“We’re aiming for 5% higher yields with more and bigger fruits”

“We’re aiming for 5% higher yields with more and bigger fruits”

The roofs of many new greenhouses now contain glass with an anti-reflection (AR) coating, which improves light incidence. For a long time there was
When each leaf counts, leaf samples can point to plant’s needs

When each leaf counts, leaf samples can point to plant’s needs

It’s fine for a tomato plant to have a few spots on its leaves. But it’s a different matter when it comes to flowering
One drainage slit per plant distributes nutrients more evenly

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
Toine Overgaag: “Growing a new crop is a challenging opportunity. But we now produce some 2.8 million plants annually and rank among the top three growers in the western US.”

A new California

For years we would always tell our surprised guests that no, in fact, we don’t need artificial cooling to grow Phalaenopsis. “But doesn’t it
Dutch growers grow pink tomatoes in Azerbaijan for Russian market

Dutch growers grow pink tomatoes in Azerbaijan for Russian market

John and Jolanda van der Lee have swapped the Netherlands for Azerbaijan to run an 11 hectare tomato nursery there. Before they left, they
“Knowledge of soil organisms is key in ideal potting mixture”

“Knowledge of soil organisms is key in ideal potting mixture”

Bark, the main ingredient of orchid substrates, is steamed at high temperatures. This kills off all the impurities and pathogens. But unfortunately it also
Strap stacked pallets securely for stable transportation

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
Multiple sensors and app shed more light on slab root environment

Multiple sensors and app shed more light on slab root environment

Snack tomato nursery Vitensa of Vierpolders, the Netherlands, uses a monitoring system with multiple wireless slab sensors in two of its greenhouse sections in
Chrysanthemum growers finally get thrips control back on track

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
Emission-free growing on unbuffered coco with good results

Emission-free growing on unbuffered coco with good results

A consortium of companies is trialling and demonstrating a concept for emission-free growing at the Water Innovation and Demonstration Centre in Bleiswijk, the Netherlands.
Herbert Stolker Senior Consultant Africa

I’ve seen the sun rise over Africa

There’s a Dutch song that starts with those words. When I’m at home in South Africa I see the sun literally rising over the
“We also need to continuously improve our efficiency through automation”

“We also need to continuously improve our efficiency through automation”

The Gartneriet PKM nursery was founded by Poul and Marie Madsen north of Odense, Denmark, in 1948. Since then, their son Kristian and their
Roger Abbenhuijs van Vakblad Onder Glas

Search for key to soil resilience is logical

Resilience is a growing trend, not only in the greenhouse horticulture sector but also in society as a whole. A survey on parents’ attitudes
Peter Goudswaard (left), Simon van Mourik and Bram van Rens (right)

Big data poised to navigate growers to their targets

With cultivation so closely intertwined with the Internet and with the advent of crop and climate sensors, big data is becoming available to the
Education, business and research meet in challenging Dutch project

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
“It’s all about the right balance between yield and fruit weight”

“It’s all about the right balance between yield and fruit weight”

Grow light is gaining ground among high-wire cucumber growers. Reijm & Zn in Berkel en Rodenrijs in the west of the Netherlands are among
Herbert Stolker Senior Consultant Africa

Making headway in East Africa

Unlike roses, the protected vegetable sector in Kenya is still quite small-scale. On a recent trip there I set out to find some larger
Cleaning greenhouse glass regularly should be a no-brainer

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 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
Crop protection products much more effective with adjuvants

Crop protection products much more effective with adjuvants

Crop protection products are sometimes unfairly labelled as losing their efficacy against pests or diseases. On closer investigation it becomes clear that these products