The fungal diseases of the wood of the vine have become a serious problem of this crop that causes significant production losses. The different fungi that cause these diseases generate similar symptoms in the vines, such as the internal alteration of the wood due to necrosis and / or dry rot, reduced development and vigor, stunted sprouting, the absence or delay in sprouting and a general decay that can lead to the death of the plant.

The usual measures to fight these diseases focus on prevention, such as using plant material of high phytosanitary quality for the establishment of new vineyards or the previous disinfestation of the land. Also not to carry out a plantation for several years in vine soils and thus eliminate any vegetable remains from the previous crop, as well as applying fungicides or authorised biocontrol agents to protect pruning wounds. However, the availability of products authorised for the control of wood fungi is very limited.

In the Aqua-Vid project, the Aquactiva technology is used, effective to fight infection caused by fungi. It uses simple components such as water, salt and electricity, through a membrane electrolysis process that allows in-situ production of the biocide at very low cost. These elements generate a powerful oxidising agent capable of attacking and eliminating pathogens, and which is an alternative to other disinfection technologies.

Aquactiva technology is a natural process that mimics the human immune system and reproduces an oxidising agent similar to that produced by white blood cells, which gives it the property of being completely harmless to humans and the environment.

This multidisciplinary project has been funded by the Valencian Agency for Agricultural Promotion and Guarantee of the Valencian Government and by the European Union through the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) AGCOOP_A / 2019/012.

Project website: https://aquavid.blogs.uv.es/