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- "Vertical solar panels under the gutter can provide significant savings in plastic greenhouses"
- The differences between greenhouse growers in US and Canada
- German grower reduces moisture in slabs with Spacer
- Half the labor if tomato grows upside down?
- China: Abundance of crops grow in arid Xinjiang desert
Substrates and starting materials
"Block quality plays a role throughout the entire cultivation process"
Antoni de Bruin of ACB Agro in Klazienaveen has high demands when it comes to his slabs and blocks. On one half of his business, he cultivates cucumbers first and then sweet peppers from spring onwards. To ensure perfect conditions for the sweet peppers, he has selected Grotop Master slabs in combination…
Philippines: Development of coco coir to stop coconut farming waste
The Regional Inclusive Innovation Center (RIIC) has identified developing coco coir as a priority in Eastern Visayas to address environmental concerns and raise the income of coconut farmers. During a gathering at the Summit Hotel here Tuesday, officials from national government agencies and academe…
Sustainable growing media for CEA
"It is important to understand what type of system the grower is using. Jiffy specialists work with growers to provide the best product for their crop, system, and preference," says Dana Lucas, Segment Manager Controlled Environment Agriculture at Jiffy Group. "If we compare our customers' production…
Buffered coco coir achieves OMRI listing
Buffered coco coir that has not only been organically produced but also is OMRI listed – that's CalciGro, recently launched by FibreDust. "CalciGro offers improved nutrient uptake, lower electrical conductivity (EC), and a high cation exchange capacity (CEC), making it an ideal choice for a wide range of…
“Substrate enriched with organic compost offers powerful nutritional benefits to growers”
A new coco substrate enriched with compost combines the structural benefits of coco substrate with the nutritional benefits of substrates like peat moss, says Leonardo Juarez with The Grower, the company that developed this Ultra-Coco blend. “All growers that tried this locally mixed substrate, noticed…
"Our buffered cocopeat is widely used in the market"
Rockwool, peat, and cocopeat are all common substrates in soilless cultivation. Relatively speaking, cocopeat is a renewable resource and can be naturally degraded, making it an ideal cultivation medium. Its good water retention and air permeability can meet the different needs of different crops. During…
Constant supply of wood fibers, another step on the road to peat-free substrates
Finnish company Novarbo has been working towards a peat-free substrate for their products for some time. Pirita Luolamaa-Vollebregt has been leading the way in working with and improving new raw materials that are both sustainable and cost-effective. A combination of wood fibers and acrotelm proves to be…
Second Hort Science Online (HSO 2) 2023 goes live
The next six topical and practical Hort Science Online presentations for 2023 are now live - with the launch of HSO 2 for growers in the UK and Ireland. “Our second series of presentations…
Klasmann-Deilmann and Maan Biobased Products showcase new substrate
The horticultural sector is developing rapidly in terms of sustainability and precision cultivation. There is a strong need for sustainable alternatives. We notice this also in the changing demand for growing media. There is an increasing need for substrates that perform better in sustainable, high-tech…
Francis Paon, Fertil on the the Fertiss plug
“The horticultural sector is heading towards peat-free potting soil”
Fertil began producing and marketing Fertiss plugs in 1985. "We produced the first cork-shaped plugs for plant propagation. The agronomic interest of this product lies in the fabric that surrounds the soil to get an aerial hoop, promote the emission of more roots in the soil and therefore obtain more…
Circular Carbon produces fully certified biochar from cocoa shells for horticulture and agriculture
Circular Carbon GmbH operates the first industrial plant for the production of biochar in Hamburg. The company carbonizes nutrient-rich cocoa shells, a residual material from cocoa production, by pyrolysis, a decomposition reaction in which organic materials break down in the absence of oxygen. Biochar…
Dutch Plantin received Higg certificate
In March of 2023, Dutch Plantin was awarded the Higg certificate by the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC). On top of that, we are the first coconut coir manufacturer to receive this certification. We are proud to not only be making a positive difference for people and the environment but also to be…
