Many growers will recognize the image: during a scouting tour of the greenhouse, they come across a suspicious plant. The plant shows virus symptoms. Could this be due to the Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus (ToBRFV)? The Radar Quick Scan can give a quick answer in this case.
Upon finding a suspicious plant, you take a small piece of leaf material and the Radar Quick Scan user transfers the material directly to the test solution. "Within 30 minutes, growers thus get a reliable result whether the virus in question is present in the plant," says Rogier van der Voort.
Together with co-founder Bas Rutjens and now Menno Boot, Rogier is building Spark Radar into a virus test specialist in horticulture. The new symptomatic quick test is the next introduction in a series of virus tests that growers can perform themselves. "Our Radar Quick Scan is an alternative to the antigen strip. We offer the test per 10 pieces for 12.50 euros each."
Spark Radar offers the test, performed freeze-dried, worldwide. The ToBRF virus is also present worldwide by now, with one of the latest official announcements being findings in Australia.
Menno Boot (Head of Sales)
Keeping virus under control
Many growers already work with the pre-symptomatic Radar High Volume test, which is good for screening up to 100 plants at a time for viruses. "That test is also sometimes used by growers to carry out a sample when the material arrives from the plant breeder," Bas points out.
With the new rapid test, growers can quickly detect the presence of the virus, even if only one suspect plant is involved. And for growers who are now known to have the virus in a corner of the greenhouse, something you hear regularly in practice now that the virus is so widespread, the new rapid test can help prevent further spread of the virus through the greenhouse. "That way, growers will keep ToBRFV under control," he says.
Growers can use the same hardware for the Radar Quick Scan as for the Radar High Volume. In addition to testing for ToBRFV, Spark Radar continues to work on testing for other viruses, as well as testing for the presence of bacteria and fungi.
Menno Boot will be attending the Canadian Greenhouse Conference.
For more information:
Menno Boot
Rogier van der Voort
Spark Radar B.V.
Padualaan 8
3584 CH Utrecht
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
www.spark.ag