In 2022 and 2024, we carried out phytosanitary treatments authorized by the Generalitat against the Mediterranean fruit fly (*Ceratitis capitata*) in more than 700 hectares of mandarin and orange trees for the public administration. Additionally, we participated in trials to evaluate the efficiency, effectiveness, and safety of these treatments in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture (MAPAMA) within the framework of the Operational Group “GoPhytoDrone”.
Project Objective:
The main objective of this project was to demonstrate the safety of phytosanitary applications using drones in the agroforestry environment and to analyze whether they could be equated with conventional ground-based treatments.
Results:
The results of the trials were highly satisfactory, as shown in the graphs. Through trapping, an initial count of flies was established in each of the three test plots: Drone (Red), Quad (Blue), and Untreated Control (Gray). Three treatments were carried out throughout the campaign, observing the evolution in the number of flies captured on the day of each treatment, as shown in the left graph.
The final analysis, represented in the right graph, showed that the number of fruits damaged by the pest was significantly higher in the untreated control area, with some affected fruits in the quad-treated plot, but no damaged fruits in the drone-treated plot.
This trial demonstrated the effectiveness of drone applications for controlling *Ceratitis capitata*, validating their potential as a highly effective and sustainable tool in the fight against agricultural pests.
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