New ecological technique to protect coffee crops from pests have been developed in Peru

The National Institute of Agrarian Innovation - INIA, innovates with a new ecological technique to protect coffee crops from pests, through the use of biological controllers in the Vraem Region.

Specialists from INIA promote the use of biological controllers in order to counteract pests and, incidentally, take care of the environment and therefor the reduction of agrochemicals usage that generate damage to agricultural land.

INIA identified and evaluated bacteria and fungi that, due to their characteristics, protect coffee crops from the main pests such as yellow rust, CBB, chicken eye, fusarium, black foot, chupadero, leaf miner and nematodes.

These research forms part of the Café Vraem Project, that seeks to provide small farmers with innovative projects that favor the quality of the crop, take care of their health and improve their profitability with an agro-export focus.

In addition, more than 600,000 coffee plants with high genetic quality will be installed, seeking to boost the economy of small and medium-sized farmers in Vraem. To date, more than 360,000 have been placed in the region.