Fixed irrigation cycles are out, the plant itself tell us
Higher lighting capacity, new diffuse glass types and intensive screening are developments that are having a major impact on irrigation strategies. Plants themselves can
LED light catching on in fruiting vegetable propagation
Grow light has been widely used for propagating vegetable plants for many years. The tried-and-trusted fluorescent lights in climate cells and SON-T lights in
One drainage slit per plant distributes nutrients more evenly
At the Greenway tomato nursery in De Lier, the Netherlands, each slab doesn’t have just one slit but two: one for each plant. A
Strap stacked pallets securely for stable transportation
At the end of the harvesting, sorting and packing process, the boxes or crates of products are stacked on pallets. It is important to
Chrysanthemum growers finally get thrips control back on track
Dutch chrysanthemum growers are feeling quite optimistic about thrips control. After years of high pest pressure, growers are getting more adept at integrated pest
Education, business and research meet in challenging Dutch project
The World Horti Center was officially opened by Queen Máxima of the Netherlands in March 2018, although the building in the Dutch town of
Cleaning greenhouse glass regularly should be a no-brainer
Measurements in greenhouses reveal that light transmittance through the roof improves by around five percent after the annual clean. And it just so happens
Propagation via grafting and cuttings has big impact on plants
Propagation by means of cuttings and grafting has a dramatic impact on the plant. Cuttings need to form new roots and vascular bundles have
“Hygiene protocol and resistant varieties go hand-in-hand”
As a cucumber grower you have to have iron discipline and nerves of steel. An apparently invisible enemy – CGMMV – is always lurking
Need for resilient crop stimulates interest in silicon
The use of silicon fertilisers is clearly on the rise. Silicon can strengthen the resilience of the crop, and with an ever declining range
Smart sensors and dashboards are the future
Sensors that map all the processes in the greenhouse. Drones that perform tasks in the right place in response to clear commands. New technologies
Plants wouldn’t be green without magnesium
Magnesium fulfils many functions within the plant. The element is crucial for the activity of many enzymes. These play a role in photosynthesis, the
Include painting pipes in a proper maintenance schedule
Every hectare of greenhouse contains an average of 10-15 kilometres of heating pipes. High relative humidity, temperature fluctuations and wear and tear from mechanical
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
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
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
Good filter technologies greatly reduce volume of residual drain
Wasting water is so yesterday! The water treatment requirement that entered into force in the Netherlands at the beginning of this year is forcing
Watering less more often: downsizing on trend in irrigation
The increase in scale that has been taking place over the past ten years calls for a different way of watering. Including on the
Two-day excursion to innovative Dutch greenhouses
The Dutch greenhouse sector is continuously innovating. In addition, the nurseries and research centres are keen to share their knowledge and experiences with growers
First tentative steps with biochar turn out positive
Biochar is a type of charcoal which looks set to become widely available on the market in future. This product could have potential for
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