Highlights from Horticultural Innovation Roadshow in the Netherlands

Highlights from Horticultural Innovation Roadshow in the Netherlands

Aqua4D was delighted to take part in a recent horticultural roadshow in the Netherlands, a series of seminars on the latest innovations in horticulture and precision irrigation technology.

Taking place between 21-24 September at locations including the World Horti Center in Naaldwijk, and educational institutions in northern and southern Holland, the seminars featured keynotes by Aqua4D’s Javier Meyer, Delphy’s Theo Roelofs, agronomist Raymond Lescrauwaet, and 2Grow’s Olivier Begerem.

The main message was that combining new technologies and horticulture 4.0 innovations, growers can move towards ultra-optimization, precision growing, and water-smart irrigation.

Javier Meyer, as Chief Sustainability Officer at Planet Horizons Technology, informed the audience about how Aqua4D technology can solve common irrigation problems without the need for chemicals – while also making up to 25% savings on water and optimizing fertilizer efficiency – through precision irrigation optimization and smart water use.

2Grow’s Olivier Begerem gave details of his startup’s innovative measurements of sap flow and plant growth. With innovative stem sensors, they can get real-time feedback on the effects of any action on the plant’s stress or vegetative/generative states. A recent study, as reported in Hortidaily, looked at the effect of water treatment on stem diameter and a plant’s internal reserves, with significant implications for lowering irrigation volumes/frequency in greenhouses.

Theo Roelofs joined from Delphy, Wageningen-based world leader in food and flowers science consultancy. He shared recent experiences with Dutch chrysanthemum growers who had improved root development and solved several problems sustainably without needing chemical treatments or steaming.

Finally, Raymond Lescrauwaet gave details of studies in the Netherlands which show that subtly altering the structure of irrigation water can bring about a range of benefits. He noted the 2018 example of a leading flower producer, Floralis Lisianthus, who benefited from more uniformity and higher yields thanks to this kind of water treatment. More info available here (in Dutch) at Bloemen Planten Nieuws.

Video highlights here:

Javier Meyer, Theo Roelofs & Raymond Lescrauwaet

Video highlights from the roadshow seminars