Cuxamin - Bando Innodriver

The project saw the creation of an ultra-low dose copper-based formulation for the stimulation of the natural defense mechanisms of plants. Copper-based formulations are commonly used in agriculture to combat fungal diseases in plants, but in large quantities this metal can be toxic to the plants themselves. Furthermore, copper sulphates, which make up the basis of pesticides, influence the entire surrounding crop environment, settling on the ground, thus altering the ecosystem.
Due to the continuous pollution of the subsoil, due to the accumulation of substances such as copper, lead, cadmium, zinc, manganese and nickel, the European Commission has recently revised the use of these substances, establishing new and more restrictive limits on the quantities that can be used. Therefore Agridaeus wanted to give an answer to the new regulatory limits imposed on the use of copper-based pesticides, investing in this project for the formulation of a prototype that would allow the drastic reduction of the quantities of copper/hectare/year (Cu/ha for year). In fact, at the dosages hypothesized for the use of the formulation, only 30 g of Cu would be distributed with a reduction from 10 to 25 times compared to the current formulations. The experimental tests on Pinot Grigio vines, Abate pear trees and table tomatoes for the control respectively of Plasmopara viticola (causal agent of downy mildew) for vine cultivation, Stemphyllium vesicarium (causal agent of Maculatura bruna) for pear cultivation have provided results for which it can be stated that the product with low copper content has already proved effective at a dose of 50 ml/hl (equal to about 16 g/ha of copper metal per treatment) guaranteeing a protection index of 73.5 - 94.9% in the case of vines, and 55% in the case of pear trees.