Germ dormancy working group is looking for an alternative MH

One of the new research working groups within Uireka is the working group 'Kiemrust'. This working group is already looking ahead to the future in the slightly longer term and is looking for a full-fledged solution to limit sprouting after harvest as an alternative to MH spraying. Working group chairman Jeroen Nijenhuis (Agrifirm): “We also clearly look outside the usual box for possibilities and opportunities!”

Brainstorm about dormancy without MH
The 'Kiemrust' working group had its first meeting on 12 February. Peter Balk (WUR Open Crops; project leader), Frans Nevels (Scholtenzathe), Richard van der Steeghe (PPA) and Jeroen Nijenhuis (Agrifirm; working group chair) brainstormed about the possibilities of storing onions and marketing them to regional and distant destinations without use. from the plant protection product MH. Nijenhuis: “Our first action points for the coming period are to look at possibilities and opportunities through desk study. We also want to look clearly outside the usual frameworks.”

Workgroup composition guarantees broad input
Peter Balk will be responsible for the desk study in a practical sense in the coming period. On the basis of its findings, the working group will meet again as soon as this is possible after all the corona vicissitudes, to then see in which research directions they want to continue. Nijenhuis: “It is also nice in this context that the working group consists of people from cultivation, trade, processing, research, storage, breeding and BO arable farming. It is important to have a picture of the points of view on such a complex research question from all levels, so that many possibilities and opportunities can be exploited.”

In the coming year, the working group will therefore focus on determining the direction in which solutions will be sought. Tests can then possibly be carried out in 2021 and 2022.

This article is from Ureka† Uireka is a unique chain project, where Hazera participates in. Its aim is to improve the quality, and thereby strengthen the export position, of the Dutch onion.