Swiss Company develops PhytO3-machines with UV lamps, to eliminate toxic pesticides from the food chain. The technology is environment-friendly and leaves no biological or chemical residues on the plant surfaces and in the environment.
UV lamps from Heraeus Noblelight are used to treat water, air and work surfaces. Often, these specialist light sources find application in the treatment of drinking water or in the disinfection of packaging materials in the foodstuffs industry.
The destruction of micro-organisms with UV light is now also taking place in the agricultural sector. The Swiss company SwissFood Tech Management AG, following its field tests carried out in 2006, is now using UV lamps from Heraeus Noblelight in its PhytO3 machine, which uses the combination of ozonised water and UV light for the treatment of agricultural fields in order to replace the use of pesticides and insecticides.
The patented PhytO3 process replaces the use of pesticides by using the combination of ozonised water and UV light. Extensive field research has validated the effectiveness of this process.
In operation, a structure suspended at the end of a tractor is equipped with Heraeus lamps. Ozone is generated by silent electrical discharge in a separate unit, which is mounted on the forks at the front of the tractor, and is dissolved in water. The PhytO3 method combines two effects: the plants are sprayed with ozonised water and irradiated with UVC light. Biological pests often live on plant surfaces. Small animals, such as beetles, are simply sprayed with water on the ground but are not destroyed.
Micro-organisms such as viruses, bacteria and moulds on the plants are targeted and destroyed in a controlled manner by UVC radiation at a wavelength of 254nm. The energy rich UVC radiation neutralises micro-organisms, as it damages the genetic make-up. In addition, the UV radiation activates the ozone enriching the water on the plant surface and generates excited oxygen. This destroys the cell walls of the micro-organisms.
By the removal of the pests, the risk of plant damage or damage to the field is significantly reduced. This pesticide technique, employing UV lamps, is environmentally-friendly and there is no need for chemicals. There are no biological or chemical residuals on the plant surfaces, in the soil or in the environment. The ozone will usually decay within a maximum of 15 minutes, i.e, some time after the spraying takes place the ozone concentration falls to zero.
The UV amalgam lamps used in the PhytO3 method generate UV radiation at a wavelength of 254 Nanometers.
Longlife Amalgam lamps, as the name implies, are high power, low pressure lamps with extremely long operating lives. They can achieve up to ten times the UV power density of classical mercury low pressure lamps and are insensitive to temperature fluctuations. Heraeus Amalgam lamps are fitted with a unique coating, which prevents the transmission loses of quartz glass associated with conventional UV lamps. The result is a virtually constant disinfection sanction throughout the lamp’s life.
The PhytO3 Method
PhytO3 consists of a combined treatment of the plants with ozonised water and ultraviolet light. This treatment has the following effects:
Any microbiological contamination is removed effectively
Small animals like beetles are washed to the ground but are not killed
The power of resistance of the plants against certain microbiological pests is increased (an effect known as "Systemic Acquired Resistance")
The efficiency of the method is comparable to that of a pesticide treatment
The spraying frequency is comparable to that of a pesticide treatment
There is no chemical contamination of the soil, although the soil surface is effectively sterilized
There is no residue of ozone on the customers' products.
PhytO3 Advantages
Compared to chemical pesticides, PhytO3 has a number of advantages:
No residues - the products can be consumed without decontamination
Products can be used for baby food
PhytO3 can be used in biological production since it does not contaminate plants or soil
PhytO3 can be used in environments where pests are immune to conventional pesticides without need for genetic engineering
The method allows for a higher efficiency than biological production
Soil does not need to be decontaminated before change of use
Reduced production cost by reducing pesticide use
Reduced risk of sickness or death of labourers because of pesticide poisoning
Compliance to legal regulations concerning use of pesticides.
