"Adjust your cultivation strategy, and analyse the next day"

There are always many factors you will need to bear in mind when you want to make small changes to your growing strategy in your greenhouse. Adjusting a ventilation strategy to create a different growth? Pruning to raise your production? Remove leaves for a more generative growth? In most cases a grower needs to discuss his change of plans with a consultant. And before he can determine any results of his plans, he needs to wait a few days before an accurate analysis is possible. But this is no longer the case with the Growth Analysis System from Paskal. "Adjust your strategy, and analyse the next day," says Paskal's Michel de Winter.

Paskal's new regional sales manager Michel de Winter

Paskal recently appointed Michel de Winter as sales manager for Western Europe. In De Winter, the Israeli company found a well experienced greenhouse grower that already had much experience with Paskal's products. Together with a partner, Michel was the former owner of 8 hectare greenhouse tomato producer Stargrowers in Hoek van Holland, The Netherlands. As De Winter gained more experience with the Paskal Growth Analysis System during trials at his greenhouse, it was a logical step for Paskal to expand their sales team with the experienced grower.

After the trials at GreenQ's Improvement Centre, Stargrowers were the first growers to conduct practical trials with the system. After installation, the system seemed to be very successful for the growers.

"Already in the first year we where able to realize a better crop," said de Winter. "We installed 15 weighing units per hectare in our greenhouses and monitored the crop growth real time. The system gives a real detailed overview of the actual situation in the greenhouse, which areas are falling behind, which areas are doing better. You can exactly see where crop growth is falling behind or where the growth is ahead."

But the actual detailed overview is not only a handy tool to analyse growth. "You can also use it as a tool to experiment with your growing strategies," said Michel.

"Sometimes is can be a big discussion to adapt certain strategies, and the Growth Analysis System is a great tool to determine the effects of a decision on the short term."

As an example, De Winter talks about opening the energy curtains in the winter on a dark winter day. Some growers think that this will not affect the crop's growth, some other growers emphasize his. "With the crop analysis system you can determine this; open the screen in one section, and leave it closed it the other section. The next day analyse the crop's weight with in the computer and you can easily see what you have achieved."

"This is just one of the few things you can do with the system," says De Winter. "It is a great extra tool that will help you achieve a better crop in difficult times when every decision matters."

Starting this year, two large growers in the Netherlands will start growing with the Growth Analysis System . Next to this, the large North American grower NatureFresh will also start using the system.

The coming year, Michel de Winter will be present at several European trade shows to promote Paskal's Growth Analysis System, as well as Paskal's other products like the metal hooks, tomato clips , tros supporting and trellesing systems and Pelemix growing media.

For more information:
Paskal Group
Michel de Winter -Regional Sales Manager
Michel@paskal-group.com
www.paskal-group.com