The Kansas Department of Agriculture is asking growers and retailers to follow regulatory action and recommendations in scouting petunias for symptoms of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV).

Growers who have received Red Fox brand petunia cuttings from the Dümmen Group’s Las Mercedes, El Salvador stock plant facility should inspect unrooted petunia cuttings and plants for any symptoms of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV).

Here is the advice Dümmen shared with its customers on scouting and preventative measures for dealing with TMV on petunia.

Two of Dümmen’s overseas facilities have earned certifications: Red Fox Ethiopia reached the Gold certificate of the Ethiopian Horticulture Producer & Export Association and Red Fox Las Mercedes successfully passed MPS-GAP certification for good agricultural practices. RED FOX Las Mercedes in El Salvador started working on MPS-GAP in March 2013 and is now successfully certified. Originally developed for fruit and vegetable production, MPS-GAP has been adapted for the flower industry. MPS-GAP looks at the whole production process: land use (for example avoiding erosion); parental material; training of workers and advisors; storage and use of chemicals and fertilizers; safety, health and hygiene; policies on use of energy, chemicals and substrate; call-back procedures and waste management. To obtain an MPS-GAP certificate the participant has to have an MPS-ABC certification. MPS-ABC focuses on the environmental impact: use of crop protection agents, fertilizers, energy, water and implementation of recycling programs for paper, plastic and other waste […]

It’s been a year since Agribio Group bought Ecke Ranch and only a few months since Agribio Group and Dümmen merged and together formed the holding company DNA Green Group. With the continued consolidation of the industry’s plant breeding companies sparking some confusion among growers and allied industry members, we caught up with the Dümmen Group’s General Manager Perry Wismans to get some clarification. We asked him about the structure of the company and all of its pieces, how they will be marketed, what growers will need to know and what the company has in store for the future. GG: What are the roles of Agribio Group and the Dümmen Group in the new company and how will growers be impacted? Perry Wismans: After the merger, Agribio Group and the Dümmen Group will still operate independently in the market place. Both companies are now owned by the same shareholder, DNA […]

Original ideas abound in the floriculture industry, but not every idea is a success. There are the times, however, when a company hits on a concept that fills a void growers didn’t realize was there, and it’s such a game-changer, they can’t imagine growing without it. The 2013 Medal Of Excellence for Marketing goes to a company that used its game-changing idea to not only sell plants, but to solve container garden production problems and streamline this thriving growth area. Dümmen North America’s (NA) Red Fox Confetti Garden products are innovative, time-saving and profit-increasing products that benefit the supply chain and satisfy consumers’ need for quick, convenient and beautiful color. Filling A VoidSpring annuals are a hot commodity for any breeding program, and most plant breeders feel they need a presence in this area to compete. But when Dümmen entered the vegetative spring annuals market in the mid-2000s, it did […]