How to improve results by using the post-harvest protocol

Quality improvement of East African roses
How to improve
results by using the
post-harvest protocol
Green Farming
Post-harvest Protocol
Optimizing
post-harvest
management in
East African
horticulture
The link between Dutch and
East African horticulture
Green Farming is a Dutch programme that unites
horticultural networks in the Netherlands, Kenya and
Ethiopia. This is achieved by setting up joint activities,
projects and co-operations in the areas of research,
development and production.
All Green Farming activities are related to one or more
of the five main themes of the programme:
Water management
Crop management
Climate and energy
Post-harvest and logistics
Research and knowledge exchange
Who is involved?
The Green Farming consortium consists of over 25 leading Dutch
companies in horticulture technology. Wageningen University and
Research Centre supports the programme and is actively involved at
the level of research and knowledge exchange.
Green Farming is coordinated by AVAG, the representative of joint Dutch
horticultural suppliers, and by DLV Plant, active as an advisory company
in the international agribusiness. The Dutch Ministry for International
Trade and Development Cooperation supports the programme in close
cooperation with the Dutch Embassies in Nairobi and Addis Ababa.
What are the activities?
Green Farming organizes a broad spectrum of activities, both at
business-to-business and government-to-government levels.
The business-to-business activities include:
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Market studies and sector reviews
Exhibition visits and participation
Trade missions
Matchmaking
Seminars
Demonstration projects
Green Farming sets up various demonstration projects together with
local businesses and knowledge institutions to show which technologies,
products, knowledge and services are available and how these can be
applied to the local situation. The results in terms of production levels,
efficiency of input use, production costs and revenues are shared with the
sector via open days, professional journals and reports.
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Table of contents
Improving post-harvest quality
of East African roses6
4
Post-harvest protocol
8
8
Step 1: Initial flower quality
Step 2: Water quality, hygiene standards
and post-harvest treatment
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14
Step 3: Post-harvest quality management
Local partners
20
Dutch partners
21
5
Dutch partners develop protocol
Improving post-harvest
quality of East African roses
The major part of the East African flower export is
shipped to long-distance destinations, like Northern
Europe and Russia. For long-distance shipments
the initial quality of the flower and the quality of the
post-harvest chain are tremendously important.
The ultimate flower quality can be defined as the
product of those two aspects. For many flower
producers in East Africa the post-harvest phase is
an area where great gains can be made.
This was the reason Green Farming members
FloraHolland, FloraLife and DLV Plant developed a
protocol for the post-harvest handling of roses.
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The main objective of the protocol is to improve the vase life of roses
by optimizing all components of the post-harvest phase. In order to
achieve higher profits and deliver a high-quality product to consumers,
it is important that all aspects of the post-harvest handling phase are
optimized. By following a post-harvest protocol, the farm should be able
to implement best practices more easily.
Tested in practice
During the second half of 2012 and the first half of 2013, the Post-harvest
Protocol was developed in close cooperation with a selection of rose
farms in Ethiopia (see section local partners).
Based on a zero assessment of the current situation and practices at
four farms spread throughout the Ethiopian production region, action
plans were defined for each participating farm. During a trial period, the
given advice was followed by the growers. Continuous quality check loops
were carried out on post-harvest procedures on the farm, and on visual
product quality and vase life upon arrival in the Netherlands (see for the
results the section project results). The results were used as an input for
the Post-harvest Protocol.
Tested aspects
The protocol includes several important aspects for flower growers.
Such as:
• Starting quality, based on soil and water parameters in the growing
medium.
• Crop protection management, focussing on prevention of botrytis
development and taking residue levels into account.
• Flower care and handling during harvesting, storage, grading and
bunching.
• Use of packaging and bunching materials, including rubber bands,
plastic sheets and carton boxes.
• The importance of the on-farm cold chain during harvesting, storage,
processing, packing, as well as the transport cold chain up to arrival at
the handling agent.
• How to use services such as soil and water sample analyses, quality
feedback from receivers at the Dutch auctions, farm audits, vase life
testing and cold chain monitoring to improve the product quality.
