Glastuinbouw Nederland aims for greenhouse horticulture entrepreneurs to grow the healthiest vegetables, flowers, and plants by 2030, as much as possible within a biological ecosystem, based on strong crops, prevention, and biological control, with virtually no emissions to the environment. This message, also expressed in the Plant Health Vision 2030, was sent this week to the House of Representatives’ Standing Committee on Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV).
On Monday, November 2, the General Consultation (AO) on Crop Protection is on the agenda of the Standing Committee of the Ministry of LNV. This consultation provides an occasion for Glastuinbouw Nederland to bring its plant health ambitions for the next ten years to the attention of politicians. This is being done through a letter to members of parliament and Minister Carola Schouten of LNV, as well as a video (see top of post) in which blackberry and pepper grower Wouter van den Bosch, together with Chairman Sjaak van der Tak of Glastuinbouw Nederland, explains the application of IPM.
Responsible balance
Through this working method, greenhouse horticulture companies have reduced the environmental impact of crop protection by 90% over the past twenty years. Currently, 80% of pests in food horticulture and 50% in ornamental horticulture are controlled biologically. “Over the next ten years, the challenge for entrepreneurs, suppliers, researchers, the government, and Glastuinbouw Nederland is to work together to realize the Greenhouse as an Ecosystem in 2030 through a responsible balance between biology, technology, and chemistry,” says Sjaak van der Tak.
The pillars of this approach are: healthy and resilient crops, resilient cultivation systems, and the application of high-tech supplemented by an effective and sustainable package of products and measures (the medicine cabinet). “A prerequisite is that this occurs within a level playing field in Europe.”
Support for the Crop Protection Implementation Program (UP)
Ambitious goals have been set in the Future Vision for Crop Protection 2030. Glastuinbouw Nederland, with the support of its members, commits to the implementation program (UP) on the condition of a long-term financial commitment from the government and clear breakthroughs in current bottlenecks. “New diseases and pests threaten greenhouse horticulture due to factors such as climate change and a shift from broad-spectrum to specific-action crop protection products. Existing products are being phased out, and alternatives, such as the authorization of low-risk products and the accelerated development of resilient varieties, are stalled by laws and regulations. Due to the severe restriction of the product range, the already advanced IPM system is under pressure, and the greenhouse horticulture sector cannot further develop the biological ecosystem in the greenhouse,” warns Helma Verberkt, Plant Health Policy Specialist at Glastuinbouw Nederland.
Greenhouse as an Ecosystem
The greenhouse horticulture sector wants to continue making good progress in innovative cultivation concepts, where beneficial organisms suppress diseases and pests above and below ground, as well as seek new technological developments. “This requires a completely different approach than in open-field cultivation, and we are advocating for support for our Greenhouse as an Ecosystem program, with a clear role for Glastuinbouw Nederland,” indicates Sjaak van der Tak.
Despite significant innovation and commitment to strong crops, new biological control agents, and sustainable measures, crop protection products remain necessary for harvest security and quality preservation. Products are also necessary for maintaining the biological ecosystem in the greenhouses. This leads to the request for politicians to allow space for the application of crop protection products (the medicine cabinet) within European legislation. Additionally, Glastuinbouw Nederland asks for a substantial acceleration of the authorization process for low-risk products and better aligned legislation for biostimulants. Finally, a plea is made for space to apply new breeding techniques (such as CRISPR-Cas) to achieve acceleration and strengthening in resilient plants.
