
Ingenious transport system brings sugars from ‘source’ to ‘sink’...
Photosynthesis takes place in the leaves but the products that are made – sugars – have to be transferred to other parts of the

Split-root system harvests sodium and removes it via the crop
The shift towards closed growing systems is forcing growers to take a critical look at their sodium figures. Would higher sodium levels affect the

Medicines
The importance of good health is something I experienced first-hand in January last year, when I slipped a disc. Just as you have to

Thinking about light in new project
Plants, insects, fungi and people perceive light colour and intensity via different organs and pigments. The human eye is particularly sensitive to green light,

HortiNext and the GDPR
After all the emails you have received about the GDPR in the past few weeks, we would like to share our response to these

Plant small plants with robot arms
The ISO Robot Plug Planting Machine is a machine with robot arms that can plant small plants in the ground from a plug tray.

Westerlay Orchids evolves into major player in orchids in USA
At the end of the 1970s, the Overgaag family, with a background in vegetable growing, emigrated from the Netherlands to California to start a

Limits of dimming lights in phalaenopsis reached
Intensive lighting in winter is common in Phalaenopsis growing. A long-running Dutch research project is seeking to answer the question of whether less lighting

“It works, but you need discipline to succeed”
Thrips are one of the biggest threats chrysanthemum growers face. But this hasn’t put off River Flowers in the central Dutch town of Zaltbommel:

Cultivation fabric with good water permeability and temperature distribution
The improved water permeability was a specific request from users. The fabric is also UV resistant, making it suitable for use anywhere in the

More measuring and timely tweaks keep pH and crop in balance
Growing media must allow plants to develop healthily all the way from the potting area to the living room. The correct acidity or alkalinity

Dynamic simulator of solar and outdoor light conditions
Light plays an important role in demanding crop science research applications. A lot of research requires accurate replication of real-time outdoor light conditions to

What plants are best for purifying indoor air?
With the second crop in the Winterlight greenhouse at the Energy Innovation and Demo Centre (IDC) in Bleiswijk (NL) coming to an end, it’s

Winterlight greenhouse on track
With the second crop in the Winterlight greenhouse at the Energy Innovation and Demo Centre (IDC) in Bleiswijk (NL) coming to an end, it’s

Online software for energy-efficient greenhouses
Hortinergy is an online software package for designing energy-efficient greenhouses by simulating energy consumption and comparing technical solutions. Energy is a major expense in

“I get goose bumps from such evenly coloured tomatoes”
The air above an energy screen is much drier than that below it. Currently around 20 companies in The Netherlands are making use of

Knowing where and how water contamination can occur is key
Dutch greenhouse growers manage their water flows and emissions into the environment very well compared to those in some other countries. But they could

Greenhouse growers across the world must focus on water
Water. It’s essential for everything that grows and blooms anywhere in the world. And of course greenhouse horticulture is no exception. But with the

“Sharing crop data helps build knowledge on diffuse roof”
Diffuse glass is becoming routine in new build greenhouses – and much more quickly than anticipated. But it is still difficult for growers to

Smart packing line for potted plants
The new smart packing line from WPS consists of five individual modules, all members of the SmartStaff robot family. Modules can be combined based