Greencare steps at the Dümmen Orange farm in Ethiopia

"Implementing our GreenGuard protocol helps us to produce our cuttings using as few chemicals as possible. In addition, Greencare is our hygiene and control programme that helps us supply clean material and substantially reduces the risk of infection. These two programmes complement each other. We are proud of what we have achieved so far with Greencare and we would like to share with you some recent developments on our farm in Ethiopia, our Pelargonium and Poinsettia mother stock location", says Jaco van Straten, phytosanitary manager at Dümmen Orange.

"Last year we made some big improvements. We introduced very robust entrance controls for staﬀ, visitors and material. Besides irrigation water and starting material, we see people and material as a major risk factor in bringing in pathogens from outside. We “closed” the facility in Ethiopia with those threats in mind. At our basic stock location, everyone entering the facility is required to shower first and all the material we use is disinfected or new. Water is disinfected using two methods to ensure a robust disinfection process. Due to the size of the site, we have installed phytosanitary units. With smart, strict hygiene measures, group of plants are kept separate to prevent cross-contamination with other groups in the event of a phytosanitary risk. In addition, we have introduced strict scouting and screening procedures to confirm the absence of pathogens. The human factor is a big issue in hygiene. Regular checks are performed and staﬀ undergo regular training to ensure good hygiene performance at all times."

"Thanks to our meticulous greenhouse growing practices, it is now almost impossible for plant pathogens like Ralstonia and Xanthomonas to come into contact with our mother plants." As phytosanitary manager at Dümmen Orange, Jaco van Straten manages the GreenCare process worldwide together with local nursery staﬀ and is also a phytosanitary specialist for the Netherlands and Germany.

Source: Plant Profit