16 December 2013

CleanStart: sustainable soil pest management A plant that remains healthy through its growing period provides quality produce into the value chain. Soil hygiene is one of the key contributory factors to plant health and, in response to growers’ needs for new and sustainable solutions for soil pest management, Certis Europe has developed the CleanStart programme. Growers are struggling to control soil pests and diseases in the face of increasingly strict regulations and stewardship requirements as well as limited crop protection options available to them. In order to respond to calls from the value chain for reduced-residue produce and ever closer scrutiny of the crop protection methods employed, the ability to start the crop well in clean, pest free soil is vital to growers. CleanStart is an integrated portfolio of tools and solutions designed to improve the biological quality of the soil and to assure the establishment of healthy crops. Certis has always been committed to Integrated Pest Management (IPM) principles and this programme is also in line with the Sustainable Use Directive, allowing the biological balance and health of soils to be maintained for longer. CleanStart involves a combination of chemistry, soft chemistry and bio-pesticides with physical and agronomical tools in a preventative approach that allows a reduction of treatments and therefore residues in the growing crop. By combining and alternating chemicals with different modes of action, biopesticides, soil solarisation, biofumigation, soil mulching, resistant varieties and rootstocks in an integrated stewardship programme environmental sustainability and human safety can be safeguarded.

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The CleanStart solution portfolio PRODUCT/ACTIONS

ACTION RANGE/USES

Basamid (Dazomet 96.5%)

Fungi, Nematodes, Weeds, Insects

DD90 (1,3-D 90%) & DD95(…95%)

Nematodes, Insects

Mocap (Etoprofos 10%)

Nematodes, Insects

Monam (Metam-Na 51%)

Fungi, Nematodes, Weeds, Insects

Paladin EC (DMDS 94.1%) & AL

Nematodes, Fungi

(…99.1%) Tusal (Trichoderma T11+T25)

Bio-fungicide against soil fungi

Rootgard

Plant strengthener

Bioradicante

Nutrient (with Tusal)

Jet 5 (peracetic acid + hydrogen

Disinfection of structures

peroxide)

Integrative tools form part of the programme: Solarisation

Against soil-borne pathogens

Biofumigation

Adding plant residues with manure

Biosolarisation

Solarisation + biofumigation

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The programme is tailored to individual situations, different cropping conditions and requirements by experts in the field. Initial diagnostics include soil samples and consideration of previous crops to identify soil related problems (e.g. presence of fungi, nematodes, Phytophthora, Fusarium spp. etc). The programme is then planned accordingly using the most appropriate combination of CleanStart products. Consideration is given within the programme to treatments applied in a short, medium and long term to ensure optimum combinations of tools and sustainability of soil health. Certis has run a robust trials programme supported by a pan-European network of research and extension centres, including key soil experts from several countries. Trials have included protected vegetables, strawberries, carrots, lettuce and other similar crops as well as ornamentals.

Technical visit to CleanStart trials in Italy (2013)

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Example programme

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Correct and specialist application for the different elements of the programme are crucial and Certis has worked with equipment manufacturers to provide effective and safe application techniques.

Basamid application at 500 kg/ha and soil tarping in one pass (21 days for fumigation and 7 days for aeration)

Basamid application and soil compacting

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Operator training is an important part of the process and CleanStart distributors are carefully selected to ensure that product stewardship is properly implemented and relevant product protocols followed.

Participants at a CleanStart stewardship day (Rome – November 20120 The programme has proved to be highly successful in controlling plant pathogens and pests and in maintaining plant vigour. Results from Tusal WG application through drip irrigation have all been good with excellent plant vigour. Accumulated dose rate over 3-5 applications for indoor tomato, pepper, courgette, cucumber against Phytophthora sp., Fusarium sp., Rhizoctonia solani, Pythium sp. and Sclerotinia sclerotiorium is 3kg per ha. and for strawberry over 2 applications is 6kg per ha. Results using Paladin against Root knot nematodes in field crop situations are impressive.

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Untreated plot

Adjacent plot treated with DMDS 300kg/ha

Caption: Carrot field highly infested with Root knot nematodes in Italy (2013)

CleanStart is an innovative integrated programme offering a responsible and sustainable use of a range of products to provide adaptable and flexible solutions for growers of a variety of products in both protected and open field situations.

www.certiscleanstart.com CleanStart Stewardship website : www.cleanstart.it

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For more information please contact: Kevin Price Corporate Marketing Manager, Certis Europe Tel: +32 2 331 3894 [email protected]

Gill Norriss Corporate PR Sequitur Tel: +44 1794 388 831 [email protected]

Notes to Editors: Certis Europe includes operating units in France, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Spain and UK, as well as BCP Certis. It also has close links with Certis USA and Spiess-Urania. Mitsui & Co. markets and distributes a wide variety of pesticides, bio pesticides and biological pest control products and services through its European, Japanese, African and U.S. marketing subsidiaries. Useful Certis group & Mitsui & Co websites:Certis Europe: www.certiseurope.com BCP Certis: www.bcpcertis.com Certis USA: www.certisusa.com Mitsui & Co: www.mitsui.co.jp

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