Crop protection with fewer chemicals

It is summer, which for many strawberry growers is the period where they have to deal with a heightened disease rate. One of them is mildew, a fungus disease that is more active in times of high humidity and temperatures. Especially in greenhouses where the rain does not wash away the mold spores. That is why growers often turn to crop protection products, but the risk of this is that a residue remains on the strawberries. And that's not something the consumer, who is looking for a totally clean product, wants.

One of the possibilities to keep both the grower and the consumer happy is to use a non-chemical method of crop protection. A study by Proefcenterum Hoogstraten from 2010 confirms that CleanLight technology is at least a partial solution against mildew. With a very light dose of a specially selected part of the UV spectrum, the fungus in the crops is eliminated without spraying or leaving a residue. The research confirms the positive effects against mildew, also known as 'oidium'.

But what developments have happened since then? Arne Aiking of CleanLight: “There are now multiple strawberry growers who are working with CleanLight. Not only against mildew but also against bacterial diseases, like the Erwinia bacterium.”

Arne: “When you need to spray against mildew less often, you will see a lower level of residue, but also a more productive crop and a better resistance against pests like whitefly and thrips.”