​Safe use of pesticides requires training of machine operators, says CEA/IAC

In September, the Reference Unit for Technology and Safety in the Application of Agrochemicals begins operating on the premises of the Engineering and Automation Center of the Agronomic Institute (CEA/IAC), in the city of Jundiaí, São Paulo. The project, financed by the private sector, aims to train professionals to manage pesticides on crops. One of the targets of the initiative, from now to the next few years, will be the qualification of operators of agricultural machines and implements.

According to the coordinator of the Reference Unit, scientific researcher Hamilton Ramos, the improvement of these professionals is one of the challenges to overcome to make Brazilian agriculture more sustainable.

“The machinery and implements industry invests heavily in the development of innovations, aimed at the safe application of pesticides. However, it is necessary to qualify the workforce operating these technologies, to prevent them from being underused or having their performance compromised”, emphasizes Ramos.

According to Ramos, one of the most common failures observed in the application of pesticides is the agitation of the syrup in the spray tanks. This problem, according to the researcher, is observed mainly in systems that use piston pumps. Inadequate work rotation, for example, favors product segregation.

“In this case, depending on the formulation, the product can settle or rise. In both situations, the dose at the beginning of spraying will be higher or lower than desired, which puts the health of the crop at risk or even causes crop poisoning”, adds the researcher.

Other common cases in the field, points out Ramos, are the failure to periodically calibrate speed and flow sensors and the incorrect selection of spray tips. “The absence of these measures leads to application failures exceeding 10% of the volume applied, compromising important treatments such as that used against soybean rust”, explains Ramos.

According to the IAC researcher, the misuse of pesticides generates annual losses of around R$2 billion for agribusiness.

The Reference Unit's expectation is to train 2 million people in the coming years, working in partnership with private companies, universities and professors, agronomists, consultants and extension agents. “The goal is to train agents that multiply good practices, people and professionals who are capable of extending the acquired training to their communities,” says Ramos. To this end, he emphasizes, the Reference Unit is looking for new financiers from the machinery and implements industry. The project already has the support of entities representing the pesticide sector.