Walking the energy tightrope between business and sustainability

Sustainability is a hot topic in the industry. Many growers are looking for ways to increase sustainability in their cultivation, but they also have their bottom line to consider. In addition, there are obstacles to achieving more sustainable energy use in an operation. Jan VanderHout with Beverly…

44-hectare greenhouse vegetable complex comes to Saudi Arabia

Dava corporation, owned by the Al Batal family, is forecast to grow in agricultural business since they have entered into a contract for a large-scale turn-key greenhouse project with the company Debets Schalke. Mr. Faisal Al Batal of Dava corporation and Wim van Weele of Debets Schalke confirmed the…

Bejo Zaden and Signify team up to accelerate breeding of more seed varieties

Signify has partnered with Bejo Zaden to accelerate breeding of more seed varieties through a new vertical farm approach to cultivation. In the facility, a large climate-controlled room is equipped with Philips GrowWise Control System to automate control of Philips GreenPower LED dynamic modules. The…

Working towards a fossil fuel-free future

Growers should start preparing their greenhouses now for a fossil fuel-free future, researchers from Wageningen University & Research (WUR) advise. by Rachel Anderson for GreenTech Which fossil fuel-free options are most interesting for growers?Their advice was published this year (2019) in a study,…

Australian grower to build another 16 ha in the coming five years

Australian grower P’Petual has been featured on Everyday Gourmet with Justine Schofield. The Buckland Park-based producer grows eggplants, mini cucumbers, and several varieties of tomatoes that are sold in many supermarkets across Australia. They’re actually one of Australia’s largest greenhouse growers.…

Ambassador of Spain visits Looye Kwekers

Yesterday, Looye Kwekers received the ambassador of Spain on their location in Burgerveen. The delegations consisting of María Jesús Alonso and Eulalia Ortiz was received by Jos Looije (Looye Kwekers) and Juan José Lopez Lopez (Looije Aguilas). Sjaak van der Tak, chairman of greenhouse horticulture, was…

"G x E x M: The magic trio of growing"

Until very recent times, agriculture has relied exclusively on the knowledge and experience of farmers to make decisions on a daily basis that impact the outcome of production and yield. The primary inputs sound simple enough: seeds, soil, water, CO2 and light and you can produce crops. In fact, farming…

"Use of X-rays to upgrade seeds fits in 'Mission Zero'"

Seed improvement company Incotec has recently added a number of organic top-up products based on X-rays for tomatoes and peppers. It fits in the new theme of the company that will be presented at Seed meets Technology (September 24-26) in Zwaagdijk: Mission Zero. Erik Jan Bartels, Managing Director: "The…

"Cooling technology increases total plant yield of basil by 30%"

Roots Sustainable Agricultural Technologies Limited (ASX: ROO, Roots or Company) has successfully used its Root Zone Temperature Optimisation (RZTO) cooling technology to increase the harvest yield of basil plants by 30 percent under extreme heat in the Arava desert in Israel. While basil is grown and…

New campaign starting in south-eastern Sicily

"It is still early to comment on the commercial season, because transplants are currently underway and will continue until December. We have 120 hectares destined to the production of PGI new carrots from Ispica plus 35 hectares of potatoes, 30 hectares of bell peppers and 45 hectares of zucchini, in…

After cucumbers, now tomatoes being grown with AI

Have you have been eaten the "Tencent" cucumber? Last year Wageningen University Research, the Netherlands hosted an international artificial intelligence greenhouse-planting competition to research a question: how to use agricultural AI to produce high-yield, cost-effective cucumbers? Cameras and…

US (OK): Greenhouse Learning Center is now open on OSU campus

Oklahoma State University's new $6 million, state-of-the-art Greenhouse Learning Center opened its doors at the start of the fall semester. The Greenhouse Learning Center features six greenhouses, including an isolated entomology greenhouse; and a headhouse, which includes a classroom, office space and…

44-hectare greenhouse vegetable complex comes to Saudi Arabia

Dava corporation, owned by the Al Batal family, is forecast to grow in agricultural business since they have entered into a contract for a large-scale turn-key greenhouse project with the company Debets Schalke. Mr. Faisal Al Batal of Dava corporation and Wim van Weele of Debets Schalke confirmed the…

