Serious About Cereals

With nearly 28 million hectares of arable land, France is the leading agricultural country in the European Union. To safeguard that land and encourage more sustainable agriculture approaches, the government set an ambitious goal to reduce pesticide use by 50% by 2025. With fewer active ingredients available to combat diseases, farmers needed a solution to help them protect their crops, while still meeting strict government mandates. The answer? ProNutiva^® from UPL.

The biggest challenge French farmers faced was mitigating diseases in cereal production, which takes place on more than half of the farms across the country. UPL targeted a ProNutiva solution as an alternative for T1 treatment of cereals. We combined a biostimulant (GoActiv^® technology), which is a seaweed-based plant growth stimulant, with a biocontrol fungicide (Vacciplant^®), that triggers plant’s natural defenses.

The result was a 100% biosolutions product that not only protected crops, but also optimized yields. Regardless of the disease pressure, farmers saw an average yield increase of +2.8q/ha on wheat and barley. There was also a decrease in IFT (indicator of treatment incidence), which all farms in the country must measure, a gain in minerals extracted per hectare, and an 11% increase in fertilizer utilization.

UPL continues to look for solutions that can help farmers be more environmentally friendly, while improving plant health and increasing their yields.

“It’s positive to see alternative solutions to fungicides emerging that are equally effective and without particular constraints regarding their implementation in the field."

Marie-Claire, farmer in the Vexin Normand region

"We have fewer and fewer solutions available, and we need to test alternatives that are more environmentally friendly…An alternative solution at T1 that combines a biocontrol product (Vacciplant) and a biostimulant (GoActiv technology) with a conventional solution is an interesting way to reduce the IFT on the plot.”

Alexis, farmer in the north of the Eure-et-Loir department

“The lack of water, combined with a few days of heat at this stage, causes sunscald. Yield losses can reach up to 15 quintals/ha. Being able to integrate a biostimulant into my plant nutrition and protection program is a plus to limit water stress."

Sébastien, farmer in the Civray canton