In 2018, Farma Bezdínek started growing tomatoes on five hectares. Five years later, the Czech company already has 15 hectares of greenhouses, and its growth ambitions extend even further. To optimize the growth of both the company and tomato plants, Farma Bezdínek uses Growficient's platform. Cultivation experts Alžbeta Nagyová and Milan Kula talk about their experience with the sensors.
Farma Bezdínek grows vine tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, and a small proportion of cocktail tomatoes in its greenhouses in the eastern Czech Republic. It produces zero residues and has a high focus on quality. Milan, Head Grower at Farma Bezdínek, says: "Taste is the most important thing for us. We are especially proud of our cherry tomatoes. These are difficult to grow because they are not ToBRFV resistant but incredibly tasty. That makes growing them worth it to us."
Cultivating with algorithms
One of the areas in which Farma Bezdínek excels is innovation. As a Technical Grower, Alžbeta is responsible for the technical parts of cultivation. She says: "Every year, we launch several new projects to improve our cultivation. Last year, for instance, we started working with artificial intelligence. We want to use algorithms to control the climate in the greenhouses. If this succeeds, we can manage 100 hectares with one grower instead of having five growers manage five hectares. A huge improvement."
For these projects to succeed, Farma Bezdínek needs data and innovation. The tomato grower has used Growficient's sensors and platform for several years. Milan: "We started with six sensors. Now, we have 30, with which we monitor 14 irrigation valves. With the sensors, we retrieve data on water content, dry-out, EC value, and temperature." Soon, Growficient will add innovations such as start/stop time and autonomous irrigation to this as well.
No more weight scales
Alžbeta and Milan are still happy with their choice of Growficient. Alžbeta: "The data we collect is incredibly valuable. Immediately after installation, you will get information about your plants. Before, we used to perform manual measurements once a day. With Growficient's sensors, this happens continuously. As a result, we have much more and more accurate data. So, we always know exactly what the situation is in the substrate. Moreover, we get instant alerts if something is wrong."
Farma Bezdínek is so satisfied with working with the Growficient sensors that they have chosen to grow without weight scales and rely solely on the sensors for their new greenhouse. Milan: "Scales are a big investment, whereas, with the sensors, we already get enough information about the water content of the substrate. Of course, in the beginning, it was exciting to see how this worked out, but we have been very satisfied so far. Compared to the older greenhouses, the plants in the new greenhouse are doing 15 to 20 percent better. And the root quality is excellent."
Everything on one screen
Another thing Milan and Alžbeta are delighted about is Growficient's service. "We can always count on good service. If something is unclear, Growficient is always ready to explain it to us. Sometimes, they e-mail themselves to ask if everything is OK because they saw something strange in the data. They really think along with us."
The sensors also bring benefits in day-to-day use. Milan: "As a grower, I find Growficient ideal. The sensors work well with our climate computer. I have all the information I need on one screen. That makes my work much easier and saves me a lot of time." Would he also recommend Growficient to fellow growers? Milan concludes: "Definitely. Growers regularly come by to see our greenhouses. When I show them our data, they all react enthusiastically."
For more information:
Growficient 
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www.growficient.com