FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is FuturCrop?

FuturCrop is software that automatically monitors the development of 179 pests of more than 280 crops, allowing reducing the risks of damage by pests, anticipates their development, optimizes and reduces pest control treatments. The software provides economic savings for farmers and companies, while facilitating the development of a more sustainable agriculture. The program also allows recording the captures, damages and treatments carried out using your mobile phone or PC.

Does FuturCrop need the installation of sensors or any special equipment?

The software does not need the installation of weather stations or sensors. The user only has to register his email to receive the risk warnings, his crops, the pests to be controlled and the location of his fields. FuturCrop collects daily data from 85,000 weather stations around the world and performs the calculations that determine the state of development of potential pests in the crops of its users.

If the user has his own weather station, he can configure access to his data. Depending on the data, the software can perform the risk control of several diseases such as fire blight, powdery mildew, mildew, stemphyllium, etc.

Why are there currently more pest problems in crops?

The increase of temperatures due to Climate Change, and the appearance of foreign pests due to international trade, has aggravated the problem of pest control. In addition, the application of chemical insecticides indiscriminately and repeatedly has favored the appearance of resistances of more than 200 pest species to certain chemical products. FAO estimates that 40% of harvests around the world are lost due to the action of pests and diseases.

How affects Climate Change to pest control?

According to data from Faostat, the FAO statistics agency, the global consumption of pesticides has been increasing annually for decades. Of the 45,000 tons of global consumption in the 50s, until 2014 when it has been exceeded 3 million tons.

Despite this increase, several studies show that the problem of pests has not diminished. Because the mere use of pesticides does not guarantee the efficiency of chemical treatments. In fact, only 30% of pesticides have an effect on the control of pests, because much of the product is lost through volatilization, runoff or leaching. Normally pest detection is late for is correct treatment. Both conventional and intensive agriculture requires continuous applications of treatments, from a diverse set of components.

Is it enough the use of pesticides in pest control?

Climatic conditions are determinants of the biological development of pests, which need certain variables of temperature, humidity, luminosity, etc. to change from one state to another of their biological development. It has been common to specify the number of days between those phases in the development of the insects. But nowadays the general temperature increase means that the average time can be reduced by half. The red spider, for example, from the egg stage to the reproductive stage, takes 9 to 14 days to complete its biological cycle, when the temperature is 25 ºC. The problem is that an increase of 5ºC causes its biological cycle to shorten 6 or 7 days. Without an automatic control system it is not possible to carry out efficient monitoring and treatment, knowing its moment of greatest vulnerability.

Why do chemical treatments stop being efficient?

The preventive or indiscriminate application of insecticides makes pests to become resistant to these products (especially white flies, aphis, etc). And as the treatment progressively has less effect, the number of applications is usually increased, as well as the doses. That way is accelerated the selection process of the insects most resistant to the chemical product. The increase in insecticide repetitions does not control the pest more effectively, but rather generates a higher incidence of resistant specimens. The application of repeated treatments brings out the elimination of sensitive specimens, which can reduce the resistance genes.

What are the policies of Governments and markets regarding the use of pesticides?

FAO (Organization of the United Nations for Food and Agriculture) proposed the Integrated Pest Management strategy with the intention of reducing the use of insecticides from 50 to 70% and the costs for pest control from 25 to 50%. It was not only intended to reduce costs, but also to reduce environmental pollution, the development of resistance to insecticides, to prevent the regrowth of other secondary pests, and to conserve the natural beneficial fauna.

On the other hand, the new demands of the markets of agricultural products with less chemical traces and the legislation of the governments protecting health and the environment demand, through tax increases and removal of insecticides authorization, a progressive decrease in the use of chemical products in Agriculture.

What are the alternatives to chemicals in pest control?

There are several types of biopesticides, with different active ingredients: Microorganisms, biochemicals and semiochemicals. Generally speaking they suppose an increase in production costs, and are not adequate in certain situations, such as a disease with epidemic characteristics or a rapid population increase of a pest. Most must be used in high doses and in repeated applications given their lower effectiveness, so that knowledge of the biological development of the pest is equally determinant for the efficiency of the treatment.

What means Precision Agriculture for pest control?

It is essential to perform early detection of pests, since, once the focus has settled, eradication is very difficult. For this reason, monitoring to determine the presence of pests is very important, as well as their larval stages. FuturCrop automates the process of controlling, sending warnings of the possible risk of attack of pests, which allows identifying them, even the new ones, and knowing the dates of change of their biological cycles, so that treatments can be made at the right time, and breaking those life cycles from the beginning.

The information provided by FuturCrop on the risks of pest infestation and its development increases control efficiency, helps to reduce the environmental impact of agriculture, and represents a cost savings of over 30% of the ammount expent in pest control.

What is the best moment to treat a pest?

It is essential to perform early detection of pests, since, once the focus has settled, eradication is very difficult. For this reason, monitoring to determine the presence of pests is very important, as well as their larval stages. FuturCrop automates the process of controlling, sending warnings of the possible risk of attack of pests, which allows identifying them, even the new ones, and knowing the dates of change of their biological cycles, so that treatments can be made at the right time, and breaking those life cycles from the beginning.

Does FuturCrop control crop diseases?

If the user has his own weather station, it can be configured the access to the data of his fields, thus FuturCrop can automatically control crop risk diseases such as fire blight, powdery mildew, mildew, stemphyllosis, etc. If the user does not have a weather station, increasing the control of insect vectors of diseases, and the effectiveness of its control treatments, the risk of diseases in their crops is reduced in a significant way. For example, by controlling the Diaphorina citri or Trioza erytreae the risk of Huanglongbing (HLB) is reduced.

Does it mean the the use of FuturCrop a cost saving in pest control?

The risk of major crop losses is greatly reduced when automated constant monitoring, and treatments are carried out at the pest most vulnerable stage. FuturCrop reduces the use of chemical insecticides by at least 30%. In tests carried out under our supervision we have verified the reduction of up to 45.26%, depending on the type of crop and the actions carried out. On the other hand, the reduction of the use of biopesticides is significantly higher, exceeding an average of 40%.

Most important is that using FuturCrop is greatly reduced the risk of losing a significant percentage of crops.

Does FuturCrop require specific training in agricultural entomology?

Pest control does not consist simply in systematically repeating treatments, but to act knowing the habits of the pest and its biological development. In that way, FuturCrop acts as a pest and diseases decision making support system that allows the technicians and the farmers:

1. To reduce the time required for in-field supervision of crops.
2. To receive risk warnings for specific pests and crops.
3. To determine the real need for the intervention.
4. To plan effective treatments, reducing its number, and therefore reducing costs, the residues of chemical products in agriculture products and decrease environmental pollution.

How to unsubscribe?

Monthly or annual subscriptions will automatically renew. The user will receive an email reminder in advance of the next renewal. If you do not wish to renew the subscription please send an email requesting the cancellation to info@futurcrop.com.