Clever strategies to outsmart pests and diseases
Fungi, nematodes, weeds and pests: how can they be kept away from crops? This is what Applied Plant Research is searching for; with clever control strategies, a large amount of knowledge about the enemies, and facilities to test control methods.
Lower yields, quality loss, problems with quarantine organisms. All of this may be caused by crop enemies: fungi, nematodes, weeds, insects, slugs. Question is how to keep the crop healthy and prevent all these attackers from causing damage?
Scientists of Applied Plant Research are working at different levels to keep the crop healthy:
1. They are developing control strategies.
2. They are working on innovative techniques and methods to suppress pests and diseases.
3. They are investigating whether specific chemical or non-chemical applications are sufficiently suppressing the pest or disease in the field.
Understanding the life cycle of a slug or insect
Research into keeping a crop healthy starts with knowledge about the different types of enemies. The scientists know under which conditions an insect, a slug, or a fungus is doing well as well as what they don’t like. This knowledge enables them to advise growers how they can adapt their cropping system to prevent the pests from hitting. And what can best be done when they hit after all.
Prevent pests and diseases
The scientists advise growers all-encompassing strategies in the fight against pests and diseases. The first step is to prevent the enemies to manifest themselves by investigating in which varieties, which fields, and under which cropping measures the pests and diseases are not doing well. And they are developing techniques for detecting the pests before these occur in large numbers. Once they are present, they should be prevented from reproducing to such an extent that they develop into a real pest and cause damage. The grower must then be aware of the best approach, such as chemical or - adversely - non-chemical control. The scientists are listing the possibilities that are open to the growers.
Advantage for grower and environment
Such an all-encompassing strategy has several advantages. It helps to reduce pesticides consumption and thus reduces environmental burdening. At the same time, product quality increases, there are fewer problems with trade-restricting organisms, and yields increase.
An effective product
Their knowledge about the biology of pests and diseases enables the scientists to find out whether a chemical or biological product is indeed effective in the crop on the field. Manufacturers of these products are frequently making use of this knowledge. And they are also making use of the facilities for testing a product in the field, in a greenhouse, or in a storage compartment.