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Thursday, November 30, 2023
From eggplants to bullseyes: Dirk is the 'Aubergenius'
The front of his match shirt is adorned with his sponsors' logos, but his collar sports an eggplant. That is because when Dirk van Duijvenbode is not competing, he is an administrative assistant at the Van Onselen eggplant farm in the Netherlands. This is also why, in the world of darts, he is known as…
Daan Wilms van Kersbergen, Investment Director at Yield Lab Europe:
"CE-Line makes the autonomous measuring of water quality in closed systems possible"
Horticoop and Yield Lab Europe are investing in CE-Line, a scale-up that makes it possible to carry out real-time laboratory analyses to establish the amounts of nutrients in irrigation and drainage water. This will give growers complete control of the nutrient composition of their greenhouse water…
Multi-parameter soil sensor selected for integration into Aranet
The WET150 multi-parameter soil sensor has been selected for integration into SAF Tehnika’s wireless network solution – Aranet. Aranet is a fully integrated sensor-to-cloud wireless solution for commercial horticulture. The Aranet system allows growers to remotely monitor growing conditions in real-time…
New water treatment system launched for CEA
Clear Comfort launched the CCW2000 Series. Powered by patented Hydroxyl-Based Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP) and Dissolved Oxygen (DO) technology, the CCW2000 Series aims to deliver the highest standards of water efficiency, quality, and plant nutrient delivery. Formerly known as Silver Bullet Water…
Sara Wexler new CEO of Fresh Leaf
Sara Wexler is stepping into the role of CEO at Fresh Leaf, an Australian herb company, succeeding Jan Vydra. Renowned as one of the primary suppliers of fresh herbs in Central and Eastern Australia, Fresh Leaf delivers nearly 200,000 fresh herb bunches weekly. Catering to a diverse clientele, including…
Earl Reinink retires from Westbrook Systems
Westbrook Greenhouse Systems is pleased to announce that after 45 years of dedicated service, Earl Reinink has retired as Ontario Sales Representative this month. "Throughout his career, Earl worked passionately towards ensuring Westbrook Systems' success and made many valuable contributions to growing…
Ahmed Laasri, Handelfresh:
"Moroccan tomatoes sell well in Spain and the UK, but Dutch clients must get used to the prices"
This spring, Ahmed Laasri started Handelfresh in the Netherlands. The trader wants to further boost fruit and vegetable exports from his family's business in Morocco. "Our Moroccan tomatoes sell well in Spain and the United Kingdom, but Dutch customers still have to get used to the prices," he says. "Morocco…
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Survey: Prioritizing the challenges that accompany CEA spinach production
Demand for spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) has increased over the past few decades and has long been a staple of CSAs (community-supported agriculture), farmers' markets, and direct-to-consumer markets. Currently, China produces upwards of 90% of the global market share. The United States follows in a…
Andrew McIlwan elected Deputy Chair of Protected Cropping Australia
Andrew McIlwain has been elected as the new Deputy Chair of the PCA. Andrew came on board in July of 2023 as a casual Director and was re-elected into the role at the 2023 AGM in October. He has now been elected as Deputy Chair by the board. "I am grateful to my fellow directors and broader industry members…
5G testing facility kicks off
Working with WIFI and Bluetooth inside the greenhouse is not that easy. Wireless connections are often affected by the greenhouse construction made of glass and steel. In addition, the density of the crop interrupts the signal. A challenge for a sector that increasingly wants to digitize and work data-driven. The introduction…
Dutch strawberry growers open new location
Van Oers Fruit has a new location in the Netherlands. The strawberry growers have various locations in three Dutch regions, and now they have a new greenhouse. The site was transformed in two months, the growers shared in a post about the festive opening on Facebook. "On October 1, we began an exciting new chapter by opening our lovely new location on Mastlanddreef in Prins…
Carbon capture process proven with an energy demand below 2,500 kWh/ton
Dutch Direct Air Capture (DAC) company Carbyon has successfully proven that their unique fast-swing process is able to capture CO2 using less than 2,500 kWh/ton. Carbyon was the world’s first to drastically reduce the CAPEX costs of DAC equipment using their fast-swing process. The company has now found…
Latest photo reports
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Special
Special Clean Start
Extra layer of insulation during crop rotation
