Methyl bromide has for several decades been widely used by farmers around the world as a soil fumigant to control soil-borne diseases and pests affecting important crops... Among farmers in Chile, methyl bromide was commonly used for the fumigation and sterilization of soil for cultivating tomatoes and strawberries.

The release of methyl bromide into the atmosphere contributes to the thinning of the Earth’s ozone layer, which is believed to have a variety of negative biological consequences such as increases in sunburn, skin cancer, cataracts, damage to plants, and a reduction of plankton populations in the ocean's photic zone. Despite the negative impact on both the environment and human health, the phasing out of methyl bromide in the agriculture sector is a challenge. First and foremost is the potential damage to the livelihoods of farmers. Therefore, phasing out processes require the introduction of alternative technologies, which are environmentally friendly and readily accessible, while assuring high yields.

Using alternative techniques and chemicals, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) has supported the Government of Chile in phasing out the 170 ozone-depleting  tonnes of methyl bromide used as a soil fumigant by local producers in the cultivation of tomatoes and strawberries.

In the past few years, UNIDO and the Ministry of Agriculture implemented a project which enabled the Government to meet its obligations to prohibit the application of methyl bromide to soil, as stipulated by the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. With funding from the Multilateral Fund of the Montreal Protocol, the project contributed to the elimination of all controlled uses of methyl bromide by the set target date, namely 1 January 2015.

The project’s activities included the adaptation of techniques for grafting tomato plants;  the incorporation and adaptation of sanding and bio-fumigation techniques; the development of protocols of good practice in the production of strawberries; and the provision of new equipment for alternative chemicals for fumigation.

“I have started using an alternative product to replace methyl bromide, the most toxic pesticide in the world. This alternative is called biofumigation and has delivered great results,” said Pío Armijo, a strawberry producer in Chile.

Several domestic producers and technical staff from companies linked to this sector also conducted missions to countries which lead in the area of clean production of strawberries and tomatoes. These missions raised awareness of the use of alternative chemicals and technologies, and provided technical insight into the use of various methods that are both friendly to the environment and, in most cases, associated with lower costs and higher yields.

Roberto Rodríguez, a tomato producer in Chile’s Arica and Parinacota Region, said: “When we visited Spain, we learnt techniques that can prevent plants from being exposed to diseases, and this motivated me to adopt new techniques to cultivate tomatoes.” He added that he was very happy with the results achieved using sand mulching, a new technique he adopted to replace methyl bromide.

When reflecting on the impact of UNIDO’s project, Robinson González, an agricultural expert from Chile, noted: “The project enabled many people to gain experience in developing new technologies. This has been very useful for farmers to replace methyl bromide, and has prepared them for the situation when this product is no longer available on the market. ”

By Nathalie Mikhailova

Click to download relevant brochures:

Alternatives to methyl bromide (in Spanish)
Using alternative technologies to cultivate tomatoes (in Spanish)
Cultivate strawberries without methyl bromide (in Spanish)