Moving towards sustainable and effective crop protection against solar radiation and summer heat

• Next summer is expected, according to AEMET’s seasonal forecasts, to be one of the hottest of the last few decades.
• This situation, driven by the effects of climate change, poses an additional risk to crop health due to their greater exposure to damage caused by sunlight.
• It is essential to apply treatments to crops that sustainably fulfil their role in natural protection, nutrition or biostimulation while also enhancing their defence against excessive solar radiation.

According to the latest seasonal forecasts issued by the Spanish State Meteorological Agency (AEMET), there is little doubt that the upcoming summer, which is about to begin, will be one of the hottest of the last few decades in our country, particularly in central and southern Spain and the Balearic Islands.

In fact, AEMET has recently warned that widespread summer heat could rank among the highest recorded in the last 40 years in Spain, with temperatures expected to rise even further during July and August.

 

 

In this situation, caused by the heat typical of this season and the harmful effects that climate change is having in this regard, there may be no better time than World Environment Day to remember that, today, it is more necessary than ever for agriculture to take every measure within its reach to reduce the negative effects of excessive solar radiation on crop health.

Aware of this reality, organisations such as AFEPASA, which since their beginnings have focused their efforts on promoting sustainable, responsible and environmentally friendly plant health, have devoted significant resources to R&D&I to take the development of agricultural products one step further. The result is solutions that not only fulfil their role in the natural protection, nutrition and biostimulation of crops, but are also fully adapted to the extreme conditions that farmers and their agricultural operations face during the summer months.

This is the case with AFEPASA’s P300/80 Micronised Sulphur with Solar Filter Effect, designed for application by dusting and particularly indicated as a fungicidal and acaricidal treatment. It also provides specific solar protection formulated with an inert carrier.

The blend of minerals, with a very small particle size, present in its composition is highly effective when applied to the leaf surface, providing additional protection to leaves and fruit against the effects of excessive solar radiation and significantly reducing the occurrence of sunburned areas on the plant.

Likewise, if sulphur-based protection is to be applied by spraying, Soldefend Plus is highly effective in minimising the risk of sunburn and partial fruit necrosis caused by solar radiation in fruit trees, vegetables and vineyards.

Furthermore, when a natural biostimulant is required, also suitable for organic farming operations, AFEPASA offers Triumphalis, formulated with selected amino acids enriched with plant extracts and elemental sulphur. It acts primarily as an activator of plant defence pathways and a catalyst for nitrogen uptake, while also helping to prevent the abiotic stress caused by high temperatures.