Dr. Rapaka of OGS evaluates top growth of crops grown in Horticubes® XL Hydroponic Growing Media.
According to Dr. Vijay Rapaka, research manager for Oasis® Grower Solutions, the foam his company manufactures is the product of extensive research. As a result, it's been tailored to help plants grow roots quickly, while dramatically speeding up the overall growing process. And it’s come as a result of Oasis® Grower’s long-standing commitment to research and a passion to help growers succeed.
“As an organization (Smithers-Oasis Company), we’ve made a strong investment in our grower business,” said Rapaka. “In fact, we've just begun construction of a new, state-of-the-art greenhouse that will be four times larger than our current research facility.” The new facility will enable OGS to expand its offering to growers through extended research, experimentation, and new product development. And it will allow OGS to continue to enhance its foam even more – though in its current state, the foam offers significant benefits, noted Rapaka.
“One of the key advantages of our foam is its consistency,” he said. “It's the same from cell to cell and tray to tray.” And that uniformity means plants will root at the same speed and at the same depth – lending itself very well to the kind of automation typical of large growers. “At the same time,” Rapaka added, “because our foam is easy to use and work with, it suits small growers looking for a low-maintenance solution that's ready to use right out of the box. Given the national movement for locally grown foods,” continued Rapaka, “there’s great demand for easy to use propagation materials. And our new Horticubes® XL is a perfect starting material for those smaller local growers.”
OGS' scientists busy irrigating and evaluating lettuce seedling growth.
Though Oasis® Grower’s foam offers a wide range of advantages, one of its perceived challenges is its fragility when compared with similar products made from Rockwool, peat, or coir. But Rapaka quickly noted the foam is usually a better value than other alternatives. And, while its foam may be considered more sensitive, OGS’ manufacturing standards are just as exacting. "Plus, the foam is sterile at the time of manufacture,” continued Rapaka. This ensures the crop will not be affected by bacteria in its most sensitive stage: Propagation.
Another challenge for Oasis®, like many U.S.-based companies today, is penetrating foreign markets. While the majority of its sales currently come from North America, Rapaka said OGS is making a concerted effort to expand its presence in other countries. This has been accomplished by demonstrating the performance benefits of Oasis® Grower foam through ongoing research. "We have a pretty solid global footprint, with employees in roughly 30 countries and a handful of facilities around the world. But our approach in those markets is no different than here in the States: Establish scientific hypotheses; test and prove them out over time; then develop new products based on our technical findings.”
Extensive research has helped OGS develop new products like Horticubes® XL (shown here), which tests have shown to increase lettuce seedling root growth and top growth by as much as 35%
Dr. Rapaka affirmed, “The products we launch have to be more than a quick fix. They have to prove themselves first by performing for a number of years in practice and in research. Rapaka concluded, “With the ultimate goal of helping growers succeed, we want to provide a scientific basis for everything we do.”
For more information :
OASIS Grower Solutions
919 Marvin Street
Kent, OH 44240 USA
T: 800-321-8286, or 330-673-5831
F: 877-676-4409
NAgrowerinfo@smithersoasis.com
www.horticubesxl.com