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This type of production decreases the presence of chemical residues in soil by 20%
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The shelf life of fruits of the project Life+ Zero Residues increased by 20%
The results that are expected of the European project Life+ Zero Residues for stone fruit without residues (LIFE12 ENV/ES/000902: towards a sustainable production and supply chain for stone fruit), in which SEIPASA has participated and which will culminate in June 2017 after four years work, are highly satisfactory.
As said in advance at the Extraordinary Congress of Stone Fruit held in Murcia, some of the expected accomplishments will have great significance. And, with the implementation of the 'Zero Residues' (ZR) protocol, a decrease of 20% of chemical residues in the soil is expected, increasing the useful life of products by 20% compared to those which are developed conventionally so it is expected that fruits that are certified under the 'ZR' warranty can be sold on the market with an additional economic margin of 10%.
Similarly, studies regarding market acceptance suggest that "the assessment of consumers on the quality of the ZR product will increase by 10% at the end of the project."
In short, what The Life + Zero Residues Project, funded by the European Commission, aims to do is to develop a production method for obtaining fruits free of chemical residues ( This will be a reality thanks to the joint work of several partners from Spain and the Netherlands, among which is SEIPASA. The University of Zaragoza is responsible, along with the agricultural consultor Zerya, for leading this project with an investment of more than three million Euros.
Reducing the use of chemical pesticides
One of the foundations of this important initiative is the use of alternative technologies to chemical treatment of crops, this being the reason we turn to Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and, as a fundamental part of it, the use of phytosanitary products of organic or botanic origin.
And this first link in the chain is where SEIPASA plays a major role as a leading company in natural treatments for agriculture: SEIPASA biopesticides are the basis for the control of pests and diseases in crops chosen to join the project.
With the ZR methodology, the use of chemical pesticides is reduced to a minimum or even zero, and the degradation of soil and groundwater contamination is avoided.
On the other hand, it is managing to increase the life of fruit after harvesting using new microperforated containers, and with the application of modified atmospheres.
From cultivation using SEIPASA treatment products in the field to the promotion of the fruit on the market, strict guidelines are followed in each of the phases, with specific adaptations in the processing of the fruit and in preservation in the post-harvest phase.
The objective is to create a new, trend in the production of fruit that is healthier, higher quality, more attractive and at a competitive price.
ZR fruit for baby food
One of the areas which are expected to be greatly affected by Zero Residues products is the baby food sector. The added value of ZR fruit as a main ingredient is attractive for an industry that is particularly demanding on the quality of the raw material. In this sector the fruit not meeting the requirements for visual appearance would be used for linear marketing.