Canadian growers are raising the standard. Increasing prices and lower margins are pushing growers towards increased efficiency and lower returns ask for higher yields. In order to deal with this development, more Canadian growers are choosing cultivation methods that have more consistent output. One of these cultivation methods is plug plants.
"Plug plants are a type of programmed cultivation, when cultivating these plants the grower is aware of exactly how long the plant needs to start bearing fruits", Jerry Arkesteijn with Beekenkamp Verpakkingen explains. “This type of consistency is a great boon for growers looking to maximize their output.”
34-hole strawberry tray
Beekenkamp Verpakkingen developed a 34-hole strawberry tray with a cup capacity of 85cc for the propagation of strawberry plug plants, also known as “misted tip” plants. The tray features extra high supports, which means that the roots will never touch the ground, so there are fewer drop-outs than with single deep-drawing trays.
Substrate growing
Another way to increase consistency is a shift from soil-based growing to substrate. “More growers are getting out of soil and starting to grow in a controlled environment,” says Jerry. “These are very big farms, so these are major changes. We offer a solution that allows these larger companies to more easily shift into this new type of growing: a substrate bin.”
California strawberries substrate bin
The developments in Canada are going hard when looking at soft fruits. This fast growth brings with it a need for a suitable reusable strawberry cultivation container for gutter systems. Beekenkamp Verpakkingen offers their new strawberry cultivation container “California strawberry substrate bin” as a solution. This bin is a sturdy 1 meter long cultivation container that fits perfectly on the familiar gutter systems.
The Canadian Greenhouse conference takes place on October 9 and 10 at the Scotia Convention Center, Niagara Falls. Beekenkamp can be found at stand # 1506.
For more information:
Jerry Arkesteijn
jarkesteijn@beekenkamp.nl
Beekenkamp Verpakkingen
Korte Kruisweg 141
2676 BS Maasdijk
info@beekenkamp.nl
www.beekenkamp.nl