Martin Hudson stepping down as CEO
Flamingo Horticulture Investments, Dudutech’s parent company, has announced this week that Martin Hudson will be stepping down as CEO, bringing his 25-year career in the business to a close. Martin was instrumental in driving Flamingo to become what it is today – the leading premium flower and fresh produce supplier to the UK. We would like to take this opportunity to wish Martin farewell after an outstanding tenure at Flamingo.
Dudutech Zimbabwe’s Phil Weller presented his Nuffield research at the 10th Annual Oppenheimer Conference
Photo. Phil Weller (Dudutech Zimbabwe) with his research poster, visited by Nicky Oppenheimer and Duncan MacFadyen at the 10th Oppenheimer Research Conference.
Phil Weller (Dudutech Zimbabwe and Nuffield Zimbabwe) had the privilege of presenting his research at the 10th Oppenheimer Research Conference (1-3 October 2019). The conference, which brought together over 348 delegates with interests in natural and environmental science, aims to contribute to the global conversation on ecosystems and biodiversity in a meaningful way.
“Work with nature, don’t impose your will on nature,”
Nicky Oppenheimer, 10th Oppenheimer Research Conference 2019
This year Phil Weller presented research from his Nuffield research project on how Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is being used in a commercial context around the world. The aim of the project was to highlight how IPM can be used globally for sustainable agriculture on a wide variety of crops and livestock.
During the introduction of the conference, Nicky Oppenheimer said, “work with nature; don’t impose your will on nature,” reaffirming the ethos at the heart of Dudutech and Phil’s research project.
Photo. Jonathan Oppenheimer with a panel at the 10th Oppenheimer Research Conference, Johannesburg, South Africa 2019.
Graphic. A poster for Phil Weller’s Nuffield Zimbabwe project.
Thanks to the incredible turn-out, “TreeTech 2019 – Growing avocados in a new era” was a fantastic success with over 80 growers from the avocado industry in attendance at the World Agroforestry Centre and more than 2600 minutes streamed live on Facebook. The event which focussed on the sustainable production of avocados brought together industry growers, leaders and thinkers to help shape meaningful discourse from boardrooms to orchards – inspiring a future of growing avocados which routinely deploys sustainability practices at every level.
Avocado growers are facing an exciting future with growing markets in the US, EU and China as the millennial consumer class matures. However, at the same time, the industry faces many challenges in the form of climate change, export regulations, pest control issues and public criticism of habitat loss and deforestation. By working closely with ICRAF, Goldsuite and Insect Science, we created a symposium programme around issues which avocado growers face on a daily basis. The course was made up of a series of lectures delivered by thought leaders in the topics of advanced nutrition, integrated crop and pest management and agroforestry.
The TreeTech concept was born out of the question of what IPM providers are doing to support the fast-growing avocado industry globally and closer to home in Kenya. We hoped this event would foster an extension of the technology enjoyed by veg and flowers to tree and fruit crops.
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Garlic extract officially added to PPPL and PoKeMon positive list
The active ingredient in NEMguard, garlic extract, has been officially added to the PPPL (Plant Protection Product List) and PoKeMon positive list by FoodExperts S.L. As the name suggests, these specially curated lists promote the legal, safe and responsible use of plant protection products. For more info, go to https://web.food-experts.com/
Dudutech launched NEMguard SC earlier this year, with the product positioned for sustainable management of nematodes. The recognition of garlic extract, the active ingredient in NEMguard SC, as a legal, safe and responsible plant protection product is a major win for farmers and the environment. Growers can now mitigate their use of potentially harmful active ingredients which riddle the market by opting to deploy garlic extract found in NEMguard SC to combat their plant-parasitic nematode problem.
Find out more about NEMguard SC at https://www.dudutech.com/products/nemguard/
Ismael Yassin, from the Dudutech Ethiopia team, with an IPM training group from Sher Afriflora, Ethiopia. June 2019
Dudutech Ethiopia and the Dudutech Training Department joined forces to roll out a training programme for Sher Afriflora, spanning 261 employees and three of their farms in Ethiopia. The core focus of the training was geared towards raising basic IPM awareness among the participants, including over 60 at management-level and more than 180 scouts.
Central pillars to IPM success are a clear understanding and unified execution at all levels. This is achieved through effective, regular training at all levels for our growers. Discover how Dudutech Training can help your growing operation reach its potential, contact dudutechtrainers@dudutech.com.
Marvin Odula and John Ogechah from Dudutech Training conducting training for farm managers as part of the Sher Afriflora IPM awareness training. June 2019
Phil Weller, Nuffield Scholar, in a field on his farm outside Harare, Zimbabwe.
Phil Weller, authorised Dudutech distributor for Zimbabwe, has been selected as a Nuffield International Farming Scholar for 2019. The prestigious global programme focuses on building personal capacity, propagating excellence in agriculture and driving thought leadership on local and international levels.