US (MI): Luxembourg "glasshouse people" immigration to Chicago

In the second half of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century, many Luxembourgers emigrated from Luxembourg to Chicago. While Luxembourgish immigrants to Chicago worked in a variety of occupations, from saloon keeper to jeweler, Luxembourgers were most famous for being the so-called…

Afghanistan: Durrani signs contract for building 230 greenhouses In Nangarhar

Nasir Ahmad Durrani, minister of agriculture, irrigation, and livestock, during his provincial trip to Nangarhar province inaugurated a number of projects and laid the foundation stones of other upcoming projects. He signed the contract for building 230 greenhouses for women in six districts of the…

"Overall decline in demand for courgettes, despite an increase in organic"

In the vegetable growing region of Pfalz, organic farming is rapidly increasing: from last year alone, there was a growth of 20%, both in terms of area and turnover. This is also noticed by Bernd Kugelmann, who cultivates zucchini, pumpkin, celery, leek and lamb's lettuce on 60 hectares of organic farmland…

Study on environmental impact of strawberry cultivation in Spain

The Agricultural and Fisheries Research and Training Institute (Ifapa) of the Government of Andalusia has carried out a study on the environmental impact of strawberry cultivation, which concludes that the high doses of pesticides applied, the high amount of materials used in the irrigation systems and…

"G x E x M: The magic trio of growing"

Until very recent times, agriculture has relied exclusively on the knowledge and experience of farmers to make decisions on a daily basis that impact the outcome of production and yield. The primary inputs sound simple enough: seeds, soil, water, CO2 and light and you can produce crops. In fact, farming…

This Indian and Bangladeshi grower show how to cultivate on water

Udayakumar, 52, hailing from Karthikapally near the Alappuzha district in India owns more small ponds and less land but that hasn't dampened his spirits to undertake vegetable farming.  Similarly growers of Tungipara upazila in Gopalganj, Bangladesh have taken up growing vegetables and spices on floating beds…

"Use of X-rays to upgrade seeds fits in 'Mission Zero'"

Seed improvement company Incotec has recently added a number of organic top-up products based on X-rays for tomatoes and peppers. It fits in the new theme of the company that will be presented at Seed meets Technology (September 24-26) in Zwaagdijk: Mission Zero. Erik Jan Bartels, Managing Director: "The…

"Cooling technology increases total plant yield of basil by 30%"

Roots Sustainable Agricultural Technologies Limited (ASX: ROO, Roots or Company) has successfully used its Root Zone Temperature Optimisation (RZTO) cooling technology to increase the harvest yield of basil plants by 30 percent under extreme heat in the Arava desert in Israel. While basil is grown and…

New laser technology to achieve prolonged shelf-life

Belmark has partnered with PerfoTec to introduce a system designed to achieve prolonged shelf life and consistent quality of fresh produce; thereby contributing to a reduction in food waste and lower carbon footprint. On the left is Martijn de Bruin, Technical Director – PerfoTec. On the right is Jason vande…

Greenhouse drone manufacturer selected as StartLife startup

Biological approaches to treat aquatic pests and diseases or an aerial scout in the greenhouse: just two examples of the eight food & agtech startups selected to participate in the fall edition of StartLife Accelerate. From the fifty early-stage food and agtech startups who showed interest in the…

Tips on how to properly use commercial LED grow lights

LED grow lighting has fast become a staple in the commercial greenhouse, indoor farming, and CEA grow op industries - replacing the standard grow light sources with improved lighting through LEDs. Growers that have installed LEDs have seen results that show increased yields and decreases production costs…

UK: Charlton Farms cashes in on £5m strawberry farm investment

One of the UK’s biggest strawberry producers is cashing in on a £5 million investment to deliver top Kent fruit to leading supermarkets. Langley-based Charlton Farms, one of the county's largest family-owned soft and top fruit producers, provides stores like Sainsbury's and Marks & Spencer with their…

