Horticoop introduces the ThripsSweeper
Every chrysanthemum grower naturally got the chance to see and experience the ThripsSweeper with their own eyes. On Thursday 16 October Horticoop also organised an open day for the whole sector. There was great interest in this ground-breaking innovation on both days and the responses were extremely enthusiastic.
The idea for the ThripsSweeper came up during a brainstorming session. “Couldn’t we automise the removal of the (adult) thrips?” was the question asked. The answer to this question came shortly afterwards. In collaboration with Horticoop Technical Services an aluminium frame was designed and developed with reinforced tubes attached to it. Horiver sticky traps were fixed in place between the rows of tubes. The tubes move through the crop and ‘shake’ the thrips awake so to speak. In their shock the thrips then fly against the Horiver sticky traps and can no longer free themselves.
This sounds logical, but how does it actually work in practice? To investigate this, the specialists at Horticoop carried out a number of tests at Arcadia in Kwintsheul. And with great success! There are always sticky traps hanging in the greenhouses. At an average count seven thrips could be found on each sticky trap. For every two sections of chrysanthemums there was one sticky trap, and the thrips were counted after a period of one week’s ‘catching time’. In the space of one day the ThripsSweeper caught and removed 2,000 adult thrips from the crop!
André van Paassen from Arcadia welcomes the ThripsSweeper. “When Horticoop approached me about testing the ThripsSweeper I was immediately enthusiastic. Thrips present the biggest problem in chrysanthemum cultivation. The tests we carried out together with Horticoop showed really positive results. So I see the ThripsSweeper as a fantastic supplement to the existing method of thrips control.” says André.
For more information
Horticoop
Tom Zwijsen, sector manager cut flowers
T: +31 (0)6 536 705 40
Email: t.zwijsen@horticoop.nl
www.horticoop.nl