Incidence of pesticide residue exceedance in capsicum has fallen dramatically in Almería this season, as growers in the south-eastern region of Spain embrace biological control methods.
The latest results from grower-exporters’ association Coexphal show a 95 per cent reduction in capsicum exceeding maximum pesticide residue levels (MRLs) on last year’s results. Residue levels this season were all within MRLs, and had fallen by up to 70 per cent.
Last season, producers in the region were in the midst of what was dubbed a “pepper crisis”, after banned agro-chemicals were found in 35 per cent of samples tested on the German market. But this year, Coexphal’s pest-control spokesman Jan van der Blom said the same labs in Stuttgart that had found use of isofenphos methyl last year did not detect its incidence on a single sample this season.
Coexphal’s general manager Juan Colomina said he expects biological control to be extended to the entire Almerian sector in the next few years.
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