Resistant tulip demands long breath and support

The goal of five growers in collaboration with Wageningen University & Research (WUR) and others is clear: to develop tulip varieties that are resistant to fusarium, tulip-breaking virus, and botrytis, so that growers become less dependent on crop protection products. ‘This realization came to us about 25 years ago. Partly because spraying is expensive and has risks for your environment, but also because the products are simply not effective enough,’ says Joris van der Velden of EconTulips. Virus problems persist, despite spraying, Van der Velden emphasizes. ‘We need to work with bulbs that are resistant to these issues. The costs of using crop protection products and disinfection can amount to up to 2,000 euros per hectare. But the costs due to the virus, fusarium, and botrytis are many times higher. And although the societal costs are difficult to quantify, they may be the most important. The grower still needs the societal ‘license to produce.’ The collaboration that began 25 ...