"With high-tech on the way to the future"

After months of hard work the day finally arrived: the De Ruiter Experience Center opened its doors. In the morning was the kickoff. From half past nine the guests gathered in the central reception area. And from the very beginning the atmosphere was excellent. During the various speeches, there was a lot of laughter, cheers and applause. Joost van Regteren, responsible for optimizing the test programs, was the chairman during the morning program.

Ibrahim El Menschawi and Joost van Regteren

Joost: "Before our varieties are commercialized, we carry out practical tests for four years. For us it is important that, from day one, our customers can get the most out of the variety. Because we fully take time for that, we also can offer it to them." This striving for cultivation optimization was the reason why this Experience Center is high-tech equipped. There are an extremely high number of sensors and other digital measuring equipment in the greenhouse. This data is combined with the data that is measured by the sensors at a number of participating growers. The collection of data offers De Ruiter a wealth of information and knowledge about different varieties. And that benefits the customer. De Ruiter Seeds regards APH (Artificial Precision Horticulture) of paramount importance. De Ruiter Seeds is convinced that this suits modern horticulture. This will be the future.

Ibrahim El Menschawi, EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) Regional Lead, Vegetable Business at De Ruiter Seeds, radiated enthusiasm: "What a wonderful day in the history of De Ruiter. This is a beautiful day at a beautiful location. With this Experience Center we are close to where ‘it is happening.’ The Netherlands is still the country that is followed by horticulture worldwide. Moreover, we have the Improvement Center and the research location of Wageningen UR around the corner. And above all, we are close to our customers. In addition, our head office is in Bergschenhoek."

The panel is ready for the questions. Pieter van der Stadt, mayor of Lanseringerland is, just like all De Ruiter employees, happy with and proud of the De Ruiter Experience Center. "We live in an area known for its innovative strength for greenhouse horticulture." His colleague Albert Abee, alderman of Lansingerland, emphasizes the economic importance of this innovative strength. He mentions the importance of cooperation between parties. "Together you will go further than alone."

Paul Zantman, one of the owners/growers of the Experience Center, was asked what motivated him to jump into this adventure. That was not a difficult question. Paul has had a pleasant cooperation with De Ruiter Seeds for years. That is a good basis. Moreover, he personally finds the aspect of contact with so many different parties very interesting. Because it is a special project, of course in the beginning it was exciting. "Finally it all went better than expected."

Juan Ferreira, Global Vegetable Lead, Crop Protection Lead and responsible for Applied Solutions for De Ruiter Seeds, sees the importance of this research location mainly in order to be able to meet the growing demand for food in the future. Because of the technical aspects of the research greenhouse, for example lighting and the large number of sensors, we can name innovation as our goal. "That has to be so in these times. And we can do that too."

Sebastian Langbehn, Global Business Lead Vegetables for De Ruiter, emphasizes the pioneering role of De Ruiter in general and for De Ruiter in the Netherlands in particular. "The whole world is watching us: from Canada to Australia."

Jan Kamper has, from the beginning, been very closely involved in the construction of this Experience Center. His eyes start to sparkle as soon as the Experience Center is mentioned. It offers so many possibilities: "We are at the beginning of a newly chosen path. Big data and everything that goes with it, is going to bring us a lot. We are going to learn so much. With this location that is all possible."

Ibrahim El Menschawi, Pieter van der Stads and Paul Zantman do the official opening. The countdown starts ... 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 ... Fireworks. Congratulations!

Of course, during the tours we went into the greenhouse. Safety and hygiene regulations are followed.

Afternoon program

Following the morning program, in the afternoon there was the opportunity for an internationally diverse company to attend a few lectures in the nearby head office of De Ruiter and to participate in a short laboratory tour. While it was now open house for interested parties in the Experience Center, Jan Kamper of Technology Development started his lecture entitled 'The Digital Plant'.

Terms such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and deep learning were reviewed at a rapid pace. Concepts that are known to an ever broader public and that, according to Kamper, will increasingly become familiar in greenhouse horticulture. "For the time being, the focus of these technologies is still mainly on agriculture because of the considerably larger amount of hectares in relation to greenhouse horticulture. The yield per hectare however is significantly higher for greenhouse horticulture. Artificial intelligence can contribute to the still further expansion of this high production."

Data is one of the key words in this. The challenge, not only in the De Ruiter Experience Center, but also for individual growers is, according to Kamper, to bring all widespread and ubiquitous data together in one platform. But with that activity the job has not yet been done. Next the data must be cleaned from noise and analyzed. Kamper: "Being a data science nerd is not enough, also knowledge of plant growth is necessary."

The next step is then to be able to start predicting instead of explaining afterwards. The large amount of sensors that are hanging in the Experience Center alone, should help here. And although the temptation is to get as much data from as many sensors as possible at the same time, according to Kamper, it is necessary to focus first on understanding the data from a few specific sensors. For example data from sensors that measure evaporation on plants to gain insight into plant growth. Slowly, step by step, the amount of sensors and data can be expanded without losing the overview.

In a year’s time, Kamper hopes to present a dashboard containing all the data together, after which the first meaningful links from that data should be able to be made visible one or two years later. A Google Glass with glasshouse horticulture functions, as suggested in the hall, will remain out of reach for the time being, although according to Kamper it is not rocket science. "The technology already exists, only a lot of time and money is needed for implementation in greenhouse horticulture."

After Kamper's lecture, those present were given explanations at three stands about the application of various technologies at all stages of vegetable seed breeding.

Tommy Stekelenburg, Discovery Genetics, explained DNA analysis for vegetable seeds

Laurens Bakker and Maurine van Haesendonck, both from the Pathology department, briefly discussed pathology

The third stand offered the possibility to study a brix meter from up close

After a laboratory tour in hygienic suits, in which some scientists passionately discussed the things that keeps them busy, the second lecture followed. In it, Ben Hunter, Ben van den Bosch, Tomás D. Lomas Cano and Kees van Lenning successively discussed the taste of tomatoes. "Taste is number one," according to Tomás D. Lomas Cano, Tomato Breeding. Despite increasing technological possibilities, it is ultimately the person who eats the vegetable. Kees van Lenning, Vegetable Quality Laboratory, therefore told about test panels. An important, but at the same time expensive and time-consuming way to be able to keep guaranteeing a good taste.

Ben Hunter, Discovery Genetics, stipulated the balancing between taste and production increase

Afterwards, there was time for a quick drink.

John M. Headrick, Sara Alonso and Joost van Regteren

Raimund Schnecking and Dirk Rorich from Volmary chat with Ben van den Bosch, Tomato Breeding

Jouko Narvanmaa from Helle Oy and Per Andersson from Olssons Frö AB had come over from Scandinavia

Ekaterina Makarenko and Tomás D. Lomas Cano

For more information:
De Ruiter Seeds
Monsanto Holland bv
Leeuwenhoekweg 52
2661CZ Bergschenhoek
+31 (0)10 529 22 22
www.deruiterseeds.com
info@deruiterseeds.nl