The protocol takes into account the three
major components that determine the vase life
at the consumers:
1. Initial flower quality; the initial conditions of the
flowers at the moment they are harvested.
2. Water quality, hygiene standards and post-harvest
treatment.
3. Post-harvest quality management, including post-harvest
handling and cold chain management.
The different components in the post-harvest phase are presented in
this brochure by the individual project partners. DLV Plant addresses the
initial flower quality, FloraLife the post-harvest treatment, water quality
and hygiene, and FloraHolland the post-harvest handling and cold chain,
feedback on vase life and visual quality.
Meaning of the Post-harvest Protocol
The Post-harvest Protocol shows how farms can implement best practices
in post-harvest management. By optimizing the important aspects in the
post-harvest phase at the farm, flowers can be shipped with the expectation
of good quality and sufficient vase life upon arrival.
The protocol combines the expertise of Green Farming partners DLV Plant,
FloraLife and FloraHolland. This makes it possible to offer integrated
solutions. It is a unique approach in which all factors that matter in postharvest, from the initial flower quality just before harvesting to receiving
the flower at the market, are included.
The Green Farming partners hope that the protocol will be useful to African
farms in increasing product quality and, by doing so, generating more
income. The partners can always be contacted for supporting advice.
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Post-harvest Protocol
Step 1: Initial flower quality
A pre-requisite for good quality cut roses is a healthy
and vigorous rose plant. Creating favourable growing
conditions in the greenhouse is key to producing
healthy and strong roses. Important factors are
irrigation and fertilization management, crop
protection and cutting strategy.
Irrigation and fertilization management
The main focus of irrigation and fertilization management is to bring and
keep the EC levels (electronic conductivity), pH levels (acidity) and amounts
of macro and micro nutrients within the optimum ranges and provide the
crop with the required amounts of water. This means a combination of the
optimum irrigation strategy and optimal fertilization regime. Based on soil
and water analyses from a professional lab and the correct interpretation of
the results, the optimal fertigation schemes can be calculated.
Soil and water analyses
Soil analysis is performed to examine the presence of macro and micro
elements and their balance. Two methods can be used for soil analysis:
• the 1:2 extraction
• the Spurway analysis
The Spurway analysis is recommended over the 1:2 extraction as the
Spurway analysis provides information on which elements are directly
available for uptake by the plant.
Water analysis should be done for:
• source water (borehole, river or lake water)
• irrigation water from the drip lines
• drain water
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Source water analysis shows the quality of the water used. High levels
of suspended materials (like soil particles), algae and microbes, cause
clogging and damage to the irrigation system. High levels of certain
nutrients like bicarbonates, fluoride or sodium, will adversely affect the
chemical composition of irrigation water. Water analysis reports show
which quality parameters need to be improved. Crop advisors can provide
solutions for water quality issues.
Drip water analysis is done to test if the plants receive the correct
fertigation. Deviations between fertigation settings and actual supply
indicate problems in the fertigation system. Drain water analysis is used
to optimize the fertigation regime as it shows the uptake of water and
nutrients, reflecting the needs of the plant. In soil cultivation, a drain pit
should be dug in the beds so that drain water samples can be collected.
“A soil analysis should be done
at least every second month,
but preferably every month.
For water analysis once a month
is recommended.”
On the farm the pH and EC of drain water can be monitored with a handheld sensor once or twice per week for soil cultivation, and preferably every
day for hydroponics.
The optimal pH level for a rose plant lies between 5.8 and 6.8 in soil
cultivation and between 6.2 and 6.4 as measured in hydroponic drain water.
Fertilization regimes
A standard fertigation regime for soil-based rose growing in East Africa is
presented in the table below.
