Sustainable agriculture, the only way to the future
Sustainable agriculture plays a crucial role in preserving the environment and promoting biodiversity. For this reason, at Agróptimum, sustainability is more than just a word. It's the core of our processes, a long-term commitment, and a way to create responsible pistachio farming committed to the circular economy.
Insect Hotel
Insect hotels are probably our most original idea when it comes to sustainable agriculture. An insect hotel is a man-made structure designed to provide shelter and a home for a variety of insects beneficial to pistachio plantations. These can be bees, ladybugs, or beetles. Our insect hotels are made of natural materials, such as cork, wood, brick, or stone, and are designed with different rooms, each with a different material and shape, to attract a multitude of species.
Sustainability benefits of insect hotels
Insect hotels contribute to improving crop pollination by attracting bees and other pollinating insects. In practice, this increases farm production and improves the biodiversity of the farm's ecosystem.
Another benefit is pest control. Most farmers with pistachio plantations are well aware that the active ingredients in phytosanitary products are highly regulated. Insect hotels offer a new approach to combating pests like the green midges. These hotels allow certain natural predators of pests that affect the crop to reside there and increase their populations. In this way, invasive species must resist the attack of the increased predator population, hindering the spread of pests.
In line with the above, insect hotels also contribute to maintaining a proper balance in the biodiversity of the environment, which benefits crops and other forms of life that depend on these insects.
Finally, insect hotels serve as a tool to raise awareness about the importance of insects in agriculture and their applications in sustainable agriculture. They are an ideal invention to inspire new generations to value and protect the environment, by making them aware of the importance of the environment.
green roofs
Cover crops are one of our most effective practices for creating sustainable pistachio plantations. Cover crops are created by planting specific vegetation in non-productive areas of the farm, with the goal of covering the soil. These plants do not compete with the main crop, but rather act as an ally, helping to protect and improve soil conditions, enhancing the productivity of the main crop.
A mulch not only protects the soil from erosion, but also promotes natural nutrient cycling, contributes to improving soil structure, improving water retention, and promoting a healthy balance of soil insects and bacteria. They can also act as a refuge for beneficial organisms, including pollinators and insects that control pests. Furthermore, by covering the soil, they contribute to more stable temperature and humidity regulation, creating a microclimate that favors the development of the main crop.
In today's agriculture, plant covers represent a practical and simple solution to prevent problems arising from climate change, such as soil degradation and high evapotranspiration. Their implementation not only benefits the environment but also the farmer, by improving the productivity and health of their farms and reducing dependence on external inputs for maintenance.
Erosion control
Vegetation covers reduce soil erosion caused by rain and wind by forming a natural barrier that prevents nutrient loss and thus prevents desertification.
Soil improvement
By decomposing the organic matter in plant cover, the nutrient content of the soil is increased.
Moisture retention
A good plant cover helps retain moisture in the soil and reduce water evaporation, which is very useful in dryland crops or those with low irrigation requirements.
Weed control
Cover plants limit weed growth by competing for the resources weeds use, reducing the need for herbicides in the plantation.
We write the future with S for Sustainability, S for Sensitivity
Responsible fertilization and irrigation
Responsible fertilization
In Spain, the excessive use of artificial fertilizers has, over time, led to excessive levels of nitrates in aquifers. To mitigate this harmful effect, at Agróptimum we focus on mineral fertilizers without plastic coatings and the application of microorganisms that improve the absorption of the three essential minerals for plants: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. In this way, we reduce dependence on chemical fertilizers, while protecting soil health and increasing plant resistance to drought, which is vital given current climate trends.
Optimization of water resources
A synergistic measure with responsible fertilization is the optimization of water resources. This ensures that every drop of water is used to the fullest by the plant and that overuse of fertilizers does not harm our aquifers. We are working on a genetic improvement project to develop a new pistachio species that requires less water to be productive, and we have developed irrigation and soil moisture monitoring systems to ensure that our plantations make the most of every drop of water.
In our nursery, we've created an ambitious rainwater collection system that allows it to be channeled into a reservoir. This reservoir supplies our plantations in a circular pattern, saving us 11.800 cubic meters of water per year.
