Lily growing is possible with considerably less chemical agents, but probably never completely without it. This is apparent from the Sustainable Bulb cultivation trial Drenthe. The aim of the test was to see if the environmental impact of lily cultivation could be reduced by half. The field tests among eight growers yielded 58 percent less environmental impact.
The three -year test even reduced an 87 percent reduction on the total number of kilograms of crop protection products. Especially drugs against fungi and insects (fungicides and insecticides) were used much less. It is striking that the use of herbicides (against weeds) has risen something.
“Lilies that are stronger from itself need less crop protection. It is about the right species. And bio-lilies are possible, but only with a lot of extra work and at higher costs,” explains Janny Peltjes of the Hilbrands Laboratory (HLB) in Wijster.
According to the test of the HLB, it is possible with even less chemistry, then the Drentse Lelie is intended in the own plan. That plan contains the aim of all Drenthe lily growers to be at the level of food farming in 2027 in terms of the use of chemical crop protection. “A few more steps are needed for that, but I do not rule out that we can continue,” says grower Gert Veninga from Hijken.
The Hilbrands Laboratory investigated with the help of the 19 Drenthe lily growers how you can ‘tinker’ with the use of crop protection products. Because lilies are demanding: leaf fungi, lice and viruses, bulb health, weeds and soil health must be taken into account.
Fungi’s enemy number 1. Leaf fungus can destroy a whole field. The plant is also unsaleable in the event of a low attack. Chemical crop protection remains necessary, and working with less environmentally harmful drugs does not always produce enough results.
But with a weather station on the field and a good prediction system you can determine much better whether you should spray chemistry or not. And if so, whether it is also possible with a less heavy agent. And there are lilies that are much more resistant to fungi than others.
Lice are the largest disease translaters on the Lelie. Lilies that themselves are better off against lice are not so useful, Afrikaantjes in between against the lice either. Flower edges on the field in which natural enemies of lice live perhaps help, but more research is needed. Luis -resistant or louse -killing agents make no difference.
Lily species that are better off against viruses themselves work well. In combination with the use of mineral oils (which come from oil, is not toxic) you can properly protect lilies. The oil does not kill the lice, but it does prevent the transfer of the virus. Those oils fall under chemical crop protection agents in bulb cultivation, not in the rest of arable farming. According to the researchers and the growers, this must be solved.
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