Removing the old tomato crops is at hand for many unlighted growths. The current situation around ToBRFV requires extra attention for hygiene in this period.
Even though you can think to be free from viruses, you could have missed it in an old crop. Make good agreements with the contractor. Particularly the use of clean cloths by contractors is of great importance. The following tips are relevant to removing the crops before you start decontaminating:
Crop remains
Make sure that the crop remains are put on a safe place on your terrain, so driving over it by transport (all wheels) to and from your company. Make sure that fluids from crop heaps or mats is drained to the sewer.
When shredding, prevent plant juice draining from the concrete path into the paths. The concrete path can be easily decontaminated, but the ground beside cannot.
Cloths and machines must be cleaned and decontaminated before they are allowed on your terrain. It has to look at least visibly clean.
Clean and decontaminate the cloths and the machines again on your terrain before the employee enters the greenhouse.
It would also be advisable to have everything cleaned and decontaminated at departure. Doing everything twice is safer for you, but also for the employee, and the customer of the contractor after you.
Make sure no caked and or loose dirt is visible on the equipment.
Preferably, the equipment and cloths are also cleaned before being used at another location in your company. You can never be sure whether all departments are free of contamination. You could miss the signs in an old crop.
Furthermore, it is also important that the employees of the contractor keeps to the hygiene rules for visitors. At ToBRFV it is important, also when crops are not planted yet, important that all visitors wear an overall and such.
After crop and substrate have been removed from the company, extra attention is paid to remove all organic remains from the paths. With vacuum cleaners and/or brooms, all loose remains are removed. If everything is removed from the greenhouse, also clean the concrete path and terrain so all crop remains are removed.
Source: Glastuinbouw Nederland / Annelies Hooijmans (Glastuinbouw Nederland) en Ines van Marrewijk (Groen Agro Control)