According to Nico and Daniel, the majority of horticultural advisory services in Germany are currently provided by the government, or at federal level, so they established INTEGAR – Institute of Horticulture Technologies in 2013 to address the need for more private horticultural consultancy firms.
Daniel Brohm and Nico Domurath demonstrated their innovations at IPM Essen 2014
“We thought this was the best time to found our own company because the demand for horticultural consultancy is increasing,” says Daniel.
INTEGAR has also developed a customisable LED-Solution (LEDGRO). The lamp can be operated by smartphone, tablet and USB. Beside red and blue high performance LED the lamp contains warmwhite and UV-LEDs but also LEDs depending on customers demand. Every light colour can be programmed separately. So demand light programs and flexible day-night development are possible. LEDGRO is currently being used by scientists in a research capacity; however INTEGAR would like to roll it out to commercial growers in the future.
The LEDGRO lamp
“With this, you can program light cursors that imitate the run of the sun; or you can program only red or blue or UV [spectra]. There are so many ways you can use it.”
“Our aim was to make it as flexible as possible so you can do everything with it,” Daniel says.
The LEDGRO lamp can be operated by smartphone, tablet and USB
However, their most popular product so far this year has been the BottleCrop; a small, hydroponic urban farming system designed specifically for amateur horticultural enthusiasts and people living in cities who don’t have access to gardens or vegetable plots.
The BottleCrop unit arrives ready-to-grow three consecutive lettuce heads in a soil-less container and comes with everything that is required from germination to harvesting, including all the required fertilizer and nutrients. Placed on a domestic windowsill the BottleCrop is capable of producing three heads of lettuce between March and October - light levels permitting.
Refill packs are available from INTEGAR’s website and they are also developing another version of the BottleCrop to grow basil, that they hope will be available to buy on their website later this year.
Currently products are only available to buy online in Germany, but future plans include finding distributors in other European countries, and the US.
In addition to the company’s bespoke products, INTEGAR’s consultancy services include workshops, field trips, and seminars for amateur gardeners, including an introduction to hydroponic production.
For more information
INTEGAR
Daniel Brohm
T: +49 (0) 351 8973 62 55
F: +49 (0) 321 2104 74 96
info@integar.de
www.integar.de