Last Wednesday 1st February from 10:00 to 14:30, the “Kick off meeting” of the European LIFE NextFUMIGREEN project was held at the FumiHogar facilities located in Malaga. The meeting was attended by the project leader, the Spanish company FumiHogar and the five partners: the Foundation for Agricultural Auxiliary Technologies (TECNOVA); the Finnova Foundation; B&B Asesores Auditores Ambientales; Comercial Quimica Masso, and BioAgro Tech.
During this initial meeting, the partners established the main strategies and objectives for developing this European project, which has a total budget of 2,758,921.01 €, 60% subsidised by the LIFE programme. Thus, the roadmap to be followed until 31 May 2027, the date on which the project ends, was established. Among other aspects, the partners broke down the different tasks to be carried out and held bilateral meetings to deepen the technical aspects.
Development of natural fumigants
With a duration of 4 years and 6 months, Life Next Fumigreen’s main objective is to develop natural fumigants based on active ingredients extracted from plant extracts for the control of whitefly populations and fungal outbreaks of botrytis) in horticultural crops grown intensively under glass. In addition, it will test the efficacy of a new type of fumigant plant protection product, based on active ingredients of natural origin, in the protection of the most representative greenhouse crops.
Fumigant biopesticides are less toxic than conventional pesticides, and the replacement of chemical pesticides will mitigate the adverse effects on the environment and human health. The project aims to demonstrate that this new fumigant biopesticide is effective against pests and diseases specific to pepper and tomato crops (the major greenhouse crops) and that it can be used for other pathosystems (in addition to whitefly, it is intended to demonstrate its efficacy against thrips and tuta absoluta) and in other EU countries.
Life NEXTFUMIGREEN also foresees other benefits such as improved food security resulting in residue-free food, and positive effects on biodiversity and climate change.
Professionalisation and training of farmers.
In addition to demonstration actions in field conditions, the project will focus on training and demonstration of fumigant biopesticides, contributing to the professionalisation and capacity building of farmers. The self-contained and “ready-to-use dosage” nature of fumigant biopesticides facilitates the proper handling and dosage of pesticides on the crop, ensuring adequate dosage, avoiding the use of machinery and providing a system that is safe for both the environment and the health of the applicator. Smoke is a dry dispersion method, which avoids the adverse effects of excess humidity on crops (proliferation of fungi) and avoids accidental spills that contaminate soil and groundwater.
In line with EU Chemical Policy
This LIFE project supports the implementation of EU chemical policy, which includes both Directive 2009/128/EC on the sustainable use of pesticides, aimed at reducing environmental and health risks and maintaining crop productivity and improving control of the use and distribution of pesticides; and the REACH Regulation, which aims to achieve a higher level of protection of human health and the environment from potential risks from chemicals and to promote sustainable development.
It also contributes to achieving the objectives of the Farm to Fork Strategy and the 7th Environmental Action Programme, as well as the Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe, and supports the agri-environmental measures of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy.
About FumiHogar
Fumi-Hogar was founded in Malaga in 1967 by its founder Mr. Antonio Cintora Gil to provide a service to the incipient sector of DDD (Disinfection, Pest Control and Rodent Control) professionals, as an insecticide formulating company. Since then, Fumi-Hogar has maintained the technology of manufacturing self-contained, pre-dosed fumigant canisters as its own hallmark, which very few companies in the world are capable of formulating with the appropriate quality guarantee. Currently, Fumi-Hogar produces INSECTICIDES, BACTERICIDES, FUNGICIDES, VIRICIDES, BIO-STITCHES and ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS based on all types of active molecules, both chemical and natural, to be used in closed spaces in countless cases of biocidal control or active ingredients in premises or greenhouses. The sectors of application of its products are: Public Health: insecticides and disinfectants; Food Hygiene: insecticides and disinfectants; Animal Health: insecticides, disinfectants, environmental and respiratory improvers; Agriculture (greenhouses): insecticides, disinfectants, biostimulants and environmental improvers.
About the Foundation for Agricultural Auxiliary Technologies (TECNOVA)
The Tecnova Technology Centre is responsible for promoting applied innovation and technological development based on knowledge acquired at national and international level, providing value and competitiveness to companies in the auxiliary industry sector of agriculture and with the collaboration of all the agents involved in the process. It is present in 25 countries and its aim is innovation and technological development, the transfer of technology and knowledge in order to be more competitive through innovation.
About Finnova Foundation
Finnova is a foundation working for the promotion and development of innovation and entrepreneurship at EU level. Based in Brussels, it operates through collaborations and partnerships in all EU countries. Finnova’s experience in leading European project communication and dissemination activities is combined with a strong proven track record in start-ups and business support programmes, such as accelerators, incubators and ceremonial event selection and awarding.
About B&B Asesores Auditores Ambientales
BBasesores has a multidisciplinary team of professionals (pharmacists, chemists, biologists and engineers) with practical experience in different industrial sectors. With more than 20 years in the market, they have specialised in the processing and obtaining of registrations and approvals in fields as diverse as medicines and medical devices, cosmetic products, biocidal products and chemical substances in general.
About Comercial Quimica Masso
The main activity of COMERCIAL QUIMICA MASSÓ is the distribution of chemical specialities of represented companies recognised as leaders in different sectors, as well as products of its own development marketed under brands registered by the company.
About BrioAgro Tech BrioAgro was born in the countryside of Seville, thanks to the initiative of Mairena del Alcor, Seville: Impúlsame, which was constituted as a company in February 2015. Following the plague of the red palm weevil, an insect that was destroying palm trees throughout Spain a few years ago, they devised an initial prototype based on sensors that identified the presence of the insect by means of sound signals. Once the pest had been combated, they transferred and adapted this initial technology to what is now BrioAgro Technologies. Brioagro is a company that uses technology in the service of agriculture, sending the necessary information to help farmers make decisions, thus contributing to increasing their productivity and improving the environmental control of their crops.