Optimal pH range for uptake elements
4.5
4.5
5.0
5.0
5.5
5.5
6.0
6.0
6.5
6.5
7.0
7.0
7.5
7.5
8.0
8.0
pH
Nitrates
Nitrates
Nitrates
Potassium
Potassium
Potassium
Aluminium
Aluminium
Aluminium
Phosphates
Phosphates
Standard fertigation regime for rose in soil (mmol per litre for macro
elements and in µmol per litre for micro-elements)
Phosphates
Iron Iron
Iron
Magnesium
Magnesium
Macro Elements
NH4 K
N tot Ca
Mg
NO3 SO4 P
Urea
0.602.507.502.501.906.401.250.750.50
Micro Elements
Fe MnZn B Cu MoEC
15.009.00 4.50 20.001.00 0.75 1.40
Magnesium
SulfurSulfur
Sulfur
Manganese
Manganese
Molybdenum
Molybdenum
Manganese
Zinc Zinc
Molybdenum
CopperCopper
Zinc
Be sure enough fertilizers and crop protection products are kept in stock for
every growing season
Boron Boron
Copper
Boron
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Optimal EC levels are listed in the table below.
The pH and EC sensors need to be calibrated every two weeks. For
calculation of fertigation regimes a crop advisor can be contacted.
Optimal EC levels
HydroponicSeason
Soil
Season
Dry (µS/cm)
Rain (µS/cm)
Dry (µS/cm)
Rain (µS/cm)
Drip water
1.4 - 1.6
1.6 - 1.9
Drip water
1.0 - 1.4
1.4 - 1.7
Drain water
1.6 - 1.8
1.9 - 2.1
Soil
0.6 - 0.7
0.7 - 0.9
Crop protection
Several diseases, like botrytis, downey mildew and powdery mildew, can
adversely affect rose production. Particularly the prevention of botrytis
development will have a positive effect on the vase-life of roses.
Proper ventilation and keeping an open plant structure reduces the
chance of botrytis development. Cutting out short stems and undercutting
in the rainy season keeps the crop more open. A positive side-effect of
undercutting in the rainy season is that thicker shoots grow back.
A right fertigation regime will reduce the probability of botrytis
development. By reducing the available amount of water for the plant and
creating a higher drip EC, the plant will grow slightly slower but it becomes
more vigorous. Fungal spores will have more difficulty to germinate onto
the leaves.
A well-developed root system will make the rose plant less susceptible
to diseases. Positive effects on root development are noted from the
application of biological plant-enhancing products such as Trichoderma
harzianum. Application will promote the development of micro organisms
that help the plant become less susceptible to infections.
Hygiene demands particular attention. Botrytis can easily live on and
spread from dead organic material. Plant waste should be removed from
the greenhouse regularly, especially during the rainy season.
Fungicides
Even when proper preventive measures are taken, botrytis can still
occur and curative actions need to be taken. Suitable crop-protection
products against botrytis are Rovral (active ingredient: Iprodion), Scala
(a.i. Pyrimethanil), Teldor (a.i. Fenhexamid) and Switch (a.i. Cyprodonil+
Fludioxonil). In strongly affected crops, the application of Switch is
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preferred. The products should be applied in an alternating scheme to
prevent build-up of resistance of the fungi to the fungicides. Spray every
five days. Prepare a spraying programme taking the afore-mentioned into
account. Always carry out a spraying trial when a product is used for the
first time, or contact a crop protection advisor.
“Prepare a spraying programme
based on an alternating scheme
of fungicides and spray every
five days.”
Spraying techniques
The effectiveness of spraying fungicides greatly depends on the spraying
technique and the type of nozzle used to apply the fungicide. Apply the
fungicide evenly both on and under the leaves.
To achieve an even spraying pattern:
• Work with a spray lance with a well-functioning valve.
• Make sure there are no leaks in the hose and spray lance.
• Make sure the spray line is well flushed.
• Choose an appropriate spray nozzle which can release 3,000 litres per
hectare. An Albuz CVI 110 nozzle (yellow or green) or a Conejet TXA
nozzle (yellow or green) are appropriate nozzles to spray against
botrytis. Check the leaf coverage of the nozzles with every spraying by
checking both sides of sprayed leaves.
• Apply full-crop spraying: while walking backwards, move the lance from
a downward position upwards, move across the top leaves and turn
downwards, take one or two steps backwards and repeat.
