How orange oil is playing a bigger role in IPM

Added on 18 September 2023

Tags

How orange oil is playing a bigger role in IPM

Dümmen Orange is seeing an increase in the use of orange oil, a natural and non-toxic crop protection product. At two of its production locations in Central America and Africa, the company was able to reduce the use of chemical crop protection products by more than 60%. This makes an important contribution to one of the main environmental objectives of the company.

“Dümmen Orange takes a leading role in advancing sustainability and promoting sustainable business practices across the value chain,” says Manuela van Leeuwen, Phytosanitary Manager at Dümmen Orange. “We are always looking for new and innovative ways to improve our crop yields, protect our plants against diseases and pests, and reduce our use of chemical crop protection products. By using orange oil, a natural and non-toxic pesticide, we are at the forefront of sustainable floriculture, demonstrating our commitment not only to the health of our crops, but also to the health of our planet.”

“Orange oil was already used in agriculture in the U.S., but it was a new concept for us. We learned about it from colleagues who recommended it to prevent mildew and pests such as mealybugs on our Kalanchoe crops,” says William Jimenez, Head Grower at Dümmen Orange’s propagation site in Aldea El Jocotillo, Villa Canales, Guatemala. “Our team was intrigued by the possibility of using a natural solution like this to protect our crops, so we went ahead and ran trials in 2022. The results were promising and we soon realized that orange oil could be a game changer.”