According to the latest annual report of Legambiente "Stop pesticidi", one third of the Italian fruit and vegetables show traces of fungicides. Only 1.3%, however, are outlawed, while everything else is contained within the allowed limits. Abroad, the situation is far more worrying, with 4% of the fruit and vegetables being irregular. In this context, fruit is the category that presents the greatest residual problems, with only 36% of the samples analysed having no traces.

The problem of treatments in agriculture is therefore of topical relevance, also with respect to the promotion of healthy nutrition and aimed at enhancing sustainable production, an objective at the center of Arrigoni Group philosophy.

Arrigoni, an international leader in the technical textile sector for agriculture, is now approaching fruticulture in an innovative and original way, proposing two new solutions to harmonize on the one hand the needs of professionals in the primary sector, who still need to carry out treatments within the permitted limits, on the other the world of distribution and the final consumer, who demand a product where the residues are as contained as possible, or completely absent.

ANTI-DERIVA GREY® is a fabric specially designed to reduce the drift of the sprays deriving from the spraying of pesticides, while ANTI-DERIVA GREY PRO® is a very dense flat-meshed net, made for the same purposes. The effectiveness of both solutions has been tested directly in the field, thanks to tests conducted by the Edmund Mach Foundation, which has always been close to agriculture professionals.

Compared to the diffusion of treatments without any anti-drift barrier, Arrigoni's ANTI DERIVA GREY PRO® showed a reduction of - 32% of residues under the row, - 49% at 3 meters above the protection, - 90% at a distance of 5 meters from the orchard.

For its part, ANTI DERIVA GREY® presented - 35% of residues under the row, - 22% at 3 meters above the protection, - 65% at a distance of 5 meters from the orchard.

The use of specific artificial protections to control the dispersion of micro-droplets of pesticides has therefore proven to be fundamental in drastically reducing the problem of residues. Even better results can be obtained by adopting other practical measures, such as planning the treatment on days with a wind speed not exceeding 16km / h and using nozzles with adequate pressures.

In addition to drift control, further concern for cherry growers remains protection from adverse weather and pest attacks. Again with a view to promoting sustainable and environmentally friendly agriculture systems, Arrigoni offers PROTECTA®, which introduces a new concept of coverage that guarantees multiple advantages: reduction of the percentage of water flow; maintaining a sufficient passage of air and a good microclimate; high mechanical resistance; long life (over 6 years in Italy); protection from hail, wind, frost and sun. Furthermore, PROTECTA ® is a high tenacity ARLENE DIAMOND® monofilament roofing system that looks like a multifunctional protective screen, capable of ensuring the good outcome of the harvest: it protects at the same time from hail, wind, frost and rain. PROTECTA® SYSTEM then integrates the rainproof fabric with the side protection provided by BIORETE® screens, effective in preventing harmful insects from reaching crops and causing damage to fruit growing.

“Both for those who apply integrated pest management and for those who produce organic – explains Giuseppe Netti, agronomist of Arrigoni – our company is able to offer specific and tailor-made solutions. Moreover, fruit growing is one of the most complex categories of agriculture, subject more than ever to many variables that are difficult to manage. With a wide range of proposals and customizable solutions, at Arrigoni we are now able to respond to many problems in the sector".