the measures of control of low phytosanitary ware impact, such as it recommends the BREAD (Plan of national action), through the cual pursues the sustainable use of phytosanitary ware inside the integrated cheese cheese production, and that pretends to boost alternatives to these products, present alternatives like the MDF, products that belong to the world of the vegetal health but that at all have to see with the phytosanitary ware. Between the MDF would situate , for example, some bioestimulantes, inductores of resistance, some microorganisms, the OCB (organisms of biological control) or the cheats of pheromones, etc.

In the actuality, almost all the companies associated to AEFA are working and investigating with these means of phytosanitary ware defence that, once communiqués and registered by the MAGRAMA, open an opportunity more than interesting in the integrated cheese cheese production of crops.

This is an aim that have posed us from AEFA, through the commission of communication. We want to initiate actions directed to spread so much to level of the big chains of feeding, as with associations of consumers, groupings of producers and of exporters, etc., the advantages to consume fruit and vegetables cultured with products that do not leave harmful waste on the crops, when being treated with raw materials of pertinent natural origin of the own plants or substances without waste and of low risk, something that already are suing the consumers.

Sure enough the aim to create a channel of Twitter and a page of Facebook is not another that the one to have of these excellent social tools of diffusion, through which keep a much nearer relation with our followers. We live in the era of the technology and therefore, in the one of the social networks. At present the majority of the companies of AEFA use this half for the loyalty of a big number of customers, since it can share information and interactuar of immediate way, being to the day at all times of the last novelties of the sector and generating new bonds.

Is thus that from AEFA has bet by the implementation of these and future new technologies, for considering them of big utility for the agriculture. Like example of the last updates gone up to Twitter or Facebook can stand out the article written by Noemí Vidal, of the Area of Technological Surveillance of Ainia Technological Centre of Valencia, with the title ‘Bioestimulantes, alternative to the chemical compounds'.

The health in general is acceptable in spite of not being going through the best moment in the national market, but the majority of the companies of AEFA has a marked exporting vocation, allocating in the actuality a near volume to 40% of his production to the external market. At present they generate a volume of upper business to the 300 million euros and in spite of the coyuntura current of our country, our companies follow generating qualified employment and at present are presents in more than 100 countries.

Only wish that the application of the new RD on the MDF, that could go in in force in the next two or three months, do not generate a very negative impact, since it would put in danger the growth sustained that came keeping and would comport a loss of competitiveness and the consequent adjust of staff.