The Polytechnic College of the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM) will hold the event "Herbicide Drift: Evidence, Impacts, and Solutions for Gaucho Agriculture" on October 1st, discussing the impacts of pesticide drift and possible solutions to the problem. The program, open to the public, will begin at 8:30 am in the Polytechnic auditorium.
Drift occurs when the herbicide applied in a field moves beyond the intended area and affects other crops. In Rio Grande do Sul, the problem mainly affects grape, apple, and other crops sensitive to hormonal herbicides.
A study conducted by researchers from the Federal Institute of Rio Grande do Sul (IFRS) Bento Gonçalves campus, at the request of the São José Cooperative (Consevitis-RS),estimates that the losses caused by herbicide drift in Gaucho viticulture amount to R$ 210 million between 2018 and 2025.
The meeting will bring together researchers and industry representatives to discuss the evidence on the problem, its impact on agriculture, and possible ways to reduce cases of drift in the state.
Program
The official opening of the event will be at 8:30 AM. At 9:00 AM, the first session will address "The expression of pesticide drift on viticulture," with agronomist Aline Fogaça from Vinícola Velho Amâncio and Alexandre Maia from the São José Cooperative. After the break, at 10:15 AM, researchers from the Polytechnic will present studies on the topic. Professor Gustavo Pinto da Silva will lecture on the research "Herbicide Drift in RS Fruit Production: A Perspective of Producers." Subsequently, Professor Roberson Macedo de Oliveira will discuss "The information the State has but does not use: credit, soybeans, and drift." At 11:00 AM, Professor Benjamin Dias Osório Filho from the Universidade Estadual do Rio Grande do Sul (UERGS) will lead the presentation "Is it possible to produce without hormonal herbicides?" The event will conclude at 11:30 AM, with space for presentations and discussion among participants.
The meeting is organized by the Fruit Production Technical Course at the Polytechnic College of UFSM and the Alliance for Gaucha Fruit Production, with the partnership of the São José Agricultural Cooperative (Consevitis-RS) and institutions related to Gaucha fruit production.
Photo: Jessica Mocellin, Journalism student and scholarship recipient of the Agência de Notícias