• Switch from using a spray lance to a spray trolley on a regular basis to
gain optimal coverage.
• Make sure to work at a steady pace, and with smooth movements.
Cutting strategy
Botrytis can easily spread during rose harvesting. A hygienic way of
working and proper handling of the stems after cutting will limit the risks of
botrytis infections.
An appropriate cutting strategy involves:
• Always using sharp scissors.
• Making a clear, horizontal cut.
• Cutting the flowers at the cut stage requested by the client.
• Disinfecting scissors thoroughly every day with chlorine or Menno
Clean.
• Cutting at proper height (0.5-1 cm above the eye).
• Making bunches that are not too big for moving the roses out of the
greenhouse.
• Carrying the roses properly: hold a bunch at the base of the stems and
heave roses just over the shoulder.
• Putting cut roses in water within 10 minutes of harvesting.
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Post-harvest Protocol
Step 2: Water quality, hygiene standards
and post-harvest treatment
A proper post-harvest treatment should be standard
practice at every rose farm. For optimum care it is
important to consider water quality, hygiene and other
post-harvest treatments.
Water quality
Flowers, typically roses, are very sensitive to the quality of the water that is
used post-harvest. The water quality has a huge influence on the remaining
life span of the roses and also determines the effect of the post-harvest
product used.
Water samples should be taken regularly and be sent to a local lab. A water
sample report contains a chemical analysis of the water, as well as an
explanation of the key parameters: pH, alkalinity, conductivity and TDS.
pH
pH (or potential of hydrogen) is measured on a scale of 0 – 14. Flower food is
most effective within the pH range of 3.0 – 5.0. It is important to keep the pH
level within the optimum range as a change of one pH unit means a tenfold
increase or decrease in the acidity of the solution.
Alkalinity
Alkalinity values are used to measure the water’s ability to buffer acids
when they are added: the higher the value, the higher the buffering capacity.
Alkalinity does not refer to the pH but to the ability of water to resist change
in pH. Values below 60 ppm reflect the level of pure water. When the
alkalinity is more than 350 ppm it is better to purify the water.
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Conductivity and TDS
Conductivity is the ability of the water to conduct electricity. From
conductivity measurements the total dissolved solids (TDS) can be
calculated, which indicates the sum of the anions and cations in the water.
TDS becomes critical when concentration is more than 600 ppm. In that
case it is better to purify the water.
In order to improve the water quality:
• The water should be tested regularly (minimum 4x per year) and
analyzed by an independent laboratory.
• A water purification system should be implemented to achieve
acceptable water quality (i.e. reversed osmosis) if the water quality is
insufficient.
• Post-harvest treatment should be adjusted if needed, based upon the
water analysis.
“A rule of thumb: the quality of the
water for the flowers must be so
good that you would drink it.”
Hygiene
Good and clean water is important as a starter, but keeping it so is another
important part of successful post-harvest treatment. It is essential to
implement a hygiene protocol, including:
• A bucket-washing procedure using a detergent (i.e. professional cleaner).
• Racking to dry buckets before stacking and reuse.
• Regular bacteria checks of buckets using bacteria paddle testers.
• Working cleanly throughout the entire production, including protocol for
cleaning knives, scissors, production lines, etc.
• Using a professional (stable) post-harvest product.
• Using cold water (optimal 5 to 10 °C). Cold water will contaminate slower
and supports the cooling of flowers.
“Training of staff and clear
explanation of the Hygiene
Protocol is of utmost importance.
It will lead to better understanding
and more colleague involvement.”
General hygiene
Greenhouses and surroundings, grading halls and cold store should be
kept dry and free from plant litter. Cold stores should be cleaned and
disinfected every week. Buckets should be visually clean and cleaned with a
commercially available bucket cleaner on a daily basis. Checking of bacteria
on a regular basis is recommended and action should be taken when
required by using the recommended products. Appoint a person responsible
for general hygiene who can check all hygiene issues on the farm.
