Peony market satisfactory, crop protection remains challenging.
Translated from: Van der Lee, H. ‘Pioenrozen staan tegenwoordig overal.’ In: Greenity, no. 185, November 27th, 2024.
The fact that peonies made the eight o’clock news last year after the hail damage says something about the exceptional past season, according to peony man and host Aad Vernooy and cultivation advisor Jeroen Groot of Agrifirm-GMN. The result is that growers have nothing to complain about prices. The peony is popular and according to Vernooy ‘they are everywhere now’. Nevertheless, it remains a small crop and the approval of crop protection products is difficult. As difficult as the research Agrifirm-GMN presented Thursday 21st.
Whether it was due to the bad weather, the program of the information and networking event or both, Vernooy dares not say. The result in any case was a fully packed mine hall at CNB in Bovenkarspel. Practically the entire peony sector from growing to sales was represented.
‘Very good results’
Crop advisor Jeroen Groot of Agrifirm-GMN explained the company’s search for an alternative spraying schedule to combat Botrytis. “We will be losing Palladium and Switch (both with active ingredients (a.i.) fludioxonil and cyprodinil) by 2026, which is why we are looking for alternatives.” Agrifirm-GMN tested a range of existing and new agents, both green and chemical, and combinations thereof. “When assessing the leaves after harvesting, we saw quite good results. The peonies were then placed in water in a vase for a week and we assessed the crop again.” By then all peonies were affected, except for the ones that had been treated with the standard schedule – i.e. with the disappearing products in them. “It was a year with a higher disease pressure, but results still show too little improvement. We really need a stronger green schedule, also to reduce environmental impact. I do expect we can achieve improvements, because new approvals are coming,” Groot announced.
Fertilization research
Groot also reported that the fertilization research failed to show ‘significant improvement’ after two years. Nevertheless, the company is continuing research in collaboration with fertilizer supplier DCM, because a more resilient crop is simply necessary in the future.
Weed control was also examined. The product Cleave (a.i. fluroxypyr-meptyl and florasulam) has been approved for small crops via a KUG (= small extension scheme for crop protection products). Groot: “That product works, but don’t use it before flowering. We haven’t done any research on it, the use before bloom is too risky. You must not touch a peony, because immediately it gives discoloration and young shoots turn yellow. If you do use it, apply it very carefully.”
Chunks with phytophthora
According to Vernooy, ‘a lot of damage has been done this year by the disease Phytophthora’. Groot says it is in any case a matter of combating spores around the plants. “If it is in the root divisions, it will show. You can’t do anything about that.” The Agrifirm-GMN research was actually suffering from a lack of the disease, because when it started in 2023 it was still warm and dry. Schilder: “This year there was little of the disease to be seen, so apparently it did not go along with the root divisions taken from the places where it did occur. That is good, but in the meantime we cannot draw any conclusions from the research.”
Groot’s colleague Gerbrant Schilder pointed out upcoming regulation to the growers, which will become stricter. The Water Framework Directive will come into effect in 2027, but the intention is for there to be no emissions at all by 2030. “We have to work as neatly as possible, because the Ctgb will intervene in the event of exceedances. Perhaps the rules for use will become even stricter or there will be more conditions for the use of resources. Pendimethalin, which is the a.i. in Stomp and Wing P, is found a lot, especially in the winter period at the beginning of the year. Thus exactly when peonies and bulbs are sprayed.”
Pressure from residents
According to the cultivation advisor, drift is one of the major culprits. “Measurements show that significant standard exceedances are caused by wind. Rain after spraying also causes peaks in exceedances. We can counteract drift. Choose AZ500 (a.i. isoxaben) and Devrinol (a.i. napropamide) instead of Stomp or Wing P. Use a nozzle that produces coarse droplets for winter spraying against weeds. Add Squall (a wetting agent), even though we are no fans of the product because it limits the distribution over the crop. There is no crop in winter, so it can be used. Also look at the CLM Environmental Yardstick to keep an eye on the environmental impact. If there is a choice, use the least polluting product. Finally, use the emission-free Easyconnect filling system to fill the sprayer. This will be mandatory in 2026, but start with it. It prevents products from disappearing.”
