"Much of our success can be found in a meticulous attention to detail," says general manager, Suné Wiltshire who has been with Du Roi Laboratory Letsitele Limpopo Province, South Africa for nearly 10 years. It is a global forerunner in the production and distribution of premium-quality disease-free tissue culture banana plants. Over six million tissue-cultured plants annually leave this facility, currently destined for more than 35 countries.
"Supplying top-quality disease-free plants, on time, backed by professional staff offering technical support to clients is the backbone of our existence. However, we've worked hard to earn the continued trust of growers worldwide by also offering complete traceability from foundation block to grower, the thorough indexing of all material for a wide variety of diseases, as well as providing access to disease resistant varieties holding their own against such debilitating threats as Panama disease." As an added measure to ensure disease-free plants, the foundation block is situated in an insect-proof tunnel.
During 2008 – 2024 their contribution to the global banana industry was a total of plants supplied 90 576 696. Total plants exported (last decade) 37 936 430. Total plants for South Africa (last decade) 20 640 539 with a total of 42 countries supplied.
World-class facilities
All initiation material is sourced from either its own foundation block or bio-secure greenhouse, depending on the phytosanitary regulations of the destination country. Through a process called soma-clonal variation, elite single clone selections have been identified, with the distinctive characteristics of shorter plant height, shorter cycle, cylindrical bunches and higher yields. These selections have been internationally evaluated and are commercially distributed with excellent results. Du Roi Lab offers fully automated weaning facilities, onsite nurseries, 28 Laminar flow benches and 10 growth rooms. The Du Roi Laboratory management system for the production of banana tissue culture plants is ISO 9001 certified since 2011.
Our people is our superpower
The company permanently employs 145 people, 87% of whom have been there for more than 10 years. "Our business requires a keen attention to detail, and, especially for the 80+ women in the laboratory, mental endurance," says Wiltshire. Eighty-six percent of its workforce consists of women. "We've found that women are especially suited to the crucial tasks in the lab to ensure the successful growth and maintenance of plant tissues in a sterile environment. Because of the intense concentration required to do this work, we work in 4.5-hour shifts for 9 hours of the day."
Other highlights
In 2020 Du Roi Laboratory acquired the rights for the commercialisation of the Formosana variety, a highly tolerant variety against FOC TR4 Panama disease, this strain is devastating to banana growers across the world and severely impacts on their profitability and their success.
For more information:
Suné Wiltshire at
Du Roi Laboratory
Tel: +27 83 656 7805
Email: [email protected]
www.duroilab.co.za