Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 5 Mar. (Europa Press) –
The Cabildo de Tenerife is set to introduce a subsidy programme, amounting to €250,000, aimed at alleviating the impact of the Guatemalan moth and enhancing the quality of cultivated soils on the island of Tenerife.
Valentín González, the councillor for the primary sector, indicated in a statement that the Governing Council will approve this initiative on Thursday, “which aims to encourage agricultural businesses to adopt various practices aimed at reducing the damage caused by the Guatemalan moth, as well as maintaining the agronomic quality of the soils.”
This subsidy programme focuses on four areas of action: crop rotation, the purchase of phytosanitary products, the targeted release of natural enemies, and the removal (for disposal) of potatoes affected by the Guatemalan moth.
The pest known as the Guatemalan moth was first identified in Tenerife during the 1998-1999 season.
In connection with this issue, the primary sector councillor emphasised that “it is crucial for the Cabildo to continue implementing measures to manage it, as there is no control method that is independently effective enough.”
Moreover, the application of synthetic pesticides does not significantly contribute to pest management, thereby necessitating a range of measures that should be applied in conjunction to prevent conditions that favour the spread of the pest and to reduce damage, both during the growing season and after harvest.
Crop rotation is an effective method to disrupt the life cycle of the pest, according to the council.
The subsidies provided through the crop rotation initiatives in recent years have yielded a reduction in damage, as well as a consistent improvement in the quality of soils that have been continuously used for potato cultivation.
