DEVELOPMENTS IN BULB RESEARCH

Since the budget for bulb research is unlikely to increase in the forseeable future, we must be even more careful with the available resources. In this context, research into problems such as quality control, rising fuel costs, etc. is an obvious way in which our institute can assist the bulb industry. The economic recession can also be seen as a challenge to us all, and in fact a forced reassessment of our approach to the problems of the bulb industry may lead to new developments in bulb research. Both industry and research must demonstrate flexibility, vitality and ingenuity if they are to survive.

The present research program of our institute contains several interesting developments and trends for the future. Before briefly describing some of them, I would like to emphasize the fact that the problems associated with the cultivation of bulbs and bulb flowers are interconnected, since each stage in the bulb-to-flower process influences the subsequent stage or stages (e.g. the condition of the starting material, field conditions, preparation regime during storage, and greenhouse conditions).

I now propose to discuss 5 important developments at our institute, namely:

1. Research to improve the quality of the bulb crops,
2. Energy-saving research,
3. Research on product innovation,
4. Research on certainty of harvest,
5. Research performed to reduce the impact of pesticides on the environment.

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