Cayaro Peppers is in the middle of crop rotation. The entire greenhouse has been cleaned and the final finishing touches to the plastic at the top of the greenhouse are being done, people shared on social media. Growers hang the plastic in the greenhouse for a better climate and also to save energy. Next…
Dozens of kilometers of cultivation gutters rolled during crop rotation
Crop rotation is the perfect time to take a good look at the gutters in the greenhouse. Can they last another year? Bell pepper growers Oostland Company and 4Evergreen are busy rolling their gutters. Oostland Company is getting new gutters. The guys from Meteor Systems are rolling cultivation gutters of…
René Voogt, Sensoterra:
Growers can prepare for stricter European regulations with water sensors
By 2027, there is an agreement that no nutrients or emission of plant protection products should be in the water throughout Europe. If this target is not met, the European Commission will come up with measures such as restricting plant protection products. Growers will therefore have to treat their water…
Today on social media more »
Exec. Director of R&D - SEF Center for Horticultural Innovation:
Matt Korpan
Winter berries!! Trials of berries under lights in Canada are ramping up! Blackberry, raspberry, and exotic mulberry (and of course, strawberry) are performing well. The team is nailing it! And our new R&D tissue culture division is starting to build momentum. More on this in a future post! SEF Center for Horticultural…
Greenhouse expansion projects more »
Greenhouse grower receives award for ‘Together’ campaign
With national initiatives being created across the food industry to encourage more family meals, the FMI (Food Marketing Institute) Foundation recently announced their 2023 Gold Plate Award winners. In the category of Manufacturer, greenhouse fruit & vegetable company Pure Flavor® won the Gold Plate…
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US (IN): Lilly greenhouses to be remodeled as ‘Purdue Moves’ forward in research
Behind Lilly Hall of Life Sciences, just a few feet into the entrance of the greenhouses, there is broken glass littered among the remains of weeks of deconstruction left behind. The greenhouses in Ranges 4 and 6 are demolished– with the plan to have a brand new, high-tech greenhouse built by July 2025.…
Open field vegetables more »
A product by Soft NW:
Non-woven fabric resistant to frost
Soft NW was founded in 1974, and it is an Italian company specializing in the production and distribution of 100% spunbonded propylene non-woven fabric. Thanks to its special technology, Soft NW can design and produce high-performing non-woven fabrics that enable the company to work in the high end of…
Cultivation more »
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CAN (BC): Long Creek School will help NFJDWC grow native plants for restoration
North Fork John Day Watershed Council Executive Director Kristen Walz was on KJDY's Coffee Time and mentioned that the council has partnered with Long Creek School to produce some of the hard-to-acquire native plants that are used on local restoration projects: "We've got a greenhouse, so we are going to…
Flanders makes a case for local Belgian ginger
People in Flanders, Belgium, see chances to expand local ginger cultivation. Researchers wanted a project to address the biggest challenges in support of ginger farming in…
Technique more »
AI in horticulture theme for 'Future Trends & Innovations'
On Tuesday, December 12, AVAG, Stichting Hortivation, TNO and GreenTech are again organizing the Future Trends & Innovations event. The afternoon will focus on 'AI in horticulture - the game-changer for the sector?' Chief Scientist Peter Werkhoven of TNO will be a guest at the World Horti Center that…
Company News more »
British Berry Growers launches campaign and policy board to ensure a sustainable future
British Berry Growers, the industry body representing 95% of the UK’s commercial soft fruit growers, has announced the formation of a Campaign and Policy board to advocate for the industry’s pressing needs. It is chaired by Anthea McIntyre CBE, a former member of the European Parliament, where she served…
Produce are rotting at Johannesburg Fresh Market due to lack of electricity
As the Johannesburg Fresh Market floor has been without electricity since Saturday, thousands of tons of fresh produce - worth an estimated R10 million – are rotting there. There is no electricity to keep the produce cool as power cables were stolen in the early hours of Saturday morning. Cable theft has…
For Rent: Property located in the transport zone Meer in Belgium
At Riyadhstraat 37, situated at the border crossing Meer-Hazeldonk, an unrefrigerated warehouse is available. The warehouse is located 1 km from the entrance to the E19 Antwerp-A16 Breda motorway. Due to the presence of 6 loading docks and 2 overhead doors on the ground floor, this warehouse is also exceptionally…
Grower in the Spotlight more »
Goulburn Valley grower abandons crop blaming high mark-ups at supermarkets
