Key Takeaways:
- The Leafy Greens Hydroponic Summit highlighted that thorough research and market understanding are crucial before financial commitments in hydroponics.
- Optimizing cultivation practices, such as preventing tipburn and automating processes, enhances production efficiency and crop quality.
- Tailoring business strategies to specific market conditions is vital for success.
- The summit highlighted sustainable, organic plant-based crop protection solutions.
- Future events promise to drive further advancements and collaboration in the hydroponic industry.
The Leafy Greens Hydroponic Summit: An Insightful Event
The Leafy Greens Hydroponic Summit, organized by Cultivators, brought together international growers to share experiences, best practices, and innovative solutions. This gathering enriched participants’ knowledge and strengthened the global community of leafy greens growers. The sense of unity and shared purpose among attendees was palpable, and the collaboration fostered at the summit equips the industry to face future challenges and seize new opportunities.
Financing Hydroponics: Business as Usual or Different Principles?
The summit kicked off with Lambert van Horen from Rabobank discussing financing hydroponics. He emphasized Rabobank’s value chain approach and the importance of finding the right business case for production. Van Horen highlighted the low agility yet significant opportunities within the US market, where indoor production is just 8% compared to 20% in the EU. His insights into market potential, capital expenditure, and innovation were invaluable for growers looking to make informed financial decisions.
Preventing Tipburn in Hydroponic Lettuce Cultivation
Marc Celis from Rijk Zwaan delved into the critical issue of preventing tipburn in hydroponic lettuce. His presentation provided practical knowledge on the influence of CO², airflow, irrigation, and nutrients on tipburn outcomes. These insights offer clear steps for growers to improve their cultivation practices and enhance crop quality.
Leafy Greens Lighting Strategies
Joost van Rooij from Heliospectra presented on dynamic LED lighting strategies, focusing on optimizing quality and energy savings. The session covered lettuce recipes, optimal light conditions, growth tracking, and stress detection, underscoring the importance of precise lighting control in enhancing crop quality and reducing energy costs.
The Good & Bad of Automation
Ad Kranendonk from Flier Systems explored the complexities of automation in hydroponics. He highlighted the challenges of high initial investments, the green thumb bottleneck, and regulatory processes. Kranendonk’s insights into decision-making on automation and mechanization provided valuable guidance for growers considering these technologies.
Leafy Greens Types, System Choice & Impact on Business Case
Tim van Hissenhoven from Cultivators addressed market trends, production methods, and the challenges of applying the same technologies across different climates. His analysis on optimal spacing, transplant strategies, and the impact on business cases suggested a shift towards greenhouses over vertical farms. Van Hissenhoven emphasized the importance of thorough research and market understanding before making financial commitments.
Weighing and Packaging Solutions for Leafy Greens
Joost Somford from JASA discussed the automation of processes from harvest to storage. He emphasized integrating processing to cooling and tailoring packaging strategies to specific regions and clients. Somford’s session highlighted how overlooked packaging strategies can be critical to success and how JASA supports decision-making processes before investment.
Teen Leaf Production: Direct Seeding vs. Transplanting
Kurt Cornelissen from Hortiplan provided an in-depth comparison of direct seeding versus one-time transplanting for teen leaf production. His insights from Belgium offered valuable considerations for growers regarding the pros and cons of each method.
Panel Discussion: Insights in Successful Leafy Greens Cultivation
The summit concluded with a panel discussion featuring Pieter Slaman from Little Leaf Farms, Tim van Hissenhoven, and Tomás Benavente from Pura Hoja. Moderated by Sonny Moerenhout, this session provided a platform for growers to share their successes and challenges, fostering a spirit of collaboration and mutual learning.
Innovations in Greenhouse Technology
Marc Middeldrop from Van Der Hoeven discussed the benefits of semi-closed greenhouses and active airflow systems in improving lettuce production. Ton Habraken from Svensson followed with a session on maintaining an active crop and a homogenous greenhouse climate while saving energy. Both presentations highlighted innovative approaches to enhance productivity and sustainability in leafy greens cultivation.
Field Trip: Hands-On Learning and Engagement
On the second day, attendees participated in an engaging field trip to the Rijk Zwaan hydroponic trial center in Dinteloord. Visitors learned about Rijk Zwaan’s history and their approach to identifying market trends to breed desired lettuce varieties. After an informative tour of the greenhouse, attendees enjoyed a lively lunch. The field trip continued to Belgium, where participants visited Hortiplan’s R&D facility, observing various trials on spinach and lettuce and focusing on crop protection, avoiding tip burn, preventing root rotting, and maintaining system cleanliness.
This hands-on experience was invaluable, bringing practical applications discussed in the sessions to life. It was a fantastic opportunity to see firsthand how industry leaders like Rijk Zwaan and Hortiplan innovate and tackle real-world challenges, making the summit profoundly insightful.
Conclusion
The Leafy Greens Hydroponic Summit was a testament to the power of collaboration and knowledge exchange in advancing the hydroponics industry. Attendees left with a deeper understanding of financing, cultivation practices, automation, and innovative technologies, all crucial for driving future growth and success in the industry.
Nicole Kuleshova Shalumov from Cultivators remarked, “As Cultivators, we are experts in cannabis and hydroponic leafy greens. For cannabis, every year we attend multiple events and exhibitions worldwide. We thought, why not for leafy greens? And that is how the LHS was created. This was the first event of many more to come, as it was clear that the international leafy green industry is interested in what the LHS provides, and we are here to deliver.”
Professor Kendra Armstrong, who visited the event, shared a sentiment that deeply resonated with many attendees: “Attending Cultivators’ Leafy Greens summit was a unique opportunity to talk openly with growers about their farming operations and have real discussions about challenges and opportunities they face.”
The summit not only highlighted the current state and future potential of the hydroponic leafy greens industry but also laid the groundwork for ongoing innovation and collaboration. With positive feedback and a clear interest in further events, Cultivators is planning a second edition of the summit, promising more opportunities for learning and networking. The Leafy Greens Hydroponic Summit by Cultivators proved to be an essential and enlightening gathering, showcasing the profound need for knowledge exchange and collaboration among international growers.
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