At this moment, everybody in the world is under the spell of the coronavirus outbreak which has already caused many casualties and economic damage. An invisible enemy is disturbing daily life all over the globe and everybody is making every effort to control this pandemic. However, viruses are a part of human and plant history.
We have recently seen an increase in virus pressure driven by rising global temperatures and population growth. The global human population is expected to increase from approximately 6.5 billion in 2008 to approximately 9.2 billion by 2050 (UNDP 2008). Another driver of the virus outbreak is the greater concentration of the population is urban communities. The spread of viruses is also unprecedented due to the increase in intercontinental traffic.
We have also witnessed these different parameters in the horticulture in the last 10 years. The upscaling and consolidation of greenhouses has made the sector more susceptible to outbreaks and the rapid transmission and spread of diseases.
A good example is the outbreak of the ToBRFv virus. Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) is a Tobamovirus that was first observed in 2014 and 2015 on tomato plants in Israel and Jordan causing discolorations and deformation of leaves and fruits. Since the first description, different countries are infected.
In Holland it was first diagnosed in 2018 and since then caused a big economic loss for the tomato growers. At the fruit production site, strict hygiene measures are applied including restricting access, disinfection or replacement of clothing, machines, equipment, surfaces and packaging material.
This is the same strategy that we are now using the combat the corona virus. Also with the ToBRFv virus you have to test constantly to verify that you hygiene strategy is working and that there is an absence of the virus in the crop.
"One lesson that is learned is that a good biosecurity plan is essential."
The idea that you can end this problem once and for all is an illusion. At Intrahorti we are constantly busy with developing effective biocides and cleaning agents that reduce the infection pressure and help the grower.
By Carly Vulders - Director R&D
It's that time of year again – time for crop rotation in your greenhouse. Are you prepared for it? Ensuring the cleanliness and disinfection of your greenhouse is of utmost importance. Achieving 100% cleanliness is crucial because anything less, like 99%, can leave dormant pathogens that might resurface...
As of July 1, Egbert Bok joined Intrahorti as Sales Manager for International markets. With Egbert Bok, Intrahorti has brought on board a commercial ace with years of relevant experience in horticulture. Intrahorti aims to grow internationally and is convinced that, together with Egbert...
A day prior to Greentech Amsterdam, Intrahorti recently opened its doors to national and international business partners during its Open Day 2023. Intrahorti welcomed over 40 guests at our factory in Veghel. A great honor that our guests took the effort to spend this valuable day together with us...
Clean irrigation water is of major importance for profitable cultivation, as it is the highway of every company. There is a correlation found between contaminated water and fungal or bacterial infection in plants. The presence of microorganisms can cause growth/production stagnation, impaired root....