A Victorian grower has called on the major supermarkets to drastically lower their prices for fruit and vegetables, as he thinks profit-gouging is hurting consumers and driving growers out of business. Ross Marsolino from Natural Earth Produce is a zucchini, tomato, and eggplant producer in Victoria’s…
Crop Protection more »
Effective vaccine against cow parasite thanks to modification of sugar structures in plant
Mimicking sugar structures in plants play a crucial role in the development of effective vaccines against the stomach worm Ostertagia ostertagi. This has been demonstrated by Ruud Wilbers of Wageningen University & Research (WUR), together with researchers from Ghent University and Leiden University…
Market Information more »
Brussels greenlights EU-New Zealand trade deal
Brussels has given the final green light for an EU-New Zealand trade deal that, while mutually lowering barriers for both markets, highlights the recent failure of EU-Australia negotiations. The European Council, representing the EU's 27 member countries, said it adopted the New Zealand pact, setting it…
Energy more »
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New Google geothermal electricity project could be a milestone for clean energy
An advanced geothermal project has begun pumping carbon-free electricity onto the Nevada grid to power Google data centers there, Google announced. Getting electrons onto the grid for the first time is a milestone many new energy companies never reach, said Tim Latimer, CEO and co-founder of Google’s…
Fertilizers more »
Enabling higher yields on existing farmlands
Last week, the European Parliament voted to reject a European Commission-backed proposal on the sustainable use of Plant Protection Products (PPPs). This marks a significant shift in agricultural policy and a rejection of the unscientific and, at times, highly politicized PPP policymaking in Brussels. At…
Breeding more »
Crop Trust and Plant Treaty pledging more than $100,000 to safeguard genebanks in Laos and Sudan
In the face of conflict and extreme weather, the Crop Trust and the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (Plant Treaty) have pledged more than $100,000 (USD) to support at-risk genebanks in Laos and Sudan. Drawn from the organizations’ jointly managed Emergency Reserve…
Product Info more »
Alban Descamps, En’Diva:
Concerns about endive harvest quality
There are still a lot of questions surrounding the current French endive campaign. Although harvesting resumed at the end of last week (delays due to flooding), the recent rains have once again halted the work of endive producers. “We are clearly behind schedule. The cycle has progressed well, but not…
Substrates and starting materials more »
Oasis Grower Solutions introduces precision propagation media
To succeed in today's market, commercial growers need every competitive advantage, including a precision propagation substrate that channels success. To address that, Oasis Grower Solutions (OGS) is launching OASIS® RhizoPlug™ Sheet, a new engineered foam growing media designed especially for precision…
Organic cultivation more »
Efficient use of space, reduced land costs, environmental sustainability, and crop diversity
The advantages of vertical farming in Ukraine
Vertical farms are gaining global popularity among producers aiming to cut electricity and water costs. A third of the operational expenses in cultivating greens on these farms are allocated to these resources. Victor Shuleshko, CEO of "Green Future Engineering," highlights the advantages of efficient…
Post-harvest & Packaging more »
Berry Global launched new polyethylene cling film:
New cling film technology provides certified recyclable alternative to PVC films
Berry Global has launched a new version of its Omni® Xtra polyethylene cling film for fresh food applications, which provides a high-performance alternative to traditional polyvinyl chloride (PVC) cling films. While Omni Xtra is already an established solution for the packaging of fruit and vegetables,…
Food Safety & Sanitation more »
Bix Produce issues safety alert on cut cantaloupe products as well:
Kwik Trip, Inc. recalls specific fruit cups and trays due to potential Salmonella contamination
Kwik Trip, Inc. has initiated a voluntary recall of three varieties of fresh-cut fruit cup and tray products listed below because they contain cantaloupe from TruFresh, which has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Due to the now expanded recall of fresh, whole cantaloupes by TruFresh, Kwik…
Events more »
Sergeant major is pelted with barrage of vegetables
During the Royal Tank Regiment's celebration of the Battle of Cambrai's anniversary, a sergeant major faced a humorous onslaught of food and dishes. Over 100 soldiers participated in the spontaneous food fight, targeting the Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) with various items, causing him to seek cover. This…
The CAP 2023-2027 and innovations, in the spotlight during the second day of ICOP 2023 in Almeria:
“The world needs 100% sustainable agriculture”
