PFLOPF takes stock at halfway mark
Tänikon - The resource project PFLOPF is taking stock as it reaches the halfway mark of four years. Through new farming technology, 60 farms have successfully reduced their use of pesticides and fertilizers. Innovative technological solutions will help further improve reliability.
At the January meeting of the PFLOPF project (Pflanzenschutzoptimierung mit Precision Farming - optimization of plant protection through precision farming), participants and advisors in this resource project came together at the Swiss Future Farm in Tänikon in the canton of Thurgau. They took stock of all the work that had been carried out over the past four years, as was reported in a press release.
This project is also supported by Agroscope, the Swiss center of excellence for agricultural research affiliated with the Federal Office for Agriculture. It is scheduled to run in the cantons of Thurgau, Aargau and Zurich until 2026 and is focused on implementing the Swiss government’s national action plan for reducing pesticides. The objective is to reduce pesticide use by at least 25 percent in the cultivation of field crops, vegetables, fruit and vines while maintaining yields by implementing technology-based measures and to remove various hurdles causing adoption of precision farming technology to be low.
According to the assessment at the meeting, the 60 farms taking part have reduced their use of pesticides and become more sustainable through the application of meteorological and pest infestation models. The project has its own weather stations and an online tool for pest risk, which facilitates map-based monitoring of agricultural areas.
State-of-the-art technologies include satellite-based steering systems that disseminate both seeds and pesticides in a more targeted way. Furthermore, new plant protection devices from manufacturers like Wanner and Brüggli Industries have been used, which are not only more gentle on plants but also reportedly reduce the need for pesticides by up to 60 percent. ww