Rhizoctonia solani is a soil fungus with a wide host range and worldwide distribution. Its host plants include virtually all vegetables, flowers, shrubs and trees.

Rhizoctonia

Rhizoctonia solani is a soil fungus with a wide host range and worldwide distribution. Its host plants include virtually all vegetables, flowers, shrubs and
Ornamental breeders Dümmen Orange want to achieve at least a 25% market share in the ten best-selling crop groups.

‘Growing the breeding empire through innovation and expansion’

With its recent acquisitions of Wander Tuinier Succulenten (June), Hobaho (September) and Olij Rozen (October 2016), Dümmen Orange has once again been making the
Danny van der Spek is becoming more and more keen on NGG, although a lot of knowledge is still needed to translate the principles into practice.

‘New approach to climate control whets the appetite for more’

Dutch growers who are directly involved in research into Next Generation Growing soon discover that they can apply small parts of it to their
Hyperparasites of aphid predators are an ever increasing problem. A joint project has been set up to investigate ways of controlling the hyperparasites.

Controlling hyperparasites: on the trail of the best scents

Hyperparasites in the crop can completely disrupt biological crop protection. Sweet pepper growers in the Netherlands know a thing or two about that. But
Research shows that movement and touch (also as plants rub against each other) slow down growth. That can be frustrating but you can also use it to your advantage.

Movement and touch make plants shorter

Plants in the greenhouse are increasingly on the move. More attention is being paid to air circulation and mobile cultivation is on the rise.
Aleksa Zubic NatureFresh Canada

Labour challenges

Farming is an innately labour-intensive industry. With the advent of greenhouse technology leading to increased yields and better quality crops, labour has remained just
Marco Zuidgeest from Delfgauw grows the small core cucumber specially for the British food processing company Greencore.

Small core cucumber project calls for intensive collaboration

By the end of June 2016, time was getting tight for cucumber grower Marco Zuidgeest. If he wanted to grow the innovative small core
Insight into the 'arms race' between fungus and plant, can help a grower establish supporting cultivation measures.

Constant arms race between plant and fungi

Fungi parasitize plants because they can’t assimilate themselves. They have developed numerous methods of penetrating the plant. In turn, plants have developed a complete
For some years now, scientists and growers have been working together to come up with a better monitoring and control plan for the European tarnished plant bug.

Luring effect of pheromone enhanced by adding plant aromatics

Plant bugs like the European tarnished plant bug and the common nettle bug are a serious problem in crops such as aubergine, cucumber and
Phalaenopsis growers De Molenhoek have been able to increase the amount of water they recirculate by switching to a new compound fertiliser.

Targeted fertilisation enables extra recirculation in pot orchids

Greater re-use of drainage water for pot orchids is one step closer with a new compound fertiliser. Phalaenopsis grower De Molenhoek in Bemmel, the
Rainbow Greenhouses in Canada is a privately owned wholesale grower and distributor of high-quality potted plants.

‘Use of analysis of sales and costing data basis for future decisions’

Stan Vander Waal got his first taste of working in horticulture when he was just 13 years old. His father switched from crop and
A plant sap analysis is a snapshot of a plant’s uptake of the minerals that are available for growth at that moment. Growers receive the results very soon

Quick and detailed information on a plant’s mineral uptake

According to the advisers at the Dutch consultancy group HortiNova, fertilisation is a very precise science that can only be done properly if you
Measuring water content in critical layers should become routine at pot plant and bedding plant nurseries.

Water distribution in growing substrates continues to surprise

Contrary to what was assumed in the past, recent research has revealed that water is rarely distributed homogeneously through the root ball following limited
tomato growers Verkade in ‘s-Gravenzande gained their first experience with a hybrid system consisting of SON-T HPS lights and LEDs

‘Interlighting boosts truss development and flowering speed’

Interest in artificial lighting with LEDs is on the rise. Recently tomato growers Verkade in ‘s-Gravenzande (Westland, the Netherlands) gained their first experience with
Van den Elzen Plants is hosting a trial with a substrate adapted specifically for strawberries combined with biological supplements.

Adding bio to substrate reduces chemical use in strawberries

The strawberry is a vulnerable crop: the plants and fruits are susceptible to all kinds of diseases and insects. Crop protection is therefore a
Last September a small Dutch trade mission visited Iran. The exhibition and trade mission were held in Tehran.

My last column

I have been a columnist for In Greenhouses since the very first edition in October 2012. Almost every year I told the Chief Editor
High-wire cucumber grower Hans Houben is heading ever further down the path of Next Generation Growing.

Cucumber grower takes quantum leap with Next Generation Growing

Hans Houben’s initial reason for trying out Next Generation Growing was to save energy. “But that shouldn’t really be your main objective: you need
The company’s location, in the middle of a residential area, makes expansion impossible. Therefore he decided to concentrate on private sales

German rose grower chooses market development over expansion

The German cut rose sector mainly consists of lots of small companies that grow a wide range of cultivars and focus on private sales.
Variety selection and climate are the main tools for preventing tip burn, since adjusting with nutrients hasn’t been shown to help improve calcium uptake.

Avoiding moisture shocks best remedy for preventing tip burn

Tip burn, or marginal necrosis, is a long-standing problem in tomato cultivation which occasionally rears its head in the new strategy of Next Generation
Herbert Stolker Senior Consultant Africa

Growing under cover in Africa

I’m writing my first column for In Greenhouses sitting in the departure lounge at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam. The reason for my three-day trip