Oasis Grower Solutions introduces precision propagation media

To succeed in today's market, commercial growers need every competitive advantage, including a precision propagation substrate that channels success. To address that, Oasis Grower Solutions (OGS) is launching OASIS® RhizoPlug™ Sheet, a new engineered foam growing media designed especially for precision…

Questionnaire provides insights into greenhouse light requirements

Climalux has put together a short questionnaire that provides insights into the light requirements of a crop in a specific greenhouse. The form is offered digitally via the Climalux website. "After completion and sending, the sender will gain insight into the most optimal full-LED grow light system for his…

Solos' growlight experience

Recently, Lino Bassanese from Ambralight paid a visit to the aquaponic company Solos, where one of the founders, Matheus, guided him through the different growth phases of lettuce, where they use the Ambralight artificial LED growlights. First up is the growth chamber, where no sunlight enters, and they rely entirely on the Ambralight…

"Partnering with Ammerlaan adds glass Venlo greenhouses to our product portfolio"

"Partnering with Ammerlaan adds an exceptional glass Venlo greenhouse to our product portfolio, enabling growers to leverage our local market experience & product offerings, coupled with Ammerlaan's Dutch technology," said Ray Bryer, President of Westbrook Systems during this year's Canadian Greenhouse…

Plug and play lighting controls with sensor feedback works with any light

GrowFlux’s new Precision PAR® dynamic lighting control is an easy-to-install monitoring and control solution that allows growers to build automated control systems that work with any light. Much like a thermostat, Precision PAR detects light levels near the crop and automatically adjusts any dimmable…

Philips Horticulture LED partners up with Houweling Americas

Philips Horticulture LED Solutions has signed a partnership with Houweling Americas. As a certified Philips LED horticulture partner, Houweling Americas will offer only the Philips LED lighting portfolio of greenhouse lighting solutions to Canadian growers. Houweling Americas is a division of the Houweling…

Used pipe-rail trolleys transformed into air wheel trolleys

Did you know that Steenks Service can also give used machines a second life? As an example, the company has recently completed a special transformation, namely the conversion of a used pipe-rail trolley into an air wheel trolley that is as good as new. Overhaul of old pipe-rail trolleysAt Steenks…

"They proudly tell their customers: 'We have one from the Netherlands'"

For more than 15 years, Henk Boers (73) traveled the world doing horticultural projects. It has taken him from Turkey to China and from the Bahamas to Dubai. He wrote a book about his experiences: Henk Boers: Westland Horticultural Globetrotter. At Rodi, he tells his story. "I had actually never thought about…

Belgium grower wants wind turbine to replace one of their CHP plants

An application by horticultural company De Glastuin on Duffelsesteenweg in Kontich to install a wind turbine with a tip height of almost 90 meters high is causing quite a stir…

Renewable energy sources in horticulture a focus during TSW

The horticultural industry is preparing for the event in Central and Eastern Europe, the 14th edition of the Fruit and Vegetable Fair, and a new conference about renewable…

Coatings tested safe for AGCulture Fountain

AGCulture Glass from Belgium has examined the compatibility between its glass type Fountain AR (anti-reflection) and various ReduSystems coatings from Lumiforte. The cleaning agent ReduClean was tested on the well-known low-iron greenhouse glass. "We now know for sure that our Fountain glass is not…

Unravelling malfunctions? Ruud likes nothing better

With the arrival of more luxurious and complex greenhouses, the complexity of malfunctions has increased. So, there is plenty of work for Ruud van de Munckhof, who has been working for himself for a year now with his company Nature Technics. He sells climate computers and supports growers with 'smaller'…

New photosynthesis institute in Wageningen

By 2050, there will be nearly 10 billion mouths to feed worldwide. That is two billion more than now. This explosive population growth, along with climate change and biodiversity loss, is putting food security under pressure. One potential solution could be to improve photosynthesis in crops. At the new,…

Why the IP rating of a lighting fixture is important

Ingress Protection (IP) is a critical aspect of a properly designed product for the specified applications. It is a standardized way of classifying devices for what they can withstand with respect to dirt and water. The first digit represents objects or solids, the second digit represents liquids. See…

Growers are taking advantage of Sollum's Multi-Zone Lighting Technology

Sollum dynamic LED grow light solution has become a solution of choice for several growers. Recently, the company has announced several new customers and a variety of use cases, including Les Serres Bertrand (Québec, Canada) for tomatoes and AMCO Produce (Ontario, Canada) for various fruits and…

How the right lighting has a positive effect on plant growth

The right light at the right time: that is how to obtain excellent plantlets. Over the past few months, Azienda ortofrutticola Francescon completed the setting up of new greenhouses, some of which feature C-Led lights. The purpose is to produce melon and watermelon plants, as these fruits represent the…

UK: Turning on LED as fluorescent tubes bow out

Most fluorescent tubes are now banned from sale in the UK & Europe, with the rest due to be phased out soon. Beginning with the fading glow of the 100W incandescent lightbulb in 2009, the journey towards energy-efficient LED lighting has maintained a steady pace. The latest phase of this transition sees us…

NASA employee: "The Netherlands is a world leader in greenhouse horticulture"

The aerospace and greenhouse industries are learning from each other and lending techniques to each other, according to a piece from EenVandaag. Professor of Horticulture and Product Physiology Leo Marcelis of Wageningen University is pleased with all the knowledge that NASA has gained in recent years.…

Plant Propagation to install dynamic LEDs

Proplant Propagation is installing Sollum's dynamic LED fixtures in their propagation greenhouses. With this new investment in precision supplemental lighting, the company hopes to continually improve their product with the help of tailored light recipes. A third-generation family business, Proplant…

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"A lot of people who tried first-generation LEDs had pretty bad experiences"

In retrospect, it's hard to believe there ever was a question about whether light-emitting-diode (LED) illumination is the future of commercial cultivation. Even three to four years ago, growers remained skeptical that the newcomer technology could outperform the high-pressure sodium (HPS) lamps that…

Saving up to 50% energy with updated Ridder energy cloth RES10+FR

Ridder is introducing an improved version of its RES10+ FR energy screen cloth. This screen cloth with 5mm tape has been specifically developed to support growers during the autumn and winter months by bringing more light into their greenhouses while at the same time reducing energy consumption. Thanks to…

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The dark side of lighting: a critical analysis of vertical farms' environmental impact

New research by Cecilia Stanghellini and David Katzin, published in September 2023, critically analyses the sustainability claims of vertical farming by particularly focusing on crop energy budgets and productivity. It makes evident that staple crops, vital for calorie intake, cannot be economically…

"We hope to solve every customer's planting problems, not just provide LEDs"

Microalgae is a valuable natural resource that grows in water and photosynthesizes, converting carbon dioxide into oxygen and producing high-value compounds such as algal oil, proteins, and pigments. These compounds have a wide range of applications, including food, feed, cosmetics, and biofuels. As LED spectrum…

In search of optimal LED cultivation: 'Plant does not cool by evaporation alone'

In the switch to (full)LED cultivation, tomato growers are busy optimizing their crops. Moisture and evaporation are key concerns. In the search for solutions to cultivation problems, sometimes resulting in 'discolored tomatoes,' much attention is paid to evaporation. Gerrit Vermeer, former cherry tomato…

Special Lighting and Technique this month

October is lighting and greenhouse technique month on our horticultural sites. More and more growers are installing lamps, and new techniques are also being developed to make the inside of greenhouses even better.This special is the opportunity to share novelties, news, and new developments with a broad…