Economic evaluation of low environmental impact from new sprayers systems: An empirical evidence from a north-east Italy case study

Abstract

The Directive 2009/128/EC on the sustainable use of the plant protection products in viticulture, has recently been fully implemented in Italy (February 12, 2014) with the requirements laid down by the National Action Plan (NAP). In this perspective, the sustainable use of plant protection products in vine protection, must increasingly conform to the best technologies in the vineyard aimed at reducing risk in respect of operators in the vineyard and the resident population, the preservation of the environment and beauty landscape and protection’s request of the economically sustainable grape vine. The aim of the research is the comparative economic evaluation of innovative and alternative low-drift spraying pesticides’s distribution systems, compared to those conventionally used. The research has used the method of the break-even analysis, considered in the light of the principle of externalities created by the introduction of a positive impact innovation on an Italian vine-growing area. The survey conducted in the area of Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG (North-East of Italy), took into account, on the one hand, alternative spraying distribution systems for the hilly vineyards on steep slope areas: a) fixed installation, b) grape protection with helicopter and spray gun; and the other hand, alternative spraying distribution systems for the wine-growing areas on average slope zones: a) ‘innovative’ trailed grape sprayers; b) ‘modified’ trailed grape sprayers; c) ‘innovative’ mounted grape sprayers; d) ‘modified’ mounted grape

The results obtained with regard to the adoption of a eco – sustainable protection strategy for the area of high hills show that, instead of the model of the spraying distribution system by helicopter and spray gun, the scenario that involves the use of the fixed installation can be used if it will be adopted an incentive about 40% of the investment cost, through new measures provided by the Rural Development Programme (RDP). In this scenario, has come to light the advantages of using spraying distribution systems (fixed and mobile) of the ecological – sustainable type in comparison with conventional ones, on the one hand, for the benefits to the socio – environmental and landscape aspects of new models, and on the other hand to improve the organization’s efficiency of vineyard management (e.g. promptness, etc).