• Reduce by 100% all use of selected active substances (tebuconazole, difenoconazole, fludioxonil) in stone fruit, berries, and table grapes, by testing pre- and post-harvest strategies with less impact.
• Increase the competitiveness of the fresh fruit industry, anticipating the adoption of European requirements by farmers, through new pre- and post-harvest strategies for the substitution of CfS active substances.
• Select the most sensitive PPPs based on their impact and which will be the target of the project. With this purpose, trinomials pathogen-active material-crop would be identified according to producer and geographical area through the initial survey of the crops.

• Identifying and classifying the active substances to be replaced.
• Selecting plots of each crop in the different areas.
• Evaluating the relevance of the identified PPPs and selecting sensitive substances (this included the design of the tests of the alternatives).

Activity 2: Assess different substitution strategies in pre-harvest through:

• Applying strategies based on the use of biocidal substances of natural origin or PPPs not listed as CfS (preferably substances exempt from MRL).
• Applying other farming practices or techniques.

Activity 3: Application of low-impact post-harvest technologies by:

• Designing of protective atmospheres (packaging in modified atmospheres and conservation in controlled atmospheres) adjusted to each product.
• Combining biocontrol treatments with edible coatings for post-harvest.
• Testing advanced oxidation technologies in stone fruit by oxidative photocatalysis (this included the use of low-environmental impact fruit disinfection technologies).

Activity 4: Evaluating alternative strategies (environmental and socioeconomic impact of the project).

Activity 5: Disseminating and promoting the substitution programmes developed. The project installed demonstration plots throughout Spain covering some of the most relevant crops in these regions (strawberries and raspberries in Huelva, table grapes in Alicante, stone fruit in Badajoz and Huesca). These plots were used to test alternatives for the targeted PPPs identified by the project. Thus, providing local and regional farmers with evidence of the alternative’s efficacy in real conditions, demonstrating the adaptation to the local soil and weather conditions, as well as the cultivars and pathogen biology.

• The project contributes to the reduction of the environmental footprint of agriculture by reducing the use of phytosanitary products. More than ten protocols for the substitution of active materials have been designed with good efficacy results in preventive applications.
• The substitution protocols reduce the use of selected CfS active ingredients by 100%.
• The post-harvest technologies used allowed the shelf life of stone fruit and berries to be extended by more than 20%, thus achieving a strategy combined with the use of products without residues in preharvest.
• Biodiversity conservation: more than 50% of the insect families identified in the entomofauna study have been auxiliary fauna (beneficial).
• The project has contributed to the creation of a dissemination strategy and to the future growth of farms with replacement programmes.
• The project has demonstrated that alternative strategies to CfS are feasible both technically and economically.
• The project’s commitment to raising awareness and dissemination continues to be in force by keeping all the technical data available on its website.

• Challenges involved with replacing PPPs can also bring opportunities, such as the generation of positive synergies between farmers, new replacement programmes, and new tools for farmers that help increase their sustainability and competitiveness.
• This project underscored the importance of designing and promoting sustainable, non-chemical, preventive and curative production practices as alternatives to PPPs.
• Emphasis should be placed on tailoring alternatives to PPPs practices to suit the characteristics and requirements of each crop and geographical area.