Spain: Semillero Los Crespos expands propagation greenhouse

"Acquiring something new usually generates positive and satisfying emotions. Something new binds us to hope with the promise of new adventures and possibilities. That is precisely the feeling we saw in the workers of Semillero Los Crespos when we entered their new facilities", the team with Novagric says. They just realized a new seedbed to improve the quality of life of the plants and of the workers. The facility, with unusual dimensions, allows Semillero Los Crespos to propagate almost 5 million seedlings.

Semillero Los Crespos, based in Almeria, is dedicated to the planting or sowing of any type of seed, offering growers top quality horticultural and ornamental plants. Due to the growing demand from its customers, the seedbed decided to expand another 12,000 meters and its construction required a series of requirements that would allow them to continue producing quality seedlings.

For the expansion of the seedbed, Los Crespos collaborated with the company Novagric, which has been instrumental in making this project a reality. "They ensured standards of construction and arch that no one else on the market could provide," explains Santiago Olivares, Agricultural Technician at Semillero Los Crespos.

Santiago Olivares, Agricultural Technician in Semillero Los Crespos

5 million seedlings
The new facility has an arch of 14.40 meters to maximize the use of space and spread as many seed trays as possible. In 12,000 meters, up to 5 million seedlings can be spread.

The key in seedbeds is to have good ventilation and space optimization. "These large and high facilities evacuate the heat, so it has good ventilation, and its dimensions allow a better use of space because when germinating several crops at the same time, it is necessary to have a lot of space," says Santiago.

Seedling trays

Automated installations
The installations are automated, for the light, they use a shading net, which is the closest thing to bleaching, so that the plant looks as homogeneous as possible, and as for the nutritive solution, both water and fertilizer, they provide it with boom systems that also help them to optimize resources by centralizing irrigation only on the plants that need it.

Each crop has its own process, depending on the type of seed, the way of working, and its handling: "That's the beauty of working in a seedbed," explains Santiago. The technician says that he feels very satisfied with his work at Semillero Los Crespos and is proud of his team, "I am only part of a chain, without them, all this could not be done, and if you have good facilities, it all adds up."

He says that working in the new facilities is much more comfortable because of the fluidity and speed with which the seed trays are spread. The workers are happier because, thanks to its dimensions, the temperature is more pleasant, and this happiness is transmitted to the plant because, as he says: "The plant is a living being, so it also feels, just as we notice it, the plant also does, and this is a differentiating point of the new seedbed."

Germinated seedling

The investment in these new facilities demonstrates the company's focus on constantly improving its products and services. Finally, he thanked the company for the facilities and the deadlines met during the implementation of the project, and he confesses that every day when he goes to work, he smiles at how the new seedbed has turned out.