Ambassador of Spain visits Looye Kwekers

Yesterday, Looye Kwekers received the ambassador of Spain on their location in Burgerveen. The delegations consisting of María Jesús Alonso and Eulalia Ortiz was received by Jos Looije (Looye Kwekers) and Juan José Lopez Lopez (Looije Aguilas). Sjaak van der Tak, chairman of greenhouse horticulture, was…

Turkish greenhouse growers make a loss due to high input costs

The Greenhouse Investors and Producers Union's (SERA-BIR) Chairman Muslum Yanmaz said that greenhouse productivity decreased from 30 tons per 0.1 hectare to 17 tons. Due to bad weather conditions and high input costs, 120 greenhouse growers made a loss in an area of 1100 hectares. "The majority of our…

Australian grower to build another 16 ha in the coming five years

Australian grower P’Petual has been featured on Everyday Gourmet with Justine Schofield. The Buckland Park-based producer grows eggplants, mini cucumbers, and several varieties of tomatoes that are sold in many supermarkets across Australia. They’re actually one of Australia’s largest greenhouse growers.…

Nigeria’s biggest tomato facility idle again

Nigeria’s biggest tomato plant is counting on the government’s restriction of food imports to sustain operations. This appeal was made after going idle again, just six months…

Only 20% of Almería's greenhouses use biological controls

Only 20% of the greenhouse production in the province of Almería is grown with biological controls, despite the fact that the province was a pioneer in its implementation…

"Almeria's tomato acreage expected to fall significantly again"

The increase in production costs, the growing competition from other countries and the spread of new pests, such as the Tuta absoluta, are making tomato growing in the Spanish province of Almería increasingly difficult due to the falling revenues and profits. Over the last five years, this has led to a…

US: Secretary of Agriculture praises repeal of WOTUS

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today praised the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for taking another step to fulfill President Trump’s pledge to repeal and replace the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule. “Repealing the WOTUS rule is a major win for American agriculture. The extreme…

Trump claims he would consider interim trade deal with China

On Thursday, US President Trump that he would consider an interim trade deal with China, even though he would not prefer it. The president told reporters he would like to ink…

‘Fruit and vegetables will be scarce and costly under no-deal Brexit’

Fresh fruit and vegetables are among the products likely to become scarcer and more expensive after a no-deal Brexit, according to several retailers.  Department store chain John…

New campaign starting in south-eastern Sicily

"It is still early to comment on the commercial season, because transplants are currently underway and will continue until December. We have 120 hectares destined to the production of PGI new carrots from Ispica plus 35 hectares of potatoes, 30 hectares of bell peppers and 45 hectares of zucchini, in…

US: California Ag statistics for 2018

In 2018, California’s farms and ranches received almost $50 billion in cash receipts for their output. This represents a slight increase over adjusted cash receipts for 2017. California’s agricultural abundance includes more than 400 commodities. Over a third of the country’s vegetables and two-thirds of…

Exports of cucumbers from Armenia see growth of 174%

At a press conference in Vanadzor, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan presented the changes that have taken place in the agricultural sector in the first 8 months of 2019…

"Own crop rotation machines in demand, especially abroad"

New viruses keep on appearing and crops are affected. Unfortunately, there is not always a suitable solution for suppressing it. Plant protection products are often not effective. The crop may have to be removed. Who is going to do that? The present risk of contamination is a source of concern for…

Walking the energy tightrope between business and sustainability

Sustainability is a hot topic in the industry. Many growers are looking for ways to increase sustainability in their cultivation, but they also have their bottom line to consider. In addition, there are obstacles to achieving more sustainable energy use in an operation. Jan VanderHout with Beverly…

Working towards a fossil fuel-free future

Growers should start preparing their greenhouses now for a fossil fuel-free future, researchers from Wageningen University & Research (WUR) advise. by Rachel Anderson for GreenTech Which fossil fuel-free options are most interesting for growers?Their advice was published this year (2019) in a study,…

Nutrien announces temporary potash production downtime

Nutrien expects to proactively take up to 8-week inventory shutdowns at its Allan, Lanigan and Vanscoy potash mines during the fourth quarter of 2019. The production downtime…

