Test center

The t

rial center

Precision Testing S.R.L. is authorized by the Ministry of Agriculture to conduct

official field trials in GEP

, for the evaluation of the effectiveness and selectivity of plant protection products and biostimulants (

Decree 06.12.2023 -

O.J. no. 3 of 04-01-2024

)

Areas of expertise

Types of applications tested

Fungicides, insecticides, acaricides, molluscicides, nematicides, herbicides, plant growth regulators, corroborants, biostimulants, adjuvants, pheromones, and biological control agents are tested on the following crops:

open field herbaceous crops
open field and protected horticultural crops
tree crops and vines
medicinal/aromatic/ornamental plants

spraying on crops
soil applications
seed dressing
post-harvest treatments on seeds, fruits, tubers, and bulbs

The characteristics of the Testing Center

1 - Monitoring (soil-crop-pest-yields) with sensors on tractors, drones, harvesters

Preliminary: at the beginning of the study, to identify suitable areas for carrying out field trials; to evaluate the variability of certain soil and crop parameters and to understand the distribution of the target.

During the trial: for measuring specific crop development parameters; to adjust the agronomic intervention; to identify the right timing for the intervention of the product under trial.

Conclusive, on production: to define the actual yields and the quality of the products.

2 - The use of modern and proprietary equipment and machinery

All key interventions carried out on the trial (monitoring, applications, collections) are performed with modern equipment and machinery, designed for field research and equipped with GPS. The calibration of the equipment and the various detection systems is carried out with an awareness of the importance of collecting reliable data.

3 - The use of precision equipment and the "Precision Testing" technique

At the heart of the "Precision Testing" technique is a reasoned and careful distribution of plots (small or large) in the field; this is carried out by evaluating data obtained from preliminary monitoring and from the study of variability maps of some key parameters.

The use of precision agriculture equipment and digital technologies makes it possible to carry out georeferenced, precision, and even variable-rate operations.

The specialties of the Testing Center

1 - Trials in "precision farming" (with targeted applications)

The skills of the technicians, in preparing specific prescription maps and using equipment for localized precision application (seeders, sprayers, fertilizer spreaders, drones), allow the application of products (experimental or close to market) on selected and georeferenced areas in open fields.

2 - Tests for seed protection

The trials are carried out in different environments in the regions of Northern Italy (Piedmont, Lombardy, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Friuli-Venezia Giulia).

For some targets (e.g. Agriotes sp.), each year, technicians identify the right infestations for conducting the trials. The work is divided as follows: bait placement, soil sampling, identification, creation of georeferenced maps for the study of variability. For other species, instead, (e.g. Diabrotica virgifera virgifera, Ostrinia nubilalis, Agrotis spp) adult monitoring is carried out in the area, also in collaboration with regional research bodies.

Seed dressing can also be carried out internally, with the Hege-11 wet seed treater.

3 - Trials in experimental company

Precision Testing has an experimental farm of 6 hectares of agricultural land, which includes a cultivation tunnel for protected crops. On the experimental farm, tests are also carried out that require the application of pathogen inoculums to the soil or crop and the sowing of common weeds.