Since its establishment by Lord Nuffield in 1947, the scholarship has inducted 1,700 agriculturalists from around the world, and only 13 in 2019. The scholarship aims to develop leadership and expertise to keep the agriculture industry dynamic, competitive and at the service of society.
The programme is structured in three phases. The Contemporary Scholars Conference begins the journey in March, bringing together all 70 Nuffield Scholars from around the world for up to 10 days. Following that is the Global Focus Programme, in which the scholars will travel abroad to a country of interest for 7 weeks. According to Nuffield International, “scholars benefit from exposure to a broad range of agricultural systems, in very different political and social environments, whilst travelling in a close group of individuals of varying backgrounds during an intense programme.” The third and final part of the programme is the Individual Research Travels and Report, whereby the scholars travel to research their topic. Their 10,000-word report is then presented to a conference of peers, contributing to the global agricultural knowledge-base.
Nuffield International, the non-profit body which provides support and governance to the scholarship, has aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, recognising the vital role agriculture plays in pursuing many of them. In doing so, Nuffield Scholars are brought to the front line to lead their industry towards a sustainable future all.
Dudutech is proud to be associated with Nuffield Scholar Phil Weller, who has decided to study “Integrated Pest Management (IPM) as the sustainable future for global agriculture,” which he affirmed in an interview. The research will focus on how IPM can make major global agricultural sectors more sustainable through the potential for the system to reduce industry reliance on chemical pesticides by increasing the use of biocontrols. Phil’s experience in the industry developed his view that “profit and sustainability go hand in hand and (IPM) is the key for the future.”
Weller said his IPM research aims to aid in addressing the global challenges of “residues on crops, resistance to chemicals and land pressure.” He said he hoped that “it will encourage farmers to look at agriculture in a more holistic manner with sustainability being the key.”
His personal ambition is to gain an up to date understanding of global trends in sustainable agriculture, agricultural policies and to broaden his professional network. He went on to say that he hoped his research would help to give back to Zimbabwe in terms of bringing forward the latest IPM technology.
Weller’s earlier studies saw papers published on papaya fertiliser trials and avocados. As a grower of cut flowers for the export market, Phil developed a deep interest in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to help combat pest and disease in a sustainable, environmentally friendly way. He credits using IPM on Tonsberg Farm, his own growing operation in Zimbabwe, as a key to accessing foreign markets, where the regulations are steadily becoming more restrictive against chemical controls.
To finance their studies abroad, Nuffield Scholars seek investment from key businesses in relevant fields. Beside Dudutech (Kenya), Phil Weller has received investment from Nufarm (Australia), Drip-Tech (Zimbabwe) and Nuffield International. The investors form a network to support and disseminate the research done through the scholarship. The Nuffield Scholarship aligns well with Dudutech’s own emphasis on furthering an understanding of global crop sciences through education and research.
As a Nuffield Scholar, the potential understanding gained from Phil Weller’s research journey while participating in the scholarship has far reaching effects on the future of sustainable agriculture and for Dudutech. Follow this story as it develops on our social media channels www.facebook.com/dudutech.
To find out more about the Nuffield Scholarship, go to http://www.nuffieldinternational.org
Tetranychus urticae – Pic: J. Holopainen
Despite their tiny size, red spider mites (Tetranychus urticae) have a big impact on global agriculture, causing extensive damage to a wide variety of plants and crops and they have a terrifying super-power. These tiny super-pests are potentially resistant to the narrow range of available acceptable pesticides. However, the agriculture industry has minute but powerful weapons to fight the mites – biological controls (or biocontrols).
Biocontrol is a branch of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) on the forefront of scientific advances in long term agricultural sustainability using the pest’s own natural enemies against them while reducing reliance on chemical pesticides which can harm people and the environment.
Dudutech, an IPM company based in Naivasha, Kenya, has over ten years experience in designing and developing biocontrols used in the management of red spider mites in large scale agriculture. In particular, Dudutech has successfully developed two powerful biocontrol products: PHYTOTECH® and AMBLYTECH®.
PHYTOTECH® is a highly targeted biocontrol which deploys the beneficial mite Phytoseiulus persimilis, which actively searches for and feeds on red spider mites in all lifecycle stages. Once PHYTOTECH® has cleared pest, they either leave in search of more food or eventually die off. This makes PHYTOTECH® a precision weapon in the war against red spider mites.
Similarly, AMBLYTECH® is also a natural enemy of red spider mites, but the beneficial mite Amblyseius californicus are able to go for long periods without feeding. Although Amblytech prefer to feed on red spider mites, they also feed on Thrips and nectar. This features allow AMBLYTECH® to be used preventatively, protecting plants from red spider mites over longer periods of time.
When growers use PHYTOTECH® and AMBLYTECH® they harness the power of nature to sustainably protect their crops against red spider mites. Without the harmful chemical pesticides in their growing practices their crops are healthier, pre-harvest intervals are reduced to zero and pesticide resistance is avoided.
