Examples of Sanitation from Successful Operations

Several visits to companies in western North Carolina on our recent professional development trip highlighted the increasing importance of a clean environment. For the visits to Tri-Hishtil, a company that produces grafted plants; Costa Farms, known for growing houseplants, annuals, and perennials; and Van Wingerden International, a company that produces more than 150 varieties of garden and potted plants, sanitation practices are essential to a successful Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program. These practices limit pests' survival resources, kill present pests, and minimize their spread. Practices include cleaning equipment, removing infested plants and plant parts, removing crop residues, weeding, avoiding the re-use of potting mix, disinfecting cutting tools, pots, and flats, and more. One protocol was having our touring group suit up with disposable lab coats.

The greenhouses we toured had a strong emphasis on cleanliness. In Figure 2 above, you can see Schefflera ready for wholesale at Van Wingerden International. Notice how clean the area is.

At Costa Farms, many plants are started from cuttings purchased from other operations. In Figure 4, employees are inspecting cuttings for insects and diseases, the nutrition of the plants, and the size and quality of the stems and leaves. Rejecting cuttings at this stage avoids the spread of insect pests and diseases in the greenhouse. It also avoids the higher cost of growing plants to a larger stage before potentially rejecting them.

At Tri-Hishtil, workers and visitors step through footwear decontamination solution at greenhouse entryways, as seen in Figure 5. The decontamination solution is periodically sprayed from a spout at either side of the entrance (see the orange circles). This University of Hawaii publication has more information about different products used to decontaminate footwear: OF-54.pdf (hawaii.edu).

Figure 6 shows the loading area filled with racks of plants at Costa Farms. At Tri-Hishtil, trays and racks that leave the facility do not return to the facility to help prevent diseases from entering the production areas. Additionally, at Tri-Hishtil, only certified seed is used, and seed lots are kept separate. Tools are also disinfected before switching to new seed lots.

Figure 7. Photo: Elsa Sánchez, Penn State

Do you see the chart on the stake in Figure 7? At Tri-Hishtil, trays are weighed when the soil is thoroughly wet. They are then watered after they lose a certain amount of weight. As a sanitation measure, irrigation water is not recycled at the facility.

The situation at Flavor 1st, a company that grows, packs, and ships produce, is slightly different. Sanitation of their packing facility is more concerned about foreign articles and human contamination in packaged vegetables and fruits to avoid outbreaks of sickness caused by human pathogens. As we toured, we had to wear hair and beard nets. Workers were packing vegetables, including Tasti-Lee tomatoes, as shown in Figure 8 below. You can read about this variety in this article, Get An Up-Close Look At The Tasti-Lee Tomato.

Figure 8. Photo: Tom Butzler, Penn State

We noticed all the workers who were hand-packing vegetables wearing gloves as they picked product off the line and into containers for market. In addition, we were given information on their coding system. This allowed them to track produce as it moved from farms to their packing facility and finally to the buyer. This information is important in the event of a recall of a contaminated product.