Inputs Copper
Copper
Copper is currently used as a plant protection product (PPP) and/or leaf fertilizer in several European countries in organic as well as in conventional farming. European and national farmer-driven initiatives have – to some extent – promoted the development of copper reduction
strategies for the most important crops: grapevine, fruit, vegetable and potato.
These strategies typically consist of ‘smart’ combinations of alternative products such as acidified clay preparations, robust varieties and agricultural practices. SCALE-it starts from the know-how developed under RELACS to further explore alternative solutions.
Some alternatives to replace the use of copper in organic farming will be tested on different commodities in different stages of the project, mainly under WP1.
The tested commodities include apple, vine, cucumber, tomato, potato, carrot, and more.
In SCALE-it, existing and newly developed new copper replacement strategies will be refined, including drafting protocols for demonstration trials. Building on proven systems-based
approaches from previous projects, we will enhance existing methods and create new solutions tailored to additional crops and alternative products.
