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Control in the palm of your hand categories: agrochemicals, Education, Environment, Fundecitrus, Research, technology, Transparency
A new app promises to be the newest tool for Brazilian citrus growers for spraying their groves in an even more efficient and sustainable way. Developed by the Citrus Defense Fund, Fundecitrus, the platform called Fundecitrus Integrated Spraying System (SPIF, in Portuguese) allows to calculate the spray volumes and pesticide rates according to the size of plants. It also guides on the equipment adjustment used on the spraying.
According to Fundecitrus researcher Mr. Marcelo Scapin, one of the people responsible for the system, the information allows the citrus grower to manage the control of diseases and pests without wasting the pesticides, using only the volume needed. “The citrus growers will be able to adjust the volume and pesticide rates, and adjust the equipment in the right way”, he says. The accurate control reflects in a smaller amount of product waste, avoiding soil contamination, and making the operation even more sustainable.
According to Fundecitrus, with the app it’s possible to reduce the water volume up to 70% to control the psyllid, up to 60% for postbloom fruit drop, 30% for citrus leprosis, and between 40 and 50% for citrus black spot. “The SPIF is a way to take the knowledge generated by research to the citrus growers in a more practical and accessible way”, says Mr. Scapin.
To do the math, the SPIF was based on the results of research on Application Technology that have been carried out in Fundecitrus for over ten years for citrus leprosis, citrus black spots, citrus canker, postbloom fruit drop (PFD) and psyllids. The purpose of the system is to provide these results in a practical way to be applied in the field and to assist in the correct sizing of the spraying.
The app is available for free in the desktop version (offline) and can be also accessed at the Fundecitrus website (Click here). A mobile version will be launched soon, available for Android, IOS and Windows.
To know more about the new technology check the link, in Portuguese
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