Further info:
Red spider mites also known as two-spotted mites, or scientifically as Tetranychus urticae, are arthropods which use their needle-like mouthparts to feed on plant tissue, causing yellowing or greying on leaves. If not brought under control, they can cause plants to completely lose their leaves. When T. urticae feed on flowers brown speckles appear on the petals.
Red spider mites have a lifespan of up to 16 days and peak hatching occurs at around 27°C, developing from an egg into an adult, reaching around 0.4mm long, within 8 days. Each female can lay up to 20 eggs per day – this rate can see their populations balloon within a short time frame.
T. urticae feed on more than 200 different species of plant and are regarded as highly economically important, due to their destructive impact on global agricultural produce.
After a rigorous registration process, Phil Weller, the official distributor of Dudutech products in Zimbabwe, has received the official rubber stamp on a range of pest and crop management solutions. Among the products now available to farmers in Zimbabwe are MYTECH, TRICHOTECH, LECATECH and BEAUVITECH, microbial products used for the management of pests and diseases, and the intelligent chemicals pHusion and Trident used to boost crop development. The country, which has a tradition of commercial agriculture, is set to directly benefit from these innovative products through improved plant health and more sustainable crop and soil practices.
More about the products:
MYTECH contains Paecilomyces lilacinus (F18), a naturally occurring nematode killing fungus used to manage plant parasitic nematodes including Root knot, Cyst, Root lesion, Burrowing and Reniform amongst others.
BEAUVITECH contains spores of Beauveria bassiana J25, a fungus which kills Thrips and whiteflies through an entomopathogenic processes.
LECATECH is a biological insecticide containing Lecanicillium lecanii J27, a naturally occurring specialised entomopathogenic fungus which targets whiteflies.
TRICHOTECH contains spores of Trichoderma asperellum a soil dwelling fungi that is beneficial to plants. The fungus is antagonistic to soil pathogenic fungi and has been used globally for control of soil borne fungal diseases caused by Fusarium spp., Pythium spp. and Rhizoctonia spp. In addition, the strain is known to increase plant vigour.
pHUSION is a foliar feed containing 3-21-23+2% Phosphite + Silicon. The Si in pHUSION stimulates phosphite metabolism within the plant leading to increased root development even during stressful conditions.
TRIDENT is a folliar feed containing Zinc, Copper & Silicon – essential elements for plant health.
Growers in Tanzania can now benefit from a range of Dudutech’s biological pest control products. The portfolio approved by Tanzanian authorities includes beneficial mites and fungi used to sustainably protect crops against Thrips, red spider mites and root knot nematodes. The products, traded as BEAUVITECH, MYTECH and PHYTOTECH, enable flower and vegetable growers to harness nature to protect their crops in a sustainable, environmentally intelligent way.
These solutions were specially designed and developed under a “by growers for growers” mantra to provide farmer-focussed alternative approach to crop protection. In the past, farmers relied heavily on chemical pest controls which are potentially harmful to the environment, people and long term economic viability of agribusinesses.
Thrips, red spider mites and nematodes can be difficult to effectively manage using chemicals alone. This is due to a confluence of problems compounding challenges such as resistance management, market restrictions, non-target effects and safety restrictions. When these issues arise, farmers suffer lower productivity, reduced plant quality and increased costs. Using biocontrols addresses each of these while protecting the long term future of growing and selling crops.
PHYTOTECH is one of Dudutech’s flagship biocontrol products, it deploys specially reared beneficial mites called Phytoseiulus persimilis, powerful natural predators which actively hunt and feed on red spider mites including their eggs, nymphs and adults. PHYTOTECH is safe to use and does not face natural resistance issues, unlike many routinely used chemical controls.
BEAUVITECH contains spores of a specially developed entomopathogenic (insect-killing) fungus called Beauveria bassiana which naturally targets Thrips in vegetables and flowers. When the spores come into contact with the target, they attach and penetrate the insect before feeding on internal tissue, killing the pest. Spores then emerge from the cadaver, ready to attack a new host. The formulation was designed to allow farmers to apply the product and safely interact with the crop immediately after spraying.
MYTECH contains formulated spores of Paecilomyces lilacinus, a nematophagous fungus which traps and digests root knot nematode adults, juveniles and eggs in the soil. MYTECH spores attach to a target nematode then form mycelia to trap it before invading and feeding on the host. The spores then emerge to continue the lifecycle on a fresh host. MYTECH is applied to the growing medium using drip irrigation or spray equipment to allow the fungal colonies to easily spread through the soil to infested regions in the crop. Chemical controls for root knot and other pest nematodes often harm beneficial non-target macro and micro organisms living in the soil around the crop roots. By using MYTECH growers can manage root knot nematodes without damaging the natural soil biome which crop plants rely on.
Livingstone Chepukel, Dudutech East Africa Sales Manager:
“Tanzania’s agriculture sector is large and growing but farmers face major challenges in sustainably protecting their crops against pests and diseases which ultimately impact on access to external markets and their bottom line. Dudutech’s entry into the market is an important step forward in securing the long term future of the agriculture industry in Tanzania.”