In a moment where sustainability and the reduction of chemical product usage are priorities, the Spanish agri-food sector needs new solutions that protect crops and plant products without harming the environment. The post-harvest stage is particularly delicate as fruits and vegetables, once harvested, are very susceptible to attacks by fungi and bacteria, leading to quality losses, reduced shelf life, and a significant economic impact. To address this challenge, GO NATURSMOKE was created, an Andalusian Operational Group that advocates for natural-source fumigation technologies as a real and effective alternative to conventional treatments.
A multidisciplinary consortium for a global challenge
The GO NATURSMOKE project is comprised of a multidisciplinary Andalusian consortium. The initiative is led by the company Bioplagen, a Seville-based company specialized in sustainable environmental disinfection control systems and treatments. The Granada-based company DOMCA, a leader in developing natural solutions for the agri-food industry, also participates, along with the Seville-based Agricultura y Ensayo SL, responsible for validating solutions under laboratory and agronomic conditions. The scientific component is provided by the BIO160 group from the University of Granada, which has delved into the mechanisms of action and the toxicological evaluation of the formulations used. Finally, the coordination of sector dissemination activities has received support from Biovegen, the Technological Platform for Plant Biotechnology, and from the work of Vector Horizonte.
Promising results in real conditions
One of the main achievements of GO NATURSMOKE has been the development of new generation smoke devices designed to protect fruits and vegetables without leaving residues.
In this advance, DOMCA has played a central role, leading the research of new botanical extracts with high efficacy against fungi and bacteria, both phytopathogenic and spoilage, in post-harvest. These natural compounds, developed by the DOMCA R&D team, have been the basis for the design of smoke generators capable of releasing their active principles in the form of smoke, allowing for homogeneous, safe environmental disinfection without direct contact with the product.
The company BIOPLAGEN has played a key role in transforming the compounds developed by DOMCA into advanced technological formats, viable for application under real conditions. Their contribution has been essential for the design of smoke prototypes ready for validation at an industrial scale. Furthermore, this technology stands out for its ease of use, as it does not require additional handling by the operator and is specifically designed for application in storage chambers and other facilities in the fruit and vegetable sector.
The project has successfully passed its technical development phase, achieving excellent results in both laboratory tests and pilot trials conducted in real commercial environments. Independent evaluations conducted by Agriculture and Test and the University of Granada have confirmed the effectiveness of these devices against high-impact pathogens such as Botrytis, Penicillium, Alternaria, and Pseudomonas, which are responsible for significant economic losses in the Spanish fruit and vegetable sector.
Sustainability, effectiveness, and transfer to the sector
One of the great differential values of NATURSMOKE has been its firm commitment to the transfer of technology to the productive sector. Throughout the development of the project, technical sessions, webinars, and meetings with companies, cooperatives, and operators in the horticultural sector have been organized, showing a high level of interest in this type of solution, fully aligned with the new demands of the global market. Sustainability has also been a cross-cutting theme throughout the project. The active compounds supplied by DOMCA mainly come from revalued vegetable by-products, which not only reduces the environmental impact of the process but also contributes to the circular economy. Moreover, the focus on water sustainability is particularly relevant in this context: since it is a dry fogging technology, it requires no water consumption, which is a key competitive advantage in regions subjected to structural water stress, such as southern Spain.
A greener future for post-harvest conservation
The results of the project confirm that it is possible to drastically reduce the use of chemical products without compromising food safety or shelf life. The next steps will focus on expanding commercial validation, exploring its applicability to different crops, and advancing towards a harmonized regulation that allows its adoption by operators throughout the value chain. The commitment to clean technologies like the one developed in GO NATURSMOKE responds to the new paradigm of a greener and more competitive agriculture.
GO Natursmoke has a total budget of 291,639 € and is financed by European Agricultural Funds for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the Junta de Andalucía in the call for the Operation of Autonomous Operational Groups of the European Innovation Partnership for Productivity and Sustainability in Agriculture 2022.