To efficiently exclude thrips while maintaining good ventilation in its greenhouses, Dümmen Orange tested Svensson's Xsect Xtreme and Xsect X-air insect control screens, in its chrysanthemum propagation area in their Carmen de Viboral location, Colombia.
Within the reproduction and propagation systems, mainly in the early stages of the process, it is important to keep the beneficial insects free of diseases and pests, to ensure an optimum material from which healthy plants could be obtained.
Dümmen Orange has a first stage where plants arriving from the laboratory are produced (core area), and an area for grandmother plants, where a backup copy of each variety is made prior to its reproduction on a larger scale (mother plants). For both, it is very important to keep the plants 100% virus-free.
Greenhouse Core Area and Grandmothers before entry
The area that houses the mother plants requires more ventilation but is more tolerant of thrips, which is why the Xsect X-air screen was chosen. Xsect X-air offers a basic level of thrips exclusion while maintaining excellent ventilation, and the Xsect Xtreme screen, which ensures extreme exclusion of thrips with good airflow, was installed in the Greenhouse Core Area which houses the grandmother plants.
Lina tells us that the results in both areas have shown a significant decrease in the incidence and damage caused by thrips.
"In general, we have seen a decrease of more than 80% in the number of thrips and plants with damage, in each weekly monitoring carried out. With the Xsect Xtreme screen, these problems were reduced by more than 95%". Lina Arango
Grandmothers area and core area
For Dümmen Orange in Colombia, one of the biggest challenges is excluding thrips so that all deliveries to growers are virus-free and the greenhouse climate remains optimal and fosters proper plant growth. The goal is to achieve the highest production of plants without damage, and with Svensson insect control screens, the risk is reduced and the biosecurity of the area is maintained.
"Svensson insect control screens are a worthwhile investment, as they help reduce the insect resistance issue by not having to do much chemical pressure."
Grandmother plants greenhouse with Xsect X-air insect control screen
For more information:
Dümmen Orange
www.dummenorange.com
Ludvig Svensson