UVC technology for control of strawberry diseases
UVC-tek 01
Powdery mildew, caused by Podosphaera aphanis, is a prevalent disease that can result in crop losses and reduced quality in tunnel-grown strawberries. Control of the disease typically involves the use of fungicides, which can have negative impacts on both the environment and human health. As such, their use has been severely restricted. UVC radiation can be utilised to control the spread of fungal diseases in plant production systems. The project aims to develop an alternative method for the use of fungicides.
The innovation group comprises of Luke, the Regional development company SavoGrow, a commercial strawberry farm Metsäpellon mansikat, and a company that designs and manufactures LED luminaires, ELSOR Oy. Between 2022 and 2024, the group will develop a prototype of an automatic UVC-based device that can be used in tunnel conditions to control powdery mildew. The stakeholders who can benefit from the project's results include strawberry producers, enterprises that use strawberries, consumers, and high-tech companies.
The device developed and built in the project was tested in the strawberry tunnel managed by SavoGrow during the 2023 growing season. After correcting the shortcomings identified during the tests, the equipment will be tested in a strawberry tunnel of Metsäpellon mansikat during the 2024 growing season.
