In Southeast Asia for example, many greenhouse growers are growing in very low tech plastic tunnel greenhouses, directly in to the soil. The farmers suffer very low yields because they have problems with the rooting of their plants in the soil. A “so called consultant” would say; 'change the greenhouse system with coco peat or stone wool growing bags." But this is not an option for everyone, like Chinese farmers, who can't afford all the expensive supplies. They need to start with much simpler solutions to improve their crops; an Ellepot for example.
Ellepot transplants in South Korea
"This is the message that we have carried out over the past year", said Ellepot's Brian Schmidt. "We have been travelling all over the world to illustrate the advantages of a simple solution like an Ellepot." With small changes in root development and logistics a big impact can be made on the end product, added Brian Schmidt.
Brian refers to the results that Ellegaard has achieved with international farmers. "Our Ellepot is a simple and cost effective solution for growers to achieve better results with minimal input. It is not always the best option to make huge investments in advanced supplies. We need to convince the industry of solutions that are easy and accessible to anyone. That is the story that we want to share."
Tomatoes cultivated directly in the soil. On the left standard propagation plugs, on the right the same crop with an Ellepot.
The Ellepot paper pot vegetable propagation system enables faster root development and improved crop timing. "It is a simple and affordable, 100% degradable paper solution with major effects on the production", said Jan Pedersen of Ellegaard. "Fusarium for example is a big problem for growers that cultivate their crop directly in the soil. Due to the cylinder design of an Ellepot, the roots could now grow vertically in the soil. Normal plugs will allow roots to grow horizontally, into the direction of the Fusarium fungus. A simple solution like an Ellepot will have huge effects for farmers that are dealing with these problems. It is the first step to increase better results and higher yields with simple small changes"
At Fruit Logistica in Berlin last month, the team from Ellegaard was present to showcase the benefits of the Ellepot system to the international fresh produce industry. "The use of the Ellepot system in the vegetable industry is increasing as more know what is being gained by using it, especially in the regions that are increasing their food production on a large scale: The United States, The Middle-East and Southeast Asia. But still we need to go there and tell our story and show the farmers how simple it is to improve their businesses." concluded Jan Pedersen.
For more information, please contact Brian Schmidt or Jan Pedersen
See also more at www.ellepot.dk