After the explanation of the crop protection products and the stricter rules, Vernooy pointed out the increasing pressure from residents on peony cultivation. “We increasingly see that they complain about nuisance caused by the use of products and that they are using the Urgenda action group to combat crop cultivation. Move along a little and, for example, do not spray during dinner time and, above all, do not go against it alone. You will always lose, so do not try it yourself. Go to your supplier or your trade union to ask for help and advice.”
Agricultural land pressure
The rising prices per hectare and the poor availability of good soil are also affecting peony cultivation. This was reason for CNB and Agrifirm to invite Ard Reijtenbach of Soilwise, who offers a soil reset to combat replant disease. The method in which the soil is covered after a granulate is incorporated is not cheap: €2 per m2. The granulate with the agent Herbie ensures that toxic substances created during root decomposition are combated. Organisms are then decomposed under oxygen-free conditions, after which the soil quickly comes back to life. Reijtenbach: “It is a biological soil disinfection that ensures that fungi, root weeds, larvae and eggs of insects are killed and soil fatigue is prevented. Mycorhizza and trichoderma survive the process and help the soil to restart.” For peonies, it is important that the phenolic compounds are broken down. These compounds are created during root decomposition and peony roots give off substances that are toxic to their own species. “That results in replant disease, which you also see in Lisianthus and apple trees, for example.” Soilwise has been working with the method in greenhouses since 2012 and since 2022 the approach has also been used in some places in outdoor cultivation. According to Reijtenbach, high agricultural land prices make the method more attractive.
Global crop
Peonies are now a global crop, Vernooy knows. In the past, it was mainly Israel or New Zealand that were on the market, besides the Netherlands, but now peonies are everywhere. Interest in cultivation is also increasing in China, although no usable root divisions are coming back from that country as yet.
Marketing organisation My Peony Society does everything it can to map supply and demand. Brothers Colin and Marty Star of the organisation use artificial intelligence to estimate supply and demand in advance. “We map out where demand is clustered and where peonies can be grown well. We already created that platform during our research.”
The organization struggled with a declining supply from affiliated growers last season. Causes were rain and hail and a lack of cold in Southern Europe. Turnover dropped 8%. The organization saw the largest decline in Israel, as a result of the war. By tapping into new markets, My Peony Society wants to maintain sales. “China has a good trade agreement with Russia, which makes Russian customers more likely to choose China. Fortunately, we see many other growth markets such as Azarbaijan, Turkmenistan, but also the Scandinavian countries. There is also interest in the premium segment there and customers mainly choose to have their products delivered directly from the growing company. We see that throughout Europe.”
Renewal of the assortment and certification are mandatory, according to the Star brothers. “We have to stay on top of and in the market. Once off the order list, it takes weeks to get back on it.”
Crop protection products
Agrifirm-GMN was able to name a series of newly approved or modified products during the peony meeting. Recently, a series of products was introduced that also have peonies on the prescription label: Cleave, Soberan (a.i. tembotrione and isoxadifen-ethyl), Capyphor, Dagonis (a.i. difenoconazole and fluxapyroxad), Soriale, Roundup Dynamic (a.i. glyphosate), Goltix SC (a.i. metamitron), Decis Protech (a.i. deltamethrin) and Lalguard Met52 OD. Vertimec Gold (a.i. abamectine) for open field cultivation has disappeared. Paraat (a.i. dimethomorf) and Frupica/Bombero (both a.i. mepanipyrim) are also out by May 20, 2025.
Lalguard Met 52 OD (a.i. Metarhizium brunneum) is a product from Lallemand against soil insects based on a fungus. It was already on the market, but is now available under this name in liquid form.
Cultivation advisor Gerbrant Schilder also reported that various new products reduce environmental impact, such as Nemguard. According to him, the garlic extract against nematodes is a logical successor to the disappeared Vydate (a.i. oxamyl).
Soriale based on potassium phosphonate is a green agent against fungi.
Biopesticide Capyphor against common swift moth (=pharmacis lupulina) is on the basis of insect parasitic nematodes (Heterorhabditis bacteriophora). It is now on the market in bulk packaging.
