Fruit growers can reduce the contamination of surface water by 98% with a new system that was developed in the six-year programme Smaak van Morgen (Taste of Tomorrow). The aim of the programme is to reduce the environmental burden of agriculture.
To achieve this reduction, fruit growers essentially have to take the following steps: plant four rows of the Santana apple variety along the ditches in their orchards, spray these last rows with a different spray nozzle, get rid of environmentally burdensome crop protection agents, use earwigs to control red mite and take sanitary measures against mildew and fruit tree canker.
The Santana variety has several benefits: it is resistant to scab, less susceptible to fruit tree canker and aphids and it is hypoallergenic. Many people who are allergic to apples can eat Santana apples. Moreover, Santana apples yield four times as much net profit as the Elstar variety. Nevertheless, few orchards are planted with Santana. ‘With more promotion, sales could be increased tenfold’, says Van der Maas. However, in the current market the much lower environmental load of this variety does not generate any added value, and the hypoallergenic claim has still not been approved at the European level – 'the product does not fit within the current set of rules.' Van der Maas: ‘Another party must now take over the baton.’
As part of the programme, a three-row sprayer has also been developed that not only saves fruit growers time, but also produces almost no emissions of crop protection agents. As a result, agents that are important for integrated crop protection, but that could be banned due to their high environmental impact, can still be used. And the growers are happy with this development. Tourists will also benefit from the new sprayer because it will allow the removal of emission-limiting hedges that currently surround orchards (and obscure the view). After a series of successful tests in practice, certification of the new sprayer has been applied for. According to growers, to increase the contact of the general public with fruit growing, it is essential to stop spraying. Tests at the Randwijk experimental station have shown that this is possible.
Researchers have also drawn up a list of 45 attractive new crops and varieties that can theoretically be grown outdoors in the Netherlands. This list includes pip and stone fruits, berries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries and nuts.
Source: www.kennisonline.wur.nl