“From greenhouse to departure
from the farm, cleanliness and
tidiness help prevent hygiene
problems.”
Post-harvest treatment
Post-harvest treatment is a multiple-step process. In the greenhouse, just
after the cutting, a rose needs a different post-harvest product than when
stored after grading and before shipment. Furthermore, the sensitivity of
the roses for botrytis and ethylene should be considered.
A professional post-harvest product should be used, determined by the crop
that is grown. It is important to measure parameters such as the pH and
bacteria level in the used solution daily. These parameters will determine
the re-use frequency and the efficacy of the post-harvest product throughout the life of the roses. Adjust post-harvest products if necessary.
Use professional products only; consider water saving and product use
reductions. Adjust treatment to local water quality. Choose specific treatments for hydration, feeding and prevention of botrytis and ethylene issues.
And in general:
• Confirm your quality and total flower life with flower life trials
throughout the year.
• Train post-harvest supervisors and colleagues on accurate knowledge
and practices.
• For optimum post-harvest management consult a post-harvest treatment advisor regularly.
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Post-harvest Protocol
Step 3: Post-harvest quality management
A quality management system is a valuable tool for
farms. It should be implemented to achieve and retain
consistency in quality. The FloraHolland management
system consists of quality control, quality assurance
and quality improvement. Quality control focuses on
the process output from flower cutting to unpacking at
the receiver. Quality assurance gives feedback loops
for error prevention. By maintaining this loop, quality
will improve.
The FloraHolland quality control system captures several parts of steps
1 and 2. In total, the system contains the following elements:
Damage on flowers
Handling roses with care prevents damage:
• A close look at all harvest and post-harvest processes brings up the
critical points where flowers get damaged and solves them.
• Touching flowers at the buds, peeling flowers and careless handling
should be banned from all handling processes.
• Harvesting nets, foam, smooth table surfaces and careful handling in
all processes will produce flowers without damage.
• Check on a regular basis if the process still passes without ’potential
damage causers’. Discuss with your post-harvest consultant and
follow up.
Cutting stage
Cutting stage should be uniform and linked to client demands. At the
optimal cut stage (VBN 2) the bud size and opening capacity of the flower
will be at its best and sensitivity to damage at its lowest. The cut stage has
to be determined per rose variety and explained to the harvesters. Support
this by providing picture material. The knowledge of the harvesters should
be checked on a daily or weekly basis, depending on their experience.
Post-harvest solution
In step 2 the important parameters relating to water quality, hygiene
standards and post-harvest treatment have been highlighted.
In short, the water should be visually clean and checks should be carried
out on a daily basis. Water quality should be measured by an external
laboratory, with a minimum of 4 x per year.
Water temperature should be low. Optimal would be 5-10°C. The flower
temperature can already be brought down in the greenhouse by using cold
water. Provide thermometers to check water temperatures on a daily basis
or ask a post-harvest consultant for support.
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Commercially-available post-harvest solutions provide exact dosage
instructions. Different products have different agents with different effects
and working instructions. Commercially-available products have proven to
give better post-harvest results than home-made products.
A checking procedure should be set up for preparing the post-harvest
solution. Are all instruments working properly, is everybody using the
right tools?
Post-harvest time and temperatures
The limiting factors for the life of a cut rose after harvest are time
and temperature. The product of time and temperature is called the
temperature sum (expressed as degree-hours or degree-days).
For the post-harvest process it only means that temperatures should
always be as low as possible and the process as quick as possible.
The optimal storage temperature for roses is 0.5-2°C. Check all processes
for possibilities to improve the cold chain weather in time or temperature.
Receiving cold stores are often kept at a temperature of 10°C. This seems
to be a good compromise between the optimal temperature and the fact
that doors are opening frequently. Try to reduce door-opening frequency
to a minimum without leaving flowers waiting in the warmer outside
conditions for too long.
Seasonal changes in your process may be advisable due to weather
conditions. Together with a post-harvest consultant you can look for a
good compromise.
It is also valuable to give mandate for cold store audits. Post-harvest
consultants can help to optimize the cold chain. A checking procedure
should be set up. Check temperatures with a thermometer on a
weekly basis.
Grading, bunching, cutting and quality control
Grading halls are not chilled most of the time. As described before, time is
the most important issue in this situation. Try to have flowers processed
within half an hour, measured from leaving the receiving cold store until
entering the final cold store.
Tools like cutting devices, de-leafing rakes, tables and grading devices
should be clean and checked for cleanliness on a daily basis.
Try to collect litter at the moment it occurs. Throw litter in litter-collection
buckets or barrels immediately. This avoids cleaning work afterwards and
helps to have better hygiene.
Check cutting devices for sharpness on a daily basis. The responsible
person should be taught to sharpen or to replace knifes.
Prior to packing the boxes, flowers should be cooled down again, preferably
to 2°C. Pack flowers into boxes at an ambient temperature of 2°C. Stack
boxes with space between them to provide airflow.
The best box material available on the market should be used for roses.
Cardboard quality is often poor, as are straps and staples. Teach the
responsible person to use straps and staples in the right way. Avoid damage
by using excellent packing materials and pack rates. Optimum pack rates
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depend on variety, stem length and bud size. These issues should be
discussed with the post-harvest consultant or import handling agent.
Try to get as much feedback as possible about the product quality
by conducting vase-life tests after transport, quality feedback
after transport and cold chain monitoring by using data loggers or
temperature indicators.
To set up all control-loops it is preferable to work together with a
post-harvest consultant. Procedures need to be checked by someone
who can view the processes with fresh eyes on a regular basis
(e.g. once every 3 months). Employees working in the company get
used to processes even when they are not right. After working like
this for a while, flaws will no longer be noticed.
Most important when setting up a control-loop is to point out the
person’s responsibility.
“To be consistent in quality and
volumes makes you a reliable
partner In the supply chain.”
Example of using the Quality Management System at one of the farms
November 2012 – March 2013
Bent stems
Bunching
Cut stage
Damage
Bent stems
Residue
Uniformity
Temperature
Bunching
Cut stage
Damage
Diseases
Packing
Residue
Uniformity
Temperature
Residue
Uniformity
Temperature
Improved / Not improved
Bent stems
Vaselife
test
Packing
April 2012 – July 2013
Example of using the Quality Management System at one of the farms
Audit/
repeated
visit of
consultant
Diseases
Vaselife
test
Audit/
repeated
visit of
consultant
Bunching
Cut stage
Damage
Diseases
Packing
Vaselife
test
Audit/
repeated
visit of
consultant
Using the Quality Management System
1
Improvements
in process or
on the farm
2
Quality
check
Improvements
in process or
on the farm
Cold chain
monitoring
Improvements
in process or
on the farm
Cold chain
monitoring
Feedback
of results
Feedback
of results
1. Quality control is focused
on process outputs.
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3
Quality
check
2. Quality assurance gives
feedback loops for
error prevention.
Quality
check
Cold chain
monitoring
Feedback
of results
3. Improvement
In the FloraHolland Quality Management System quality checks are
conducted on a monthly basis. A complete set of quality issues are
judged on a scale from very good to very bad. This scale is based on
the VBN product specification for roses. Also vase life is checked
every month.
Quality checks
To make everything visual, colours are used to describe the quality:
Very poor (red)
Not sufficient (orange)
Improvement needed (yellow)
Ok (dark green)
Very good (light green)
For the result (improved/not improved), the colour codes are:
Improved (green)
No changes (blue)
Worse (red)
To evaluate improvements in quality performance, a start-up period
and several moments of evaluation are usually defined. Farms receive
summaries of the quality checks including the degree of improvement
made. Structural improvement means that a constant level of
performance is reached.
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“By conducting a monthly loop of quality feedback,
vase-life testing and farm-visit quality issues remain
priorities in everyone’s mind. Growers who use
post-harvest services have the opportunity to
improve quality and achieve higher market shares
as well as prices.”
Vase-life testing
Some customers ask for vase-life guarantees. By vase-life testing,
growers gain insight into which varieties perform well. Poor vase-life
performance should be solved by finding the reason (cold chain, variety,
post-harvest treatment). Selection of varieties can be based on vase-life
performance. Growers or varieties can be benchmarked on vase-life
performance.
Examples of vase-life test results
Farm A
Farm B
Farm C
Farm D
Varieties tested
88710
Varieties tested multiple times
5455
No. of varieties - improved
2
2
1
1
No. of varieties - worse
3
1
4
3
No. of varieties - no changes
-
1
-
1
Average days of vase-life
10.8
9.7
8.5
9.4
Average flower opening
2.9* 2.9
2.8
2.9
No. of varieties with poor
performance (less than 8 days)
3**
223
No. of varieties performing
8 days vase-life guarantee
5**
6
5
7
*
Good flower opening start from stage 3,3
** Vase-life performance is judged “good” from 8 days on
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The local partners that participated in the trial period
in Ethiopia are Dugda Flora, Tinaw, Tana Flora and
Ziway Roses. The farms are located throughout
Ethiopia’s horticultural production region. Due to the
wide range of locations, different challenges came
up with each farm and a variety of conditions were
included in the trials.
Dugda Flora is located in DebreZeyt at around 1850 to 1900 masl and
grows 12 varieties of roses in 22 ha of greenhouses.
Tinaw is located in Wolkite at an elevation of 1950 to 2000 masl and has
16 ha of roses with 9 different varieties in production.
Tana Flora can be found near Bahir Dar at 1850 masl and consists of
20 ha of rose production. The farm exports around 95,000 roses of 13
different varieties to FloraHolland in the Netherlands daily.
Ziway Roses is located at the Sher Ethiopia complex at Lake Ziway which
lies at 1600 masl. The farm grows 15 rose varieties on 42 ha which are all
supplied to FloraHolland. On average, the production volume is 2 million
stems per week.
All farms together are producing 41 varieties of cut roses on about 80 ha
for the northern European market. Production areas of the different
varieties differ widely. The rose varieties Red Calypso, Aspen, Red
Ribbon, Belle Rose and Mariyo! are grown in the largest volumes and thus
were the most important varieties included in the trials.
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Dutch partners
DLV Plant
DLV Plant is a leading, independent international advisory and research
partner for the agricultural and horticultural sectors. Its activities are
aimed at advice, research and projects in the Netherlands and abroad.
More than 175 knowledge-driven consultants are working worldwide.
DLV Plant has offices in Africa, Latin America and Europe and has a
strong network within the agricultural, horticultural and affiliated
sectors.
Activities East Africa
DLV Plant has set up a specialist team for East Africa to support the
development of the horticultural sector. Core business is advising
companies on crop cultivation and supporting them in realizing their
business objectives. The experience of the DLV Plant advisors with local
cultivation conditions combined with their high-technology knowledge
background enables them to identify the best technical solutions to
improve business performances at farm level. Besides cultivation advice,
the team provides support in development, financing and implementation
of projects on horticultural technologies, sustainable energy and
management.
Green Farming partners in Post-harvest Protocol
Green Farming partners in Post-harvest Protocol
Local partners
Contact information
Francis Hoogerwerf,
Senior Project Manager East Africa
Agro Business Park 65, Wageningen
P.O. Box 7001
6700 CA Wageningen
The Netherlands
T +31 (0)317 491 540
F +31 (0)317 491 473
info@dlvplant.nl
www.dlvplant.nl
M +254 (0)702 466 329 (KE)
M + 251 (0)923 210 929 (ET)
f.hoogerwerf@dlvplant.nl
Role in the project
DLV Plant focused on the starting conditions of a rose stem, based on
the cultivation in the greenhouse. Optimizing these conditions is the
key factor in giving harvested roses a good start on their way to the
consumers. The most important points are irrigation, the application
of fertilizers, crop protection management and the handling of the
flowers. DLV Plant advised on the best fertigation regime based on soil
sample analysis and on crop protection management, such as spraying
techniques, equipment, integrated pest management and strategy of
cutting at harvesting so that the crop develops well. Advice on chemical
use could be linked to leaf analysis of residue levels.
