In the late 1990's, Danish greenhouse growers were having problems with a variety of fungus and bacterial diseases. A group of growers asked Aksel de Lasson to help, and through a series of studies, Lasson discovered he could use electrolysis to combat the fungus and bacterial diseases, so he formed Aqua Hort to distribute his system. Instead of a warm reception, however, his process was first met with a critical eye, but after several years of positive results, growers all over Europe have come around to his innovate way to combat plant disease.
Aksel de Lasson at his stand in the Danish hall at IPM Essen 2013
“When I made the system commercial and began to distribute it in Denmark, there was a lot of opposition,” said de Lasson. The machine he developed treats water with electrolysis in order to fight bacteria and fungus that can damage plants. The electromagnetic force exerted on treated water literally pulls bacteria apart, causing them to die. He was sure the process worked, recalled de Lasson, and he even had a government study to prove it. But getting growers to believe in the merits of his project was tough.
“I started out with growers in Denmark,” recalled de Lasson. “I had a trial with one grower, and after he talked to his fellow growers about how the machine worked, many other growers followed his lead.” That initial trial led to the installation of 150 machines throughout Denmark. Aqua Hort then found a distributor in Norway, but once out of Denmark, de Lasson said that they once again encountered resistance.
“I ran into lots of opposition from advisors and researchers,” he said. “They said it was hocus-pocus, they did not understand what it was about.” So he teamed up with a German professor to conduct a study on his machine, and the results, once again, proved him right. Not only was his electrolysis system an effective way to treat water against fungus and bacteria, but it also helped root and plant development. De Lasson felt vindicated, and with increasing evidence to support him, many European growers have since embraced his way of fighting plant disease.
“We have now installed over 600 machines all over Europe, The United States and Asia,” said de Lasson. “The benefits are there for growers, they just had to get over the initial obstacles.”
An interview with Aqua-Hort user, cucumber grower Lars Kolling will be published on HortiDaily.com next week.
For more information:
Aqua Hort
Aksel de Lasson
Tell: +45 702 26 611 |
[email protected]
www.aqua-hort.dk