The strategic plans of the CAP 2023-2027, which are very much focused on the environment and agricultural policies in the EU, were the main topic of conversation during the second day of the International Congress of Producers' Organizations ICOP 2023, held in Almeria. Kristine Bori, from DG Agri; Adrián…
"Seed sector sees progress on the road to enhancing the multilateral system in 2025"
ISF welcomes the decision of the Governing Body setting out the next steps of the process concerning the enhancement of the Treaty’s Multilateral System and believes that at a time when the Treaty faces many challenges, this decision gives a chance to all stakeholders involved to succeed in the…
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India: Protected cropping conference kicks off at SHUATS campus
On Wednesday, a two-day international conference on protected cropping, post-harvest handling, and digital agriculture started at the Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology And Sciences (SHUATS). It is being organized by the Department of Horticulture, Naini Agricultural Institute,…
Enhancing availability of improved vegetable varieties in Tanzania
The One CGIAR Fruit and Vegetables for Sustainable Healthy Diets (FRESH) Initiative aims to use an end-to-end approach to increase fruit and vegetable intake and, in turn, improve diet quality, nutrition, and health outcomes while also improving livelihoods, empowering women and youth and mitigating…
Retail more »
Dreamstime
SPAR Group reported a 47% slump in annual operating profit:Seven & i Holdings has agreed to purchase the 7-Eleven convenience store chain in Australia
UK: Brussels Sprouts are the nation's favorite vegetable!To uncover what Brits consider must-have food items for their Christmas dinner, Mecca Bingo has conducted a survey to find out which trimmings are ranked as the most important. Roast potatoes have been found as the top must-have trimming, Brussels…
Labor and automation more »
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Turkey: Protesting greenhouse workers in İzmir climb rooftop on 98th day
The ongoing protest by workers at Agrobay Greenhouse in İzmir, has reached its 98th day. The demonstration began on August 23 after several employees were terminated for joining the Tarım-Sen agricultural workers union. Today, five women workers took their grievances to the rooftop of a five-story…
Lighting more »
Growing strawberries fossil-free with continuous harvesting like a tomato
Dutch strawberry cultivation under light is focused on June bearers. This is mostly a single crop or a continuous crop. The disadvantage of this is the relatively long lead time to harvest, followed by a relatively short harvest time due to one large peak in production. To make cultivation under light…
Irrigation more »
NSW Farmers welcomes Minns government’s $250 million drought fund
NSW Farmers applauds the Minns government’s new $250 million Drought Ready and Resilient Fund, designed to assist farmers in preparing and responding to drought conditions. NSW Farmers’ President, Xavier Martin, said the clarity the government has provided early in the drying cycle will help farmers with…
Education and research more »
Researchers create floating sea farm to address water and food shortages
In what is believed to be a world first, University of South Australia (UniSA) researchers have designed a self-sustaining solar-driven system that evaporates seawater and recycles it into freshwater, growing crops without any human involvement. It could help address looming global shortages of fresh…
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Jamaica: Deaf students harness climate-smart farming with Red Cross support
Planting, watering, weeding, harvesting, and feeding the animals have long been part of life at the Caribbean Christian Centre for the Deaf (CCCD) in Manchester parish, Jamaica. On any given day, staff and students at the school’s Knockpatrick campus might be harvesting beans, squash, or vegetables as…
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US (TX): Entergy donates $75,000 to help build greenhouse
As part of its commitment to help improve lives and build stronger communities, Entergy Texas contributed $75,000 to the United Way of Mid & South Jefferson County to support the expansion of the West Port Arthur Community Garden. The garden, located at 601 West 8th Street, aims to create a vibrant and…
Algae more »
Belgian tomato grower now also cultivates algae
In Belgium, tomatoes grow on one side of the tomato company Rijtak's greenhouse. And, on the other, in meters-long tubes, microalgae. While Jannes Vertommen was a student, he…
Cartoons more »
Deepfake Photo
Airbnb host warns about monkeys breaking into the house for bananas
Travel influencer Brian Luebben, during his stay in Florianópolis, Brazil, received amusing voice notes from his Airbnb host about monkeys potentially breaking into the house. The host warned that if the windows were left open, monkeys, particularly interested in bananas, could enter. The host, familiar with…
