Project
PPS flower bulbs, soil, nematodes: integrated approach
Sustainable growth of flower bulbs does not only need virus free starting material, but also pathogen free soils to grow the flower bulbs in. A complicating factor is that flower bulbs are often grown on rented land from other sectors as agricultural land and grassland from cattle farming. Integrated management of soil is therefore essential to improve soil quality. The project ‘PPS flower bulbs, soil, nematodes: integrated approach’ will develop a method to improve soil quality for the flower bulb sector, with a focus on management of nematodes. Thereto, the soil quality plan will be adapted to be used in the flower bulb sector, protocols for cooperation across sectors will be developed and knowledge gaps about nematodes in flower bulbs will be investigated.
Aim of the project
The aim of this public-private partnership it to develop knowledge and instrument to sustainable improve soil quality in the flower bulb sector with a specific focus on the control of nematodes.
The PPS flower bulbs, soil, nematodes: integrated approach develops a methods to improve soil quality and develops knowledge to develop control strategies for nematodes. Thereto, the soil quality plan will be adapted to be used in the flower bulb sector. An innovative part of this project is that we will develop a strategy to manage not only the field in own control, but also rented fields.
Flower bulbs are often grown in fields of other sectors, such as agriculture and grasslands in cattle breeding. Therefore, protocols for cooperation will be developed together with renters of fields and landowners of all sectors to sustainably manage soils of all fields by sharing costs and efforts of land management. Each field will needs its own management plan. By sharing available data of fields between landowner and renter, smarter management and targeted actions can be taken.
The flower bulb sector performed an evaluation, which indicated that nematodes form an obstacle for sustainable soil management. Thereto, we need knowledge to develop successful strategies for nematode management for the flower bulb sector. Within this public-private partnership, we will study, the plant host status of nematodes, the control strategies of stem nematodes and Trichodorides, which is an increasing problem for flower bulbs.
Knowledge from previous Public Private partnership in the agricultural sector will be used to implement for example the soil quality plan in the flower bulb sector. The implementation into practice will be developed in cooperation with (known) pilot companies (KAVB) and the farm of the future (wur). A programme will also be developed for knowledge valorization.
By applying the generated knowledge integrated sustainable soil management of both own ground as rented ground will come into reach. We will realize agronomic, economic and ecological sustainable future for the flower bulb sector by improving its agronomic and ecological value.