Approximately one year ago, six locations in Gendringen were treated with our effective freezing method to treat Japanese knotweed.
The result is astonishing. In the soil, there are dead black rhizomes being decomposed by worms and insects. The once heavily infested area is hardly recognizable. There are no new shoots of Japanese knotweed to be found at these locations.
Before the treatment.
After freezing the soil.
Dead rhizomes.
Source: De Achterhoekse Courant.
On March 20, 2023, De Achterhoekse Courant (local newspaper) published a nice article about how unwanted exotic species perish by the freezing treatment method invented by Tibach located in Ulft.
Until a year ago, the Japanese knotweed was an ornamental plant that you could purchase in garden supply stores. This graceful grower has now become a nightmare for private individuals, municipalities and other governments and landowners. Japanese knotweed seemed to be unstoppable. Until Tibach invented their new treatment method that proved the opposite.
Read the full article here (Dutch only)
FLORON is the organization that maps the distribution and numbers of vascular plants occurring in the Netherlands. According to FLORON’s distribution atlas, 10,992 locations in the Netherlands are now infected with Japanese knotweed. Quite a few municipalities have measured exactly how many square meters of Japanese knotweed proliferate within their own municipal boundaries.
Tibach has investigated the surface area of these municipalities and calculated the average contaminated surface of Japanese knotweed per square kilometre.
Tibach calculated an average of 440m2 per square kilometre. According to Floron’s distribution atlas, the number of sources of infection is the same throughout the Netherlands.
If we take the total surface area of the Netherlands and subtract the water surface, we are left with a land area of 33,893km2 x the average of 440m2 per km2 = 14.93km2
The Japanese knotweed new contamination sites in particular can grow rapidly. It is therefore important to treat Japanese knotweed at the earliest possible stage. Rhizomes of this invasive exotic grow through small gaps in asphalt and concrete, damaging buildings and infrastructure.
This ant – Tapinoma nigerrimum – is being observed in more and more places in the Netherlands. The ants are able to build “supercolonies” up to hundreds of meters long. If left to its own devices, a single nest can grow to cover several streets.
Freezing of the soil appears to be an effective method for treating the Tapinoma nigerrimum.
Read the full article at the news overview from Wageningen University & Research (WUR) or at the News & Agenda from Wageningen Plant Research.
Direct link to full article by WUR.
(Translated from Dutch)
Freezing the soil appears to be an effective tool in controlling and exterminating the Tapinoma nigerrimum. In the Netherlands this insect is appearing in more places every year and causing serious nuisance in and around houses. The positive results are aparent from a study carried out by WUR, EIS and Tibach on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Safety.
The purpose of this research was to test the effect of cold on Tapinoma nigerrimum using this unique control method developed by the Tibach whereby the soil is frozen to a depth of over 1 metre. Previous research into the potential of this method in treating Japanese knotweed had already shown that this invasive plant does not survive freezing either, while there are no adverse effects on soil life and the seed bank. Freezing of the soil also can considerably limit the use of chemical pesticides.
These ants are being observed in more and more places in the Netherlands, which are able to build “supercolonies” of up to hundreds of meters in length. If left on its own, a single nest can grow to cover several streets. Outdoor nuisance consists of sagging gardens and sidewalks. Indoor the nuisance is more serious. The ant can be found in tight and warm places and will settle there. The ant came to the Netherlands by imported plants from Southern Europe. A small colony may have traveled along in a flower pot, which can spread to all kinds of warm places under the pavement and near buildings after the plant has been placed in a garden. The colonies can develop and expand quickly, which can also cause more and more nuisance.
Stainless steel lances are placed in the soil until a depth of 1 metre and cooled down utill -35 ºC, which cools the soil. This causes the ants to freeze and to exterminate the colony at this location. Stones or tiles can be removed from pavements to make place for the lances. After the treatment, they can be replaced again. This way no excavation work is needed.
The investigation has now been completed and the report has been released. The conclusion based on this study is that freezing is an effective treatment method for controlling and treating Tapinoma nigerrimum. It is recommended to carry out the treatments during cool seasons, because the ants are very active during warm periods and shows flight behaviour. In autumn and winter they hide in the soil against the cold, where more ants can be exterminated during a treatment.
Tibach: we are pleased that our machine can also be used against this invasive ant that is causing a lot of problems. We would like to get in touch with municipalities and provinces that are having issues with Japanese knotweed or Tapinoma nigerrimum.
Our next project will be a collaboration with the Dutch water authorities to help them treating floating pennyworth. This is an aquatic plant that is on the European Union list of unwanted invasive species and is also causing a lot of nuisance. During summer periods, this plant is able to cover entire water surface with dense, floating mats several decimetres thick. Until now there are no suitable control methods available.
Yesterday on 30 november 2022 the KVK(Chamber of commerce in the Netherlands) announced the winners of the #kvk Innovation Top 100.
Tibach BV finished in 22nd place of the KVK Innovation Top 100 Netherlands. And with this the highest ranked company in the province of Gelderland. What a beautiful result.
Our newly developed, environmentally friendly and patented method that kills knotweed by means of freezing is therefore also seen by the expert jury as a promising method resulting in a high ranking in the list.
We would like to thank everybody who helped us to make this possible.
