Hans Baekelmans - Resilient growing on organic substrates

Resilient growing on organic substrates Hans Baekelmans – Greenyard Horticulture GreenTech session Flower and crops – 12 june 2018

Challenges for the future Feeding the growing world population with “healthy, tasty and sustainable” produce will become a major challenge for the coming decades o Healthy: reduction of pesticides, superfruits,… o Tasty: selection on variety, optimal growing techniques,… o Sustainable: optimize yields/m², reduce environmental impact,…

Challenges for the future World Greenhouse Vegetable area (Est): 497.815 hectares Âą 40.000 ha under glass construction World greenhouse vegetable area

Europe

173.561ha

250.000

South-America

12.502ha

150.000

North-America

7.288ha

100.000

Asia

200.000

50.000 0

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Africa Oceania

224.974ha 36.993ha 2.036ha

Challenges for the future Evolutions in Retail: Pesticides become key parameter

• Negative perception by consumer • IPM becomes key for retailers

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Challenges or the future Evolutions in Retail: Changing purchase behaviour

The main challenges and trends for the Fresh produce procurement of our retail partners Reduction of pesticides: “we challenge our own suppliers and growers to become creative in maybe using other sprays or organic sprays or alternative,more sustainable methods.”

Vertical farming as answer to climate challenges and security of supply: “The challenge is to produce and have availability to meet the needs of consumers, and also climate-change” In search for differentiation: “motivation and ambition to innovate and to differentiate the assortment in produce” Organic/bio as driver: “We have consumers who embrace organic totally, and we believe that is a part of our business that can grow” Partnership with growers: “we choose to work directly with big growers there … we have the advantage of having great growers here and great quality 5

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Resillient growing techniques, use of organic substrate • In production of fruit and vegetables we should go for more sustainable production methods o Economical: optimizing quality and yields for the grower o Social: reduce labor and creation of better working conditions o Ecologically: reduce environmental impact • Reduction of pesticides • Closed systems, recirculation • Optimal use of energy • Use of substrate

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Substrate as key for sustainable production Most commonly used substrates worldwide: •

Rockwool

•

Coco coir

•

Perlite

•

Peat

Requirements for substrate:

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•

Provide an airy environment for roots – good porosity

•

Base for plant nutrition – rich soil

•

Water buffering

•

Nutrition buffering

•

Suitable pH and salinity levels

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Grow Bag, sustainable substrate for resilient growing • Composed out of high quality raw materials • Raw materials with Low LCA values compared to minerals • Mixture of Cocos and Responsible Produced Peat

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Peat from responsible sources

RPP • For high added value applications • Transparency • Stakeholder involvement • Third party certification Win-win strategy • Minimize negative effects No extraction in high conservation value areas • Maximize positive effects rehabilitation measures after extracting peat from degraded areas results in net gain of nature value • Requirements over and above existing legislation 9

Importance of a healthy rootzone

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Substrate as key for sustainable production Advantage of Grow Bag substrate: • Composed out of natural raw materials • Low impact on environment (LCA) • Higher level of biodiversity • Higher resilience against root diseases • Higher resilience against calamities • More hairy roots, efficient uptake of nutrients • Fast and healthy development of the roots • Possible to add microbial organisms • Complete waste-free concept!

• Resilience against Crazy roots (Agrobacterium)

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Crazy Roots: Agrobacterium rhizogenes

12

•

Inoculation of the roots by Agrobacterium rhizogenes

•

Causes abundant growth of the roots

•

Widespread disease in modern greenhouses

•

Affects tomato, eggplant, cucumber,..

•

Bacteria can grow very quick in sterile substrates due low biodiversity

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Crazy Roots: Grow Bag has a more stable microbial community compared to mineral substrates RW2C

2

RWS2H GB3C

0

GB2C RW3C RWS2G

GB2A

RWS3H

stable microbial community (ORGANIC)

RWS3G

-4

RW1A

Greenyard -Horticulture Tomabel - GreenTech

RW3A

RW2A

-5 13

GB3A

GB1A

GB1C

-2

Dim 2 (13.63%)

4

instable microbial community (MINERAL) RW1C

0

Dim 1 (27.68%)

5

10

Crazy Roots: Grow Bag has a higher bio diversity 250 200

Grow Bag

Mineral

150 Number (n) 100 Grow Bag

50 Mineral

0 Total species

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Diversity (Inverse Simpson)

Grow Bag: lower presence of Agrobacteria in substrate WITHOUT Crazy roots

WITH Crazy roots

1,00E+07 1,00E+06 1,00E+05

Colony forming 1,00E+04 units of Agrobacteria 1,00E+03 (CFU/ml)

Treshold value

1,00E+02 1,00E+01 1,00E+00

ORGANIC 15

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1/08/2013

MINERAL

Effects on taste • Higher Brix value can be reached • Addition of micro-organisms for symbiotic • Rich soil (high biodiversity) • Positive effects on organic fertilizers

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BRIX vergelijking, concept-traditioneel Snack tomaat min max concept traditioneel concept traditioneel 30 9,4 9 10 10 31 8,9 9,1 11,2 11 32 8,6 8,7 10,7 9,4 33 9,2 8 11,5 9 34 9,5 8 10,7 9,9 35 9,7 9,3 10,7 10,1 36 9,1 8,5 10,6 10,5 37 10,3 8,5 10,8 9,4 38 9,6 10,6 10,8 11,3 39 10,3 9,1 11 9,9 40 9,2 9 10,2 9,8 41 9,1 9,8 10,7 10,8 42 9 9,1 9,5 9,6 43 9,2 9 10,8 10,7 44 9,8 9,4 11,4 10,2 45 10,5 9,5 11,3 10,1 46 10,1 10,6 12,1 11,7 47 10,3 9 11,1 9,7 9,54 9,12 10,84 10,17 gemiddeld: 104,6% 106,6%

Practical use • Irrigation strategy comparable to other substrates • No need to saturate the substrate before use • No need to swell the substrate • No leaching of tannins from the substrate • Higher dose of trace elements like Fe, Cu and Mo • Substrate can be used as soil improver • No-waste concepts are possible due to degradable foil

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Our vision is “to make lives healthier by helping people enjoy fruit and vegetables at any moment, easy, fast and pleasurable, whilst fostering nature�.