Over the past few weeks, not all dahlia fields have been looking equally healthy. Growth was lagging behind in several plots and flower production was lower than expected. To quickly determine whether this was caused by the Pythium fungus or by the persistent drought, Compas Agro Zundert and VARTA conducted research in the ROOTZ laboratory.

Using selective culture media, it was possible to quickly and reliably establish that the dahlia tubers were indeed affected by Pythium. Thanks to this rapid diagnosis and the intensive collaboration, appropriate measures could be taken in time to bring the fungus under control.

The close cooperation between Compas Agro Zundert, ROOTZ, VARTA and Bloemencorso Zundert prevented large-scale damage to the dahlias. Thanks in part to these efforts, we will once again be able to fully enjoy the world’s largest dahlia parade this coming weekend.