‘ This eccentric of plant protection is a windfall for us ’ , says Dutch tailflower company Amazone Plants . They are at the top close of the market and biologic plant protective cover is an additional column that abide this military position .
Amazone Plants was established in 2010 . During the initial few yr , the anthurium companionship own by Lex Scheffers and Fred van Zijl did not straightaway have the wind at its back but the concern started to take off in 2015 . In 2019 , the tomato glasshouse also have by Van Zijl was change over , before being add up to the anthurium glasshouse in 2020 .
Lex Scheffers ( left ) and consultant Wim van der Meer . Lex trace biological plant life shelter as a godsend .
A singular move‘Well , we had ten full weeks , Fred and I say to each other when the coronavirus crisis ignite and exports came to a impasse , ’ Lex Scheffers narrate . The two partners made a remarkable move – they rented additional greenhouses . These were used to temporarily store a proportion of the develop plants . In the end , everything more or less ferment out fine – the plant in 12 cm pots were sold in 14 cm pot in the summer , and the plants in 14 atomic number 96 pots went to the buyer in 17 cm locoweed .
The troupe has focused on biologic plant life shelter since it was found . However , its highly automate product system makes this type of plant protection complex . The plants in the multiplication stage enter the processing hall every nine weeks . During the nine week point that the plants are in the greenhouse , it is not easy for the employees to reach the plant , for model to scout them . infestation may therefore come about in the nursery that only become noticeable once the plants are in the Charles Francis Hall .
Swirski - Mite LD does an excellent line of work at Amazone Plants where it is difficult for employees to scout in the greenhouse . There is always an army of thrips marauder present in the crop .
Fantastic effect with Swirski - LDThe main pests are the Western blossom thrips , aphids ( predominantly peach tater aphid and glasshouse potato aphids ) , and Duponchelia moth . Amazone Plants use a variety of beneficial insects to keep these pestilence under control . Consultant Wim van der Meer describe them for us .
Amazone Plants uses Macro - Mite to battle the pupae of the westerly bloom thripid and Swirski - Mite LD to battle the larvae . ‘ At this company , Swirski - Mite LD produces fantastic results , ’ Wim assure us . ‘ The predatory mites proceed to emerge from the worm netting at a ripe rate over a longer period . This entail that there is always a strong population in the nursery harvest and ascendance of the thrip is maintained at the correct spirit level . The method function exquisitely in this automatise production system , which is , of track , very reassuring . ’
The society still needs to take military action against Echinotrips and anthurium thrips as the current thrips predators are not sufficiently effectual against these pestilence . The company therefore spray a intersection of natural source , such as Mycotal , doubly a twelvemonth , in the spring and in the autumn . Wim van der Meer explains , ‘ Koppert is involve in a test in which we are investigate whether Chrysopa eggs are in force at tackle the two thripid variety . Hopefully , it will be a success . ’
Amazone Plants supplies its product to the more upscale dealers in Central , Southern , and Eastern Europe .
biologic plant protective cover is so much betterAmazone Plants controls aphids with a combination of the Aphipar leechlike wasp and the Aphidend freshness midge , which , according to Lex Scheffers , is very efficacious . The predatory dirt mite and thrips predator Macro - Mite is also used to battle the ball of the Duponchelia moth . Pheromone trap capture the grownup moths .
Lex Scheffers describes biologic plant shelter as a godsend . ‘ It is going very well indeed . It would be unthinkable if we still had to keep using chemical products . After all , chemicals put so much melodic phrase on the base hit of the employees , on the crop , and on the local environment . It has never been a favourite activity of mine . Biological plant protection is so much unspoilt . Although our buyers do not always ask explicitly for a totally clean ware , this is the path we will remain to take . ’
More upscale dealersThe company is almost six hectares in size and produce around two million plants a year , distributed across twenty or so multifariousness . These come from Anthura with whom they have a good relationship . Amazone Plants has acquired exclusivity for a number of cultivar from the breeder ; it is the only society in Europe to produce these cultivar .
The available plants are chiefly dispatched via exporters to garden centres , florist shop , and retailer in Central , Southern , and Eastern Europe . ‘ These are the more upscale dealers , ’ explain Lex Scheffers .
For more information : Koppert Biological Systems[email protected]www.koppert.nl
