NoPath
The introduction of NoPath into the Kenyan market in a colorful launch event and seminar on resilient growing, was welcomed with great interest and excitement from flower growers. The attendees comprised of growers who majorly focus on roses, cuttings, carnations, herbs, et cetera. The same event was held in 3 regions namely, Nairobi, Nanyuki and Naivasha respectively.
The series of events were intended to officially introduce NoPath, a new product based on plant essential oils. It is used for the management of fungal and bacterial diseases, particularly Downy mildew and Botrytis in various crops. It is a preventive, curative and eradicative product which is safe for humans and the environment.
The half-day programme consisted of presentations from Koppert staff from Kenya and the Netherlands on the two main diseases over and above giving technical details on the product. Dr. Nicholas Stutterheim, the brains behind NoPath, was the chief guest at the event. He gave a presentation on resilient growing, highlighting the novel role of this concept of integrated crop management. He also reiterated that NoPath is made from natural, food-grade ingredients thus guaranteeing safety to users and the environment. He assured the attendees that if well used, NoPath has the potential to be a central part of disease management programs.
A good number of the industry media representatives were also present to witness the launch and hear the presentations and speeches. There were sample written testimonials from growers from the respective regions who have used NoPath on trials and had experienced good results. Some of them are as follows;
“We use NoPath very effectively in our varieties that are susceptible to downy mildew. We normally start drenching NoPath in both soil and hydroponics greenhouses at least two months before the onset of the long rains and short rains. Consequently, we see less downy mildew incidence throughout the rainy season. Our experience with NoPath is that it gives the best preventive control of Downy mildew in roses.” Madhav Lengare–The General Manager, Kongoni River Farm (Liki and Timau Division)
"The type of rose that we grow is inherently susceptible to downy mildew. Since our farm operates under GAPs, NoPath fits well in our integrated Downy mildew management strategy. With NoPath Drench, we no longer worry about Downy mildew even in the rainy season" Godfrey Kahiga, Production Manager from Tambuzi Ltd
And from Basavarajappa Yogeesh- Florenza Limited, “I started using NoPath 2 years ago on only 3 ha at the time. I started seeing some improvement in the vigour of the crop, reduced sensitivity to Downy mildew, while Botrytis noticeably reduced in these greenhouses. Prior to NoPath, it was very tricky to control Botrytis and Downy mildew in the crop in our 2 ha blocks. When I saw these changes in the treated area, 6 months later, we extended the use of the product to whole farm of 16 ha. NoPath has also given considerable improvement on the foliage.”
The event was a great success with growers and other participants alike, providing positive feedback on the experience, inspirations and lessons learned from the launch and seminar event.