Hydroponic cultivation is taking off. It is a development that started not so long ago. Christ Monden from De Kruidenaer grows on water. His tip for other growers: "Compare systems and take blow molding very seriously. Then the benefits will automatically become clear."
Advantages which Bas Dirven, research & development manager at Meteor Systems, is eager to explain: “The climate has changed. And as a result, the disease pressure in the crop is higher than ever. With cultivation on water you no longer need any plant protection products. Moreover, the water consumption for a crop is ultimately lower than in traditional cultivation. When growing in the open field you are also bound by a crop rotation scheme to keep the soil in good condition. This is no longer the case with growing on water. Cultivation can be done all year round."
Bas sees many more advantages in hydroponic cultivation compared to growing in the open field. Because the crop is rooted in the water, it is ultimately cleaner and therefore safer, as the cultivation can be better controlled.
Meteor Systems has launched a sustainable floater for DFT (Deep Flow Technique) cultivation of leaf crops and herbs. The Meteor Systems Hydroponic Floating Raft is made of the plastic HDPE, which - unlike for example EPS (Expanded Polystyrene) - repels diseases, algae and dirt and has a longer lifespan.
Christ Monden, De Kruidenaer
Christ Monden from De Kruidenaer is one of the users of the floats / floating rafts from Meteor Systems. In the video below he explains that the longer lifespan compared to EPS was the main reason for this choice. “Keeping the floats clean is considerably easier and the damage is zero. Because the floater stays cleaner, we see that the average temperature - even in summer - is better and that it does not have the peaks and valleys. This causes the plant to grow significantly better."
The planting holes are designed in such a way that the plants can easily be removed from the floater. This reduces the labor costs for Christ. His tip for other growers: “Compare systems and take blow molding very seriously. Then the benefits will automatically become clear."
For more information:
Meteor Systems BV.
info@meteorsystems.nl
www.meteorsystems.nl
Peter Lexmond
peter@meteorsystems.nl
De Kruidenaer
Christ Monden
tel +31 (0)76 501 87 17
info@kruidenaer.nl
www.kruidenaer.nl