Bayer presents its new product ‘BioAct Prime®’, the latest advance in the control of nematodes in horticultural crops

On May 25, Bayer organized the day: ‘BioAct Prime ®. Keys for a quality horticultural production ‘, which brought together nearly 300 professionals in the sector to discuss the innovations that are being made in the cultivation of horticulture and contribute to greater economic and environmental sustainability.

During the inauguration, the event was attended by José Antonio Aliaga, Provincial Secretary General of Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development of the Territorial Delegation of Almería; and Luis Filipe Antunes, Marketing Director in the Crop Science division of Bayer in Iberia.

Luis Felipe Antunes was very grateful to the attendees for their presence and gave a special relevance to the action of Bayer and his enormous commitment to sustainable growth. “Our commitment is to help agricultural entrepreneurs to position their products complying with regulatory requirements, that’s why we are here to present our news.”

For his part, then, José Antonio Aliaga thanked Bayer for this fantastic opportunity, at the same time he put the focus on “the incredible magnitude of Almeria’s production, which has increased from 1,000,000,000 euros to 2,000,000,000 euros in the last ten years, and that will reach in this harvest a total turnover of around 3,400,000,000 euros “. With regard to the province, said that “the Almeria product is a safe product, which gives us differentiation with the rest of the products.”

Quality production with ‘BioAct Prime®’

During the first block of the day, Jordi Fullana, responsible for marketing for horticultural crops at Bayer Iberia, explained that the new nematicide BioAct Prime® “provides our farmers with a valid tool within the most demanding production models with which manages the current agriculture. It is a flexible product, without waste, also authorized in organic production, which will help to build sustainable strategies in the control of nematodes “.

For his part Xavier Sorribas, researcher and professor in the Department of Agri-Food Engineering and Biotechnology of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, stressed that the problem arises from the disappearance of fumigants, the intensification of crops and environmental conditions. “Phytoparasitic nematodes are a serious problem for agriculture when conditions favor their development and there are no antagonistic organisms capable of regulating them. In certain soils, the abundance of these organisms is such that the plants do not suffer the action of the n

ematodes. When this circumstance does not occur, the use of formulations based on antagonists can contribute to regulate nematode populations provided that they are used optimally based on their biological and ecological characteristics and as part of integrated management strategies ” he explained.

The intervention of Josep Izquierdo, head of development of insecticides at Bayer, served to make clear that, without a good quality of application, even the best product wil

l defraud anyone who uses it, “that is why Bayer works to offer recommendations for use more suitable to optimize the operation of innovative products such as ‘BioAct’ “.

For his part, Pablo García-Nieto, responsible for the digital services of the division Crop Science of Bayer in Iberia, explained the new tool for the control of nematodes, ‘Nematool’, developed by the company. “Nematool is Bayer’s technological innovation to respond to the effective control of nematodes through an integral service for monitoring in open air and greenhouse crops. The combination of a temperature probe and a mobile app provide the user with real-time information on the generation of nematodes in the crop, with automatic warnings of the first eggs of the next generation “.

Regarding the timeline that they are shuffling, García Nieto explained that “what remains of the year will work with a pilot test of 200 devices, in order to make the changes of pertinent improvements at the end of the year, and make a launch of the perfect device next year. “

The debate table addressed the role of the farmer in horticultural production from four perspectives: production, export, the arrival of the product on the market and the provision of service to the entire chain from the producer to the consumer. At this time for the colloquium, integrating the second part of the day, participated Antonio Zam

ora, farmer; Luis Miguel Fernández, manager of Coexphal; Jesús Hernández Rubio, Chief Operating Officer, consultant and researcher; and Jordi Fullana, marketing manager for horticultural crops at Bayer Iberia.

Antonio Zamora spoke in first person of the advance that supposes for a farmer the application of this new product and of the technology of precision. Jordi Fullana made clear tha

t “the criteria of productivity before are no longer valid today, nowadays everything that helps to reach a more effective production will be useful”.

For his part, Jesús Hernández Rubio addressed the reluctant position of the population to traditional chemical use in the products that they finally consume in the markets. And he assured that “what is sold are the products, but what has special importance is the communication and how the product is presented”.

In relation to the arrival to the market of the product, Luis Miguel Fernandez stressed the importance of the flavor in the increase of the sales and recommended to the agriculturists that “when choosing a variety, they decide for the one that more flavor has, the consumer he’s going to buy you flavor. ”

He also spoke about “the future of the sector and the need to continue growing and betting, as well as the conventional product of Almeria, as well as the ecological product that is increasingly in demand”.

Finally, as a conclusion, José Antonio Arcos highlighted the key ideas behind the celebration of the presentation of ‘BioAct®Prime’, among which he highlighted the importance of the application of biological control tools to increase the mortality of nematodes , the role of the new ‘Nematool’ and its special adaptation for the south of the peninsula, its easy use and the ability of the Almeria farmer to adapt to new developments.

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