January marks one year since the introduction of Cuc-GuardTM to the Canadian greenhouse cucumber market. "Throughout the past year, our team and A&L Biological have closely collaborated with early adopters to refine the application process and establish best practices," says Kelly Devaere with Plant Products, adding their results show the efficacy of Cuc-Guard in combatting the Cucumber Green Mottle Mosaic Virus (CGMMV).
According to Kelly, Cuc-Guard has demonstrated its effectiveness in protecting cucumber crops in various commercial applications at different sites in Canada. "The vaccine's impact has been particularly noticeable in the second half of the crop, approximately 10-12 weeks post-application. In unvaccinated crops facing moderate to severe CGMMV pressure, operators would observe up to 40% of rows requiring virus mitigation protocols by week 12. Conversely, Operators who opted for Cuc-Guard under similar conditions reduced the number of rows under virus mitigation protocols to 5% or less."
Over the past year, the Plant Products team has seen Cuc-Guard reignite potential interest in less resistant varieties that were previously overlooked. "The additional layer of protection can instill growers with newfound confidence, allowing them to cultivate these varieties that would otherwise be vulnerable to CGMMV. Cuc-Guard's success has also enabled growers to reconsider their cropping strategies, as CGMMV often poses a threat in the final weeks of cucumber crops. With improved CGMMV management, growers can consider reducing the number of cropping cycles in a year."
Given their success, several of the early adopters have chosen to integrate Cuc-Guard into their standard production protocols, applying the product to their second and even third crops, says Kelly. "As we continue to witness the benefits of Cuc-Guard, we encourage cucumber growers to discuss their experience managing CGMMV with their Plant Products representative."
For more information:
Plant Products
www.plantproducts.com