Syngenta recently convened its Industrial Tomato Conference in Santarém, Portugal, uniting 150 stakeholders to tackle pressing issues in the tomato market and showcase innovative solutions. The event emphasized enhancing yields while minimizing environmental impact.
The industrial tomato sector grapples with water scarcity, climate change, and threats from pests, diseases, and weeds, significantly impacting productivity. Specific challenges include the tomato leafminer, whitefly, tomato russet mite, Alternaria leaf spot, downy mildew, Fusarium wilt, and weeds like Convolvulus arvensis, Solanum nigrum, and Cyperus rotundus.
Adding to these agricultural challenges, stricter regulations and the withdrawal of key plant protection substances are raising concerns about the future viability of tomato cultivation. Industry representatives stressed the urgent need for new authorizations through mutual recognition and emergency provisions.
Sónia Neves da Silva, president of AIT, highlighted the significant economic contribution of Portugal's industrial tomato sector, which exports 90% of its production. She emphasized the necessity of proactive collaboration to address challenges affecting both producers and the processing industry. A working group involving Croplife Portugal, AIT, DGAV (Direção-Geral de Alimentação e Veterinária, or Directorate-General for Food and Veterinary Affairs), and COTHN (Centro Operacional e Tecnológico Hortofrutícola Nacional, the National Fruit and Vegetable Operational and Technological Center) has been formed to explore solutions for farmers facing the removal of crucial active substances.
Hugo Pereira, a technician from producers' organization TEF, identified soil health, water availability (quantity and quality), and climate as fundamental for successful industrial tomato cultivation.
Syngenta presented three key products to address these critical factors:
• Talete®: A bio-stimulant utilizing GeaPower® technology to optimize water management, enhancing water productivity in both water-scarce and sufficient conditions.
• Viva™: A bio-stimulant that revitalizes the rhizosphere, improving soil health and creating a balanced effect on plants.
• Cuivrol Plus: A liquid fertilizer with Ascophyllum nodosum algae extracts and micronutrients to strengthen plants, enhance stress resilience, and improve crop nutrition.
Syngenta also showcased InterraScan®, an ultra-precise soil mapping service integrated into the Cropwise® digital agriculture platform. Fernanda Lolato explained that InterraScan® analyzes soil gamma rays to provide insights into soil texture, nutrients, organic matter, and other parameters across over 50,000 hectares in the Iberian Peninsula. This service aids farmers in optimizing soil preparation, irrigation, and crop nutrition through prescription maps for variable rate input application.
The InterraScan® service is being used in projects like ‘TomAC’ in Lezíria de Vila Franca de Xira, focusing on sustainable industrial tomato production through conservation agriculture. Results from a 12-hectare plot showed that reduced tillage, permanent cover, and crop rotation improved soil nitrogen and organic carbon retention, as well as tomato yield and quality, compared to conventional methods.
Felisbela Torres de Campos, Head of Regulatory & Business Sustainability Portugal, explained that the TomAC project promotes regenerative agriculture practices to enhance industrial tomato productivity by improving soil health. The project is a collaboration between Ag-Innov, Sogepoc, Syngenta, MED-UÉvora, and APOSOLO.
During the conference debate, farmer Marco Gaga Nunes cautioned that current tomato prices and the difficulty in achieving high yields due to the withdrawal of active substances are straining agricultural companies' profitability. He warned that yields below 80 tons per hectare could lead to significant financial challenges for many farms.
Source: vozdocampo.pt
