{"id":92069,"date":"2025-07-21T11:06:25","date_gmt":"2025-07-21T09:06:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.irta.cat\/noticia\/posem-en-marxa-el-projecte-araczea-coop-per-combatre-laranya-roja-al-blat-de-moro-amb-estrategies-sostenibles\/"},"modified":"2025-07-28T14:09:17","modified_gmt":"2025-07-28T12:09:17","slug":"posem-en-marxa-el-projecte-araczea-coop-per-combatre-laranya-roja-al-blat-de-moro-amb-estrategies-sostenibles","status":"publish","type":"noticia","link":"https:\/\/www.irta.cat\/en\/noticia\/posem-en-marxa-el-projecte-araczea-coop-per-combatre-laranya-roja-al-blat-de-moro-amb-estrategies-sostenibles\/","title":{"rendered":"Let\u2019s launch the ARACZEA COOP project to combat the red spider mite in maize with sustainable strategies"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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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<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Operational Group led by Agroserveis d\u2019Almacelles SCCL, which includes the participation of Foment Agr\u00edcola Les Planes SCCL, Agr\u00e0ria 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A pest that already affects crop yields<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019 profitability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe 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\u2019t 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,\u201d explains Josep Anton Betbes\u00e9, technician of IRTA\u2019s Sustainable Extensive Crops program<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are seeking solutions with a comprehensive and sustainable vision<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

With the ARACZEA COOP project, we propose a global strategy that combines several lines of action:<\/p>\n\n\n\n