Visit of international researchers

On Tuesday afternoon, 16 September, a group of more than 110 international researchers specializing in pests and diseases in pome fruit visited the Fruit Research Centre and Wageningen University & Research (WUR) in Randwijk. The group was participating in the international symposium Benefruits 2025, organized by WUR Randwijk in collaboration with the Belgian research institute pcfruit.

During this four-day symposium, held in Wageningen, presentations and discussions focused on the sustainable management of pests and diseases in fruit cultivation.

During the excursion to Randwijk, visitors received detailed explanations on various research topics, including organic fruit growing (by Stijn van Laer and Jade van Doorn, Fruitconsult), the cabrio cover system and system-based approaches (Herman Helsen and Marcel Wenneker, WUR), precision spraying technology (Pieter van Dalfsen and Abe de Leeuw, WUR), and the use of models (Tim Beliën and Eva Bangels, pcfruit).

The visitors were impressed by the high level of research being carried out in the Netherlands and Belgium, as well as by the trials and demonstrations at FRC Randwijk. For both the fruit-growing sector and crop protection researchers, this was a highly successful and inspiring event.

During the symposium, valuable information was exchanged on topics such as the management of pear scab, fruit tree canker, fruit rot, bugs, woolly apple aphid, and pear psylla.

A detailed report of the symposium will soon be published in the professional journal De Fruitteelt.