An alliance between Catalan agricultural cooperatives and IRTA is seeking sustainable strategies to control this emerging pest that threatens the yield and health of maize

The Operational Group led by Agroserveis d’Almacelles SCCL, which includes the participation of Foment Agrícola Les Planes SCCL, Agrària de Miralcamp SCCL, Sant Miquel de Bell-lloc SCCL, the Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives of Catalonia leading the coordination, and with the participation of the Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA) as the technological center, has launched the innovative pilot project ARACZEA COOP. This initiative aims to develop sustainable solutions for controlling the red spider mite (Tetranychus urticae) in maize cultivation, a pest that has become an increasing threat in recent years.

A pest that already affects crop yields

Maize is a strategic crop for Catalonia, with an average of over 50,000 hectares cultivated annually and a production that does not meet internal demand. In this context, the proliferation of the red spider mite, favoured by climate change and the scarcity of control tools, poses a direct threat to producers’ profitability.

“The red spider mite has gone from being a secondary pest to having a very significant impact, affecting the health of the crop and its yield. The severity of the damage varies greatly depending on the season, the cultivation area, and the sowing date, sometimes causing production declines so severe that they don’t even cover production costs. With the innovative pilot project ARACZEA COOP, we want to find sustainable control strategies that help producers live with this new reality,” explains Josep Anton Betbesé, technician of IRTA’s Sustainable Extensive Crops program.

We are seeking solutions with a comprehensive and sustainable vision

With the ARACZEA COOP project, we propose a global strategy that combines several lines of action:

• Testing maize varieties with different levels of tolerance.
• Studying the effect of sowing date and varietal cycle on pest dynamics.
• Using products compatible with beneficial fauna and releasing natural enemies.
• Applying remote sensing technologies (drone and satellite) to monitor the pest within fields and adjust interventions accordingly.

“It is essential to advance our understanding of the pest’s biology, population dynamics, and the conditions that favour its development. Only then can we design truly effective and lasting strategies. We want to restore the balance between the crop and its natural enemies,” adds Dolors Bosch, researcher in the Sustainable Plant Protection program.

The project is being carried out in the main maize-producing areas of Catalonia — such as Segrià and Pla d’Urgell — with the aim of providing transferable results that allow farmers to anticipate and act against the presence of the red spider mite using efficient and sustainable tools.

Action of the Strategic Plan of the CAP 2023-2027 co-financed by: