Rapid distinction between between active and inactive virus particles
Source: VFD.com
Spark Radar develops new test Rapid distinction between between active and inactive virus particles Dutch company Spark Radar has developed a new test that allows growers to quickly determine whether a greenhouse or irrigation water is genuinely free of virus, not just free of viral genetic material. "This eliminates the need for a bioassay or a visit to a service laboratory." The test is suitable for detecting Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus (ToBRFV) and Cucumber Green Mottle Mosaic Virus (CGMMV), both in water and on surfaces.
A grower cleaning a greenhouse or disinfecting water needs to know whether any actual risk to the crop persists. Growers routinely use water disinfection systems to keep their operations virus-free.
"This approach helps prevent disputes further down the line, should a virus still appear in the grower's greenhouse after the plants have been delivered," Van der Voort explains. For growers operating under supplementary lighting, the summer changeover period typically involves thorough cleaning of the greenhouse, followed by testing before the next crop cycle begins.
Why this matters: For operators, this is a water-management story. The useful signal is that direct substrate measurements can help cut drain loss materially without giving up yield or fruit quality, which is exactly the kind of controllable efficiency gain a facility can build on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does substrate sensing matter in free-drain strawberry systems?
Because drain percentage tells a grower what already happened, while substrate moisture and EC data show root-zone conditions directly. That makes it easier to cut water loss without guessing.
What is the operator takeaway from this trial?
If the thresholds are understood well enough, growers can reduce drain water materially while protecting yield and fruit quality, which makes sensing an operational tool instead of a reporting tool.
