K3All farmers who are applying this system highlight the excellent results, with lower cost and higher profit.

The Conference on the comprehensive treatment of crops carried out by KOPPERT Biological System in the Canary Islands, concluded its second session with a tour of the best crops that are developing the integrated ‘zero residue’ model of agriculture.

After finishing the first session in the tomato crops of the Cooperativa COAGRISÁN and Hortícola Aldeana, as well as in the papaya exploitation of Suministros Alimentarios La Aldea, the visit continued to the municipality of Agaete.

In the Guayedra ravine, the person in charge of KOPPERT Canarias, Rafael Alonso, explained in detail the project devised by Costa Tamadaba to grow organically 12 hectares and its combination with environmental agritourism, a pending subject in the Archipelago.

Alonso described the promoter's idea to turn this unique enclave into an environmental oasis in which, both agriculture and livestock, the integral development is an appendix of the extraordinary natural values ​​of this place.

The visit continued to the exploitation of organic bananas that Víctor Pérez Vera has in Costa Botija, in the municipality of Gáldar, in which it has been obtaining better results than in conventional crops.

Pérez demonstrated to the participants how to act in prevention, primarily, and observing each step of the cultivation, accompanied by good plant nutrition, the excellent results that were verified 'in situ' are achieved.

Víctor Pérez commented that his bill for expenses has decreased and the quality of the fruit has improved dramatically. Its bananas are sold in central Europe and in school canteens in Catalonia.

Its objective is to transform 45 remaining hectares in organic and explore with vegetables, given the growing demand of the organic market and the scarce supply in the Canary Islands.

The Conference concluded with the cultivation of five hectares of 'almost ecological' strawberries that the Gil brothers have in the municipality of Valsequillo. In addition to integrated control, they have implemented a comprehensive system, achieving ‘zero waste’.

The person in charge of KOPPERT Spain, Antonio Jimenez, explained that for more than three years the technical team has been conducting trials in the comprehensive treatment of the plant. “For years we focused on the aerial part, without paying attention to the non-air: its roots."

The studies concluded that the importance of biological balance in the soil, restoring it, improves plant defense against attacks from disease and growth thereof is regulated, added Jiménez.

The solution KOPPERT provides for it and to zero waste is NatuGro, a compendium of products that help protect and promote root growth, restore balance to the soil and increase endurance and plant defenses against disease.

José Antonio Gil recognized the substantial change he has experienced in the cultivation of strawberries, a crop that conventionally requires a significant number of treatments due to the high incidence of diseases.

Gil has observed that not only has he achieved zero residue, but it has increased the economic profitability of the crop by, above all, the extraordinary quality of strawberries.

As Rafael Alonso explained, the application of this system allows us to speak of a triple profitability: economic, environmental and social, in addition to achieving a natural regenerative culture of the medium.

The novelty of the Conference has been the interaction between participating farmers and the exchange of experiences of this model in crops as different as bananas, the tomato, papaya, strawberries or roses.

The conclusion of the Conference pivots on the necessary professionalism of the farmer and his constant eagerness to implement new solutions that, in the case of NatuGro, has demonstrated the extraordinary excellence of its results in the crops visited.