Bejo Zaden and Signify team up to accelerate breeding of more seed varieties

Signify has partnered with Bejo Zaden to accelerate breeding of more seed varieties through a new vertical farm approach to cultivation. In the facility, a large climate-controlled room is equipped with Philips GrowWise Control System to automate control of Philips GreenPower LED dynamic modules. The…

Rain demolishes over 200 hectare of Spanish greenhouses

Rain has damaged over 200 hectares of greenhouses in Spain. Mainly in the region of Níjar the damage is said to be of historical size. Among the damaged crops are tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants and zucchini. Since the damage is very regional, for example the pepper crops of El Ejido have been untouched.  The…

Strawberries researched in development of insulin pill

More than 30 million Americans suffer from diabetes and must inject themselves with insulin two to four times daily. Researchers have been looking for ways to administer the…

Tesco will not phase out plastic bags for loose fruit and veg

Tesco says it will not join the other supermarket chains phasing out plastic bags for free fruit and veg, stating that in fact, paper bags have a larger carbon footprint. The grocery store is refusing to go along with Sainsbury’s and Morrisons in phasing out the plastic carrier bags. Customers have…

Scientists find a way to get kids to eat more vegetables

Some children are pretty picky eaters and parents may struggle to get them to eat the daily recommended amount of vegetables. This problem is compounded by readily available…

"Peat is part of the answer"

Growing Media Europe (GME) participated in the CEO Meeting of the International Peatland Society (IPS) and the Baltic Peat Producers Forum (BPPF) 2019 held on 4-5 September in Palanga, Lithuania. Both events dealt, among other topics, with the overarching question of the future availability of peat as a highly valuable resource…

IFOAM - Organics International elects new Vice President

Karen Mapusua has been unanimously appointed as IFOAM - Organics International's newest Vice President. Karen will assume the role straightaway as the successor to current Vice President and Executive Board Member, Frank Eyhorn. In her new capacity, Karen will serve alongside President Peggy Miars and…

"It is difficult to lower the temperature in the vegetable core to the required four degrees."

Lettuce, carrots, radish: In a heat wave like we had last week, vegetable farmers have to come up with something, so that the goods still arrive fresh on the shelf. Lettuces, carrots, radish and cauliflower are currently piled up in green boxes in the cold store of the Gartenbauzentrale Main-Donau. The air…

MightyVine

We wanted to give a shout out to some of our hard workers in the greenhouse! 🐝 All of our bees are hard at work every day naturally pollinating all of our plants! pic.twitter.com/huisRRqvja — MightyVine (@MightyVine) September 16, 2019

Products recalled after spinach found to be potentially contaminated with E. coli

Urban Remedy, a California-based producer and retailer of ultra-fresh, organic meals, is voluntarily recalling 76 salads and wraps that contain spinach that may be contaminated with E. coli. Seventy-six salads and wraps are still unaccounted for. No juices or any other products are being recalled. “In an…

Europe institutes emergency regulations on ToBRFV

The Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) will get a quarantine status (Q status), starting November 1. From that day on, a European emergency regulation will come into force, which includes that each case of the virus in Europe must be made public. The decision was made by the European Commission in…

CAN (AB): Workshops highlight horticulture opportunities

Fruit, vegetables and greenhouses are the three topics covered at the October and November workshops in Lacombe.“These workshops are a great way for new or potential horticulture producers to be more informed about the opportunities in fruit, vegetables or greenhouses industries,” says Robert Spencer,…

CAN (ON): 20 scholars enter new partnership to intensify training for agri-food leaders

The provincial government and the University of Guelph have partnered through the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance and the University’s Food from Thought program to deliver enhanced training to graduate students. The newly revamped Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP) Scholarship program brings together…

That time when Netto put cats in their supermarket

Having a rough start of the week? We'll help you with this one. Let's look back at 2006 when German retailer Netto decided to create a mini supermarket fully equipped for cats. Including the cucumber scare!   

UK retailer starts growing herbs within the supermarket

M&S Food is partnering with infarm - an urban farming platform - to deliver a range of fresh produce grown and harvested in a selection of M&S’ London stores. From the 12th of September customers will find a range of fresh herbs - including Italian, Greek and Bordeaux Basils, Mint, Curly Parsley and…

Wow!