See full ranking KVK Innovatie Top 100
Tibach finished in seventh place of the best startups in Gelderland 2022. We are very proud of that. Startup50Gelderland is a community with the aim of connecting the startup scene in Gelderland to improve networking, capital and knowledge.
Congratulations to the other winners.
View the announcement via Youtube
We are glad to announce that Tibach is nominated for the KVK (chamber of commerce) Top100.
The KVK Top100 shows what we are good at in the Netherlands: innovating! Entrepreneurs from Dutch small and medium-sized enterprises compete every year for a place in the KVK Innovation Top 100. The Chamber of Commerce encourages SMEs to grow and innovate.
That is why the Chamber of Commerce annually organizes the Innovation Top100 and showcases the most innovative companies in the Netherlands throughout the year.
Curious about Tibach or the other innovative SMEs of 2022? See website KVK Top100.
ULFT – At the request of Tibach, affiliated with Smarthub Incubator Industrie (SHII) in Ulft, Wageningen University & Research started a research project a year ago at IJsselweide in Gendringen, in the municipality of Oude IJsselstreek.
The aim of this research was to assess the effectiveness of a unique control method developed by Tibach on the Japanese knotweed.
The strong rhizomes and stems of the Japanese knotweed displace native plant species and can cause significant damage to dikes, buildings, pipelines, and roads. For example, the Japanese knotweed has already caused a lot of damage to the quay walls in the port of Rotterdam.
In a historic building in the city center of Amsterdam, the plant is growing in the foundations. The costs of removal and restoration amount to 300,000 euros (source: Het Parool, May 17, 2019).
In the ground surrounding the Japanese knotweed, freeze lances are installed to a depth of one meter. These freeze lances are cooled to -35ºC, rapidly cooling the soil. As a result, the roots of the plant freeze, eventually causing them to die off and decompose in the soil.
The Tibach method is safe, one-time, and environmentally friendly. Within a few days, a location can be cleared of Japanese knotweed, depending on the area to be treated and the depth of the roots. Excavation and transportation are no longer necessary as the plant’s stems are also treated. This eliminates the risk of new outbreaks.
Using this machine, with a coverage of up to 40 m2 per treatment, the method can be employed by government authorities and water boards, among others. In the future, both larger and smaller machines will be developed to efficiently treat various sizes of contaminated soil areas.
The municipality of Oude IJsselstreek recently signed an agreement of intent with Tibach based on previous successful results. In the meantime, the Japanese knotweed has been successfully eradicated in three locations within the municipality.
Tibach invited WUR to study this method to assess its effects on this plant. After taking various soil samples from a treated area, no living fragments of the Japanese knotweed have been found so far. It is also important to understand the effects on microorganisms and the seed bank in the soil. The final report from WUR has shown that cold treatment does not have an impact on them.
The research conducted by WUR has been completed, and the final report will be made public on Monday, July 4th at 14:00.
The suitability of this method for treating other invasive species is being investigated. A pilot project has already taken place in collaboration with WUR and EIS (knowledge center for insects) to assess the effect of cold treatment on the Mediterranean seed bug, also known as the terror ant. This invasive species is becoming an increasing problem in the Western world.
More information about the Tibach treatment method can be found here.
NEEDE/ARNHEM/ULFT – The province of Gelderland is investing 4 million euros in smart solutions. The Gelderland province funds will be disbursed in the form of research and development subsidies. Among the recipients is a company from the Achterhoek region that, together with a partner from Twente, is using innovative methods to treat the Japanese knotweed.
The Japanese knotweed is rampant along various roads, such as the N315/Hekweg between Neede and Borculo, and the N825/Nettelhorsterweg between Borculo and Lochem. Originally introduced as an ornamental plant, it is now considered a notorious harmful invasive species without natural predators. Its roots can damage roads and foundations. It spreads easily and thrives in our increasingly warmer climate.
Mowing is ineffective, and pulling the plant out has limited success as the root system continues to grow. André Evers from Technisch Innovatie Bureau Achterhoek (Tibach) in Ulft has developed a different method to treat the Japanese knotweed: by freezing it. Some experiments with the root system of the Japanese knotweed in his home freezer led to a promising method that should eradicate the plant. “For that, I contacted Chris van Dijk, an invasive species expert from WUR,” says Evers.
„Together with cold technology company Lassche & Keizer, we have developed a mobile ground freezer that freezes the root system of the Japanese knotweed up to a depth of one meter at temperatures of -10 to -15 degrees Celsius. This method has no impact on other soil organisms, such as micro organisms.”
Christianne van der Wal, the provincial executive of Gelderland who will become the new Minister of Nature and Nitrogen, praises Evers’ solution as a project that contributes to societal challenges. The province supports twenty of these projects, with funding ranging from €63,000 to €350,000. The number of supported ideas is more than half of the total number of 39 applications received. An external advisory committee from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) provided advice to Gelderland on the quality and potential of the candidate projects. This included assessing the degree of innovation compared to existing technology and evaluating the potential for collaboration between companies.
With the subsidy from the province of Gelderland, Tibach in Ulft, and Lassche & Keizer in Oldenzaal are developing a prototype ground freezer. The device is intended to be user-friendly, allowing non-specialists to treat the plant as part of roadside management. If all goes well, the days and years of uncontrolled spreading by the Japanese knotweed will be over.
(This message was translated from Dutch)