DLV Plant is also the coordinator of the Green Farming programme.
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FloraHolland
FloraHolland: gateway to world trade
The centre of the world’s flower and plant trade lies in the Netherlands.
Suppliers and buyers from all over the world have access to the global
market for flowers and plants through auction and the intermediary
service of FloraHolland. FloraHolland facilitates trade and logistics
and brings together an extremely rich and multi-colored international
assortment of flowers and plants.
Activities East Africa
FloraHolland offers services to its international suppliers through local
offices situated in Kenya, Israel, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Colombia and
Spain. These services include providing a local point of contact, visits to
the nursery, marketing guidance and quality control for shipping.
Role in the project
FloraHolland has developed a quality-management system for the
post-harvest phase of rose production that is used in the project. It
focuses on post-harvest handling and conditions from cutting the roses
to arrival in the Netherlands.
During the project FloraHolland has pointed out bottlenecks in
handling, hygiene, usage of tools, packaging material, pack rates,
cold chain. By testing the consumer vase life and checking on visual
product quality, feed-back loops were given to the grower. Regular
farm visits were made to check on processes and help to implement
improvements.
FloraHolland also had a role in the project coordination and in reporting
the combined results of DLV Plant, FloraLife and FloraHolland to the
growers.
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Contact information
The Netherlands
FloraHolland the Netherlands
Legmeerdijk 313, Aalsmeer
P.O. Box 1000
1430 BA Aalsmeer
The Netherlands
T +31 (0)297 39 3939
aalsmeer@floraholland.nl
www.floraholland.com
Ethiopia
FloraHolland Consultancy Services PLC
PO Box 3002 code 1250
Addis Ababa - Ethiopia
T +251 11 467 4063/69
M +251 93 000 3816
jaspherveldkamp@floraholland.nl
Kenya
FloraHolland Services (K) Ltd
PO Box 19279-00501
Nairobi, Kenya
T +254731069092 / +254723699484
fhservices@floraholland.ke.co
Oasis FloraLife Central Europe
Oasis FloraLife Central Europe, with offices in Germany, England and the
Netherlands, services the market with post-harvest products and related
customers services. FloraLife provides the products needed at every
level of the distribution chain, in Europe and in Africa.
Activities East Africa
FloraLife Africa Ltd is situated at the airport in Nairobi, Kenya and
services the African (flower) growers with post-harvest products and
related services. FloraLife Africa is committed to increasing knowledge
at individual farms in the area of post-harvest care and handling by
educating colleagues, demonstrations and trials. The FloraLife Africa
Laboratory provides additional services to the needs of the individual
FloraLife customer.
Green Farming partners in Post-harvest Protocol
Green Farming partners in Post-harvest Protocol
Dutch partners
Contact information
Oasis FloraLife Central Europe GmbH
Arjen de Haan, Technical Manager Oasis
FloraLife Central Europe GmbH
Nobelstraat 16 BU6, ‘s-Gravenzande
The Netherlands
T +31 (0)174 444100
F +31 (0)174 413333
info@floralife.eu
www.floralife.eu
Role in the project
As initiator of the Post-harvest Project, FloraLife has played an important
role in the project. FloraLife has been responsible for reviewing the
variability in water quality within the different regions in Ethiopia, as well
as mapping the currently used post-harvest products, and the efficacy of
these in the various water types.
FloraLife reviewed the hygiene standards at each farm and gave
recommendations for improvements.
FloraLife has also set up trials using the FloraLife professional postharvest product line. The trials demonstrate that these products will help
improve hygiene standards and give better care and handling on the rose
farms, enabling rose farms to achieve an overall better flower life.
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Partners
for Perfect
Solutions
Contact information
Green Farming
Francis Hoogerwerf
T +31(0)317 491 540
M +254 (0)702 466 329 (KE)
M +251 (0)923 210 929 (ET)
info@greenfarming.nl
www.greenfarming.nl
August 2013
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