Hortitec 2023: BASF presents innovation that protects bananas

BASF presented the launch of an ″additive plastic film″ that protects against insects that cause marks on banana peels.

The novelty was presented at the Technical Exhibition of Horticulture, Protected Cultivation and Intensive Cultures (Hortitec 2023), an event held in the Brazilian state of São Paulo and specially covered by AgroPages.

During the hottest seasons of the year, bananas are attacked by the Tripes insect, causing marks and eruptions on the skin and reducing its visual quality.

This attack can be avoided by using a plastic film that is placed at the start of the formation of banana flowers, and must remain until fruits are harvested.

″We developed an innovative and sustainable solution for controlling Thrips, which protects the visual quality of fruits and, consequently, generates greater profitability for producers,″ said Daniella La Torre, BASF's technical specialist for plastic additives.

The great differential of this solution is the fact that the additive bagging technology ″combats the pest with greater practicality,″ she added.

The solution was developed by BASF in partnership with Braskem, AgroVelper and São Paulo State University (Unesp).

According to the developers, the technology has a repellent action, due to an anti-UV additive that has the same wavelength as the insect's vision, so when entering the bag environment, it cannot see and withdraws without causing damage to the fruit.

The material is 100% recyclable and can be reused for two seasons, ensuring the same insect control efficiency, in addition to being easy and quick to install, which reduces application costs.

BASF has an innovation unit specializing in plastics additives, with a product portfolio that includes stabilizers that facilitates processing and generates heat and light resistance for a variety of polymers and applications, including molded articles, films, fibers, sheets and profiles.

BASF plastic additives are part of BASF's Performance Chemicals division.

The division's portfolio also includes fuel and lubricant solutions, as well as oilfield chemicals and mining solutions.

(Editing by Leonardo Gottems, reporter for AgroPages)