Spain: Agrícola El Bosque takes part in project for biocontrol on blackberries

Agrícola El Bosque, the only company at European level that produces blackberries all year round, based on the municipality of Lucena del Puerto, Huelva, is currently developing an R&D project that aims to improve the quality of fruit in the pre-harvest and post-harvest using biocontrol tools.

The research project, as reported by the company in a statement, is called Hortovitalis and aims to develop treatments against fungal diseases in horticultural crops and berries.

The treatment is based on the application of biological control tools in both the pre-harvest and during the post-harvest to carry out processes of sanitization and treatment based on the use of free emerging technologies, free of synthetic chemicals and chlorine, such as washing with electrolysed water, UV-C radiation and treatment by spraying biocontrol agents and antimicrobial plant extracts.

The project, with an execution period of 27 months, is being implemented by four cooperating entities: Miguel García Sánchez e Hijos SA (coordinator), Domca SA, Ingro Maquinaria SL and Agrícola El Bosque SL.

Another three research organizations will collaborate, namely the Tecnova Technological Centre, the Research Centre Foundation for the Development of Functional Food (CIDAF) and the University of Granada.

With an annual blackberry production of 900 tonnes per year, Agrícola El Bosque has established itself as one of the leading European producers of the fruit.