A selection of novelties from Fruit Logistica in Berlin

摘要

Many producers and suppliers have chosen the latest Fruit Logistica, held from 4 - 6 February in the German capital Berlin, to launch their new products. A selection had to be made, which include two practical tools for growers: a handy ripeness meterand a virus tester. In the product novelties the choice fell on the award winning Sweet Green Pepper and the tailor-made mixes of baby salad from Flandria. Biobest from Belgium presented a new practical tool for virus testing on plants, called Flashkits. With the tools growers themselves can do virus checks, after which it only takes three to four minutes to get the result. This is much faster than laboratory tests which take some days. According to Biobest, the benefit of the quick result is that measures can be taken very fast, which can avoid a further spread of the virus and more damage to the crop. The cost per test of the Flashkit is 9 EUR, which is lower than tests at laboratories. According to Biobest, the tests are as sensitive and reliable as the ELISA-tests. The tests are done by crushing plant material in which a test strip is placed and a colour change indicates a virus infection.