Need for resilient crop stimulates interest in silicon

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
Joost van der Voort (left) and Nadir Laaguili measure the oxygen concentration at the dripper. The system guarantees a level of 10 mg per litre.

Water treatment system maintains optimum oxygen supply

Sufficient oxygen in the root environment is a must for a strong, healthy crop. More oxygen makes the crop stronger and boosts production. That’s
Magnesium deficiency in gerbera appears as red discolouration.

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
Damage caused by an excess of manganese and zinc is the result of too much trace element fertilisation combined with a sharply declining pH.

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
Fertliser from waste flows for tomatoes

Flemish scientists produce fertiliser from waste flows

Bio-engineers from the universities of Antwerp and Ghent have developed a new type of fertiliser based on bacteria derived from food industry waste flows.
An uptake analysis gives growers an accurate picture of which elements the plant is actually taking up, enabling them to fine tune the nutrient solution

Nutrient deficiency in peppers despite perfect drainage values

When several of the sweet pepper plants at Zwingrow in Honselersdijk (Westland, the Netherlands) were found to be growing more slowly than the rest,
Soil is a living organism is the title of a new 12-minute explanatory video by Plant Health Cure

Plant Health Cure presents explanatory video about root growth

Soil is a living organism is the title of a new 12-minute explanatory video by Plant Health Cure that shows ‘how roots grow and
Controlling the pH helps ensure better nutrient uptake which ultimately leads to consistent growth and production.

Well-balanced root environment ensures good nutrient uptake

When you’re growing green peppers, you have to be extra alert to changes in the growing conditions. Consistent EC levels and good pH control
A range of new coated fertilisers is enabling growers of pot plants, bedding plants and soil-grown cut flowers to optimise fertilisation

Tailoring fertilisation for pot- and soil-grown crops gets easier

Some relatively new coated fertilisers are giving growers more options for optimising crop nutrition. Aspects taken on board in the development process included calcium
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
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
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
Because it plays a role in so many processes, potassium is sometimes referred to as the quality element.

Potassium, the major organiser in numerous plant processes

No potassium no plant: A huge number of processes are dependent on this element. Luckily, hardly any problems occur because the plant is good
Shrinking supply of global phosphate forces critical look at its use

Shrinking supply of global phosphate forces critical look at its use

Phosphate fertilisation in soil-based cultivation is still often based on insights gained during the 1970s. More recent research indicates that you can use less
Controlling calcium is a complicated business

Controlling calcium is a complicated business

Calcium is a delicate mineral in the plant. A deficiency can cause problems such as blossom end rot in sweet peppers and tomato, burnt
Henri Hekman was major shareholder of the BLGG Group. In 2013 he sold the company but instead of enjoying his retirement, he founded Dutch Sprouts.

How Dutch Sprouts wants to conquer the world

Henri Hekman was major shareholder of the BLGG Group, the leading laboratory for soil analysis. In 2013 he sold the company to Eurofins. But
Manufacturers and horticultural suppliers alike have been expressing increasing interest in the development and market for plant strengtheners.

Increasing range of plant strengtheners available

Manufacturers and horticultural suppliers alike have been expressing increasing interest in the development and market for plant strengtheners. A whole series of products based
Resilient crops and robust cultivation systems are in the spotlight these days.

Plant resilience is becoming the new standard

Resilient crops and robust cultivation systems are in the spotlight these days. We want plants that are tough enough to withstand disease from mere