The 15th Symposium on Plant Health was held in Seville on 23rd, 24th and 25th January, organised by the Official Association of Technical Agricultural Engineers of Western Andalusia (COITAND). It was a must-attend event for professionals in the sector, and Agrométodos was in attendance. According to the event’s official website, “it brought together more than 700 registrants, 25 exhibition stands, 11 presentations and business conferences, and over 2,000 specialised professionals from across Spain“.

It was held in a new venue, had a new image, and was eagerly anticipated and widely approved. During the symposium there were long and involved discussions about the main topics surrounding plant health. Topics pertaining to current and future legislation were covered, and it was highlighted that good cultural practices are required, in addition to rotating active matter to prevent the appearance of resistance (against insects, fungi and weeds). It was also stated that it is essential to bring technological innovation closer to society, given that it will be our mission to feed the growing global population.

Moreover, the sector’s main concerns surrounding plagues (Xylella fastidiosa and HLB) were covered.

During the second day several commercial presentations were given, introducing new advances in terms of plant health; in these talks we found out about the need to properly use the tools that are at our disposal.

With regard to legislation, there is work being done at the European level to revamp Regulation 1107/2009, and it is hoped that there will be a new regulation concerning fertilisers by the end of May 2019. Moreover, slow progress is being made in the field of microorganisms.

At the same time, in Madrid, The European Biostimulants Interactive Summit 2019 was held, and Agrométodos also participated in it.

The global and European biostimulants market has seen significant growth in recent years, and with the growing demand for sustainable agriculture, the biostimulants market will continue to experience considerable growth.

During the three days of the event, the main interested parties in the biostimulants industry came together to assess and share knowledge, experiences and current challenges that are being faced, as well as provide insight into the opportunities and challenges of future EU regulation.

The summit also provided a general overview of the market, with the evolution of the biostimulants market and the new perspectives and innovation of projects that are underway.