Danish Ellepot celebrates 30 years in business
Danish Ellepot, a global supplier of the integrated Ellepot Propagation System, is celebrating its 30th anniversary in business. What started as a small, family-owned machine producer named Ellegaard has transformed into a re-branded, innovative company that counts 20 distributing partners and thousands…
Canadian branch for Manisha Exports
Manisha Exports is one of the largest manufacturers and exporters of Coconut fiber, natural fiber, and coconut substrate products in Sri Lanka. The new subsidiary, Manisha Trading Canada, has been established in Oshawa, Ontario, to serve exclusively the growers and distributors in the North American…
Grower starts increasingly using stable wood fiber substrate in longer cultivation
Strawberry growers, especially, will commonly combine open-field, tunnel, and greenhouse cultivation. Klasmann-Deilmann, a European substrate supplier, has substrates for all these. GreenFibre substrates, which have GreenFibre wood fiber as the main component, are becoming increasingly popular. One of…
Vitalnova TriBoost
UK: New microbial inoculant delivers tangible benefits in sustainable growing media mixes
A new ICL microbial inoculant, Vitalnova TriBoost, promotes a healthy microbiome in sustainable growing media mixes, helping boost plant vitality - optimizing plant quality while minimizing losses. “The latest addition to our growing portfolio of tried and tested high-performance biostimulants, Vitalnova TriBoost…
"Growing media with Bacillus Pumilus suppresses the growth of root disease pathogens"
PRO-MIX Bio-Fungicide is a line of EPA-registered growing media amended with a natural, non-GMO bacterium called Bacillus pumilus PTB180.Bacillus pumilus: Rapidly colonize plant roots, forming a protective biofilm around them. Produce a polypeptide that acts as a natural fungicide, suppressing the growth…
Biogrow present at Greentech Americas:
"It's essential to give growers peace of mind at every step of the process"
From France to Sri Lanka, to India, and back to Mexico. Quentin Gomis, Sales Manager with Biogrow Mexico, is back in Mexico right on time for the trade show GreenTech Americas, which takes place this week in Quéretaro. Over the last couple of weeks, he's visited several large greenhouse operations owned…
HydraFiber receives UL Solutions certification
HydraFiber recently received the Recycled Content Environmental Claim Validation (ECV) from UL Solutions, a global leader in applied safety science. The validation, based on UL 2809 Environmental Claim Validation Procedure (ECVP) for Recycled Content, demonstrates that HydraFiber is a responsibly made,…
Pelemix acquires Even-Ari Green
Pelemix has acquired the Israeli-based growing media manufacturer, Even-Ari Green Ltd. (EAG). The deal will see EAG's employees joining Pelemix's growing global team. Danny Levinson, founder and CEO of EAG, will be remaining with the new company as CEO of the EAG division, reporting to Pelemix global CEO Tal Brod. "The…
How Grodan and Walker Industries solved an agricultural waste management challenge
Can stone wool be recycled?
One of the biggest questions in agriculture is how to recycle waste. Whether it's drip tape, mulch film, nursery pots, or growing media, each product has been challenged to find a new life after being used by growers. The average recycling rate in the US is just around 30%, according to the EPA. This includes traditionally…
Pro-Mix BX
"An all-purpose growing media that addresses most growing needs"
In a recent video, Troy Buechel of Premier Tech Horticulture discusses the Pro-Mix BX, an all-purpose growing media that services the majority of growing media needs. According to Troy, it's their most popular product in the ornamental and vegetable markets and can also be used for cannabis.For more…
Rocky Mountain Fresh nursery is looking forward to the growing season
"I prefer the bags over the slabs as they hold a bit more medium per plant"
A new growing season is nearing for Rocky Mountain Fresh nursery in Colorado, and owner Jeremy Marsh, is already looking forward to a great year. "I'm optimistic there will be ample demand for our produce to maintain a profitable business model", he says. Rocky Mountain Fresh nursery opened its doors in 2011…
Start of project that will substantiate 2030 goals for sustainable potting soil and substrates
In November 2022, a broad societal coalition* of government, sector, and NGO agreed that in 2050 the use of potting soil and substrates in the chain will have no negative environmental impact and will be CO2 neutral. To this end, growing media must consist of at least 90% renewable raw materials by 2050.…
