In 1999 a Chilean fruit grower named Florencio Lazo Barra began the development of Thermal Pest Control (TPC) a revolutionary approach to manage pests and diseases in agricultural production without the use of pesticides. Today TPC is being pioneered by select growers in Europe, North America, South America, Africa, New Zealand and Australia. This unique approach to agricultural production uses heated air to change the micro-environment of the crop and has been successfully tested on most fruit and vegetable crops.
Traditional agriculture uses a variety of chemical pesticides to protect crops against insects and plant fungal or bacterial diseases. The 1970s saw the beginnings of Organic agriculture which today represents about 5% of fruit and vegetable production. Production of Organic produce is expensive and, in recent years, has increasingly relied on the use of "natural" pesticides. The application of chemical pesticides, whether conventional or "natural", can be hazardous to humans and the environment. In addition, pesticides are expensive, application is weather dependent and can delay field re-entrance and harvest. Today’s consumers, retailers and growers have become increasingly educated and concerned about food quality, human health and safety along with environmental protection. TPC now allows a third style of agriculture production, one that uses no pesticides while edible portion of fruits and vegetables are on the plant.
Thermal Pest Control (TPC) technology provides a non-toxic, non-chemical pest control alternative that is safer to animal and human life as well as being less problematic for the environment. TPC, which is used frequently during the growing season, also creates a more natural environment in which plants thrive. TPC treated crops frequently produce higher yields, improved product quality, earlier harvests and extended storage life compared to chemical pest control practices. In most cases, plants treated season long with TPC are greener, larger and exhibit higher levels of photosynthesis. When pesticides are greatly reduced or eliminated entirely, and there are no damaging infestations or diseases, the plants respond accordingly.
Whether you are a grower seeking a new and better technology, a retailer looking to provide your customers with produce that is grown without pesticides or a consumer looking for an alternative to produce grown with pesticides, TPC is a revolutionary new approach. For more information, please review our website and contact us for more information.