Battling ToBRFV without chemicals

A new virus is spreading through European vegetable greenhouses. It is a virus that reduces the growth of the plant, and the production. Viral pests are certainly not a novel threat to this industry. Nevertheless, this virus is a real threat to profitability indeed. Noteworthy is that this virus, a Q organism, is mostly spread by physical touching. That is the reason that most greenhouse operators already maintain strict hygiene protocols. With previous virus infections in vegetable greenhouses, sanitation of those objects was proven to be a helpful tool for the sanitation of crates and harvest carts. The idea being that if the surface of those items is disinfected on a regular basis, the chance that they spread disease from plant to plant is reduced also. Several countries have allowed the use of Virkon, to disinfect those carts. And indeed, it is being used widely. However, the registration of Virkon in the future is not certain in the EU. In addition, Virkon carries a significant price tag. And the fact that it affects the life span of those carts, raises the cost of chemical disinfection even further. Additionally, quations ahve been raised about the efficacy of Virkon, when it is not applied correctly, in terms om total coverage or in terms of required exposure time Ten years ago, the first UV disinfection tunnels for harvest carts, using germicidal UV instead of Virkon were installed in The Netherlands. While they did not guarantee that the greenhouse in question would not be affected by virus, these systems did prove that the surface of the harvest carts could be disinfected properly. Such tunnels are now operating in Europe and in North America. The disinfection tunnel in this video was recentlly installed in Eastern Europe. Arne Aiking of CleanLight explains: “Today, in 2021, as the technology has gained more recognition in the sector, we equip these tunnels with a capacity that exceeds the capacity used in medical settings. That way we can also achieve good results in cracks and on a virus particle that is partially protected by green gunk”. Arjo van der Sluis of CleanLight adds: “On the basis of cost per cart, we can usually show that these systems pay back rather quickly, compared to spraying those carts with Virkon: 1) Lower labour cost. 2) No more chemical cost. And 3) better life expectancy of those harvest carts” Arne Aiking summarizes: “The required exposure time for each cart is approximately 30 to 60 seconds. That means these systems do not impede the normal logistical flows in large horticultural operations. The time we need to produce such a tunnel is usually 4 to 5 weeks.” The YouTube clip, below, shows a recent installation in Eastern Europe. Contact in Spain Silvia Bures Pastor Buresinnova S.A. sbures@buresinnova.com Ph. +34-609 721 679 https://www.buresinnova.com