After analyzing current problems in existing container and hydroponic systems, product designer Israel Holby started to rethink berry substrate production. He came up with a unique design that allows for better fertigation management and oxygen uptake at the plant's roots. With this idea he founded his company Plantlogic and developed a new series of pots with a quantum leap potential for berry production on substrates.
Plantlogic focused on designing a solution for Blueberry, Raspberry and Blackberry crops. The idea was to make a pot that would increase the health of the plant and allows the grower to feed the plant very well without drowning the plant. "Traditional pot systems often drown the plants when you irrigate them too much", said Holby.
He explained that he was approached by a friend who asked him if it was possible to design a better pot for growing blueberries. "She told me that there was a huge demand for something with better drainage, better airflow and better isolation from diseases. This made me research the opportunities and brought me in touch with professionals within the substrate industry."
After traveling the world, visiting producers and analyzing the problems and existing products on the market, Holby soon realized that there was not a pot solution yet that met the specific requirements of the berry industry. Hydroponic buckets and containers were available, but they were all designed with the aim of growing other crops than just berries. "Existing pots were either not large enough for berry crops or missed a few key points in their design."
Plantlogics's answer was a unique pre-patented design that manipulates the surface tension of the water. "This design does not only optimize drainage, but also allows air to enter the pot to increase root health", said Holby.
The secret behind this solution is the combination of a pyramid base that forces water to drain at the outside edges of the pot, which minimizes the wet zone, and extra holes in the center of the pot that allows oxygen uptake in the center of the root mass. This design prevents the root from contact with soil and pathogens and improves the rootzone health drastically.
After successfully introducing the first designs, Plantlogic noticed an overwhelming interest in their pots from all over the world. The company continued with the development and started to win terrain in the emerging berry industry.
Israel Holby in a berry field with Plantlogic containers which have a cooling skirt installed.
Today, Plantlogic's pots and their supportive systems are available in multiple configurations and sizes. Each one of them is designed for a specific crop and fully adaptive to any type of cultivation in many different markets. As the global berry market is poised to grow at a rapid pace and more knowledge is gained by the day, Plantlogic is committed to continuously innovate and improve the system.
A big driver for Plantlogic's continuous commitment to development is the impact that substrate production can have on the environment. "Substrate production can produce great quality and quantity of fruits, but the run-off of the irrigation water can also cause harm to the natural environment. We are committed to designing solutions that prevent this and help protect the reputation of the substrate industry."
For more information:Plantlogic