At the University of Cundinamarca in Fusagasugá, Colombia, agricultural engineer Susel Andrea Martínez is on a mission to grow superior tomato varieties in the country's San Bernardo region.
Nestled between Ráquira and Tinjacá, the university's greenhouse operation sits at 2,400 meters above sea level and primarily cultivates tomatoes–including the classic San Marzano variety often used for sauces, pasta, and creams.
A helpful remedy in a challenging grow environment
After experiencing issues like pathogens and harmful microorganisms with previous crops, Martínez turned to Jiffy's growing solutions to support the university's horticultural operations over the past two seasons.
"Here, we had very clay-ey soils with high electrical conductivity (EC), saline soils, and, in addition, hydrophobic soils," Martínez says. Jiffy's hydroponic Growbags, which arrive dry and compressed hydrated, disinfected, and inoculated with beneficial free of weeds, plant pathogens, and insects, seemed like the perfect solution.
"By switching to Jiffy technology, we have noticed an improvement in the quality of the product, as it is much easier to manage," she says. Using a drip irrigation system with compensated emitters along with the Growbags, Martínez adds that the team now has better control over fertilization and nutrition.
Martínez found other benefits, too, including improvement in labor management," she says. "It helps us significantly, for example, with weed control."
She adds that the spacing of the Jiffy Growbags allows the plants to be more exposed, and workers can more easily navigate around the foliage to conduct weeding and pruning activities.
Measuring the results of Growbags
So far, Martínez has recognized marked improvement in crops grown with Growbags compared to the previous soil-grown crops.
"In the first cycle, we achieved a production rate of 9.1 kilos per plant, above the current average in the area," she says. Not only were the tomatoes getting higher yields, but they also saw a significant increase in quality. The team no longer has to use herbicides, and they have significantly reduced their reliance on pesticides to keep pests and diseases at bay. Plus, the Growbags have been reused in subsequent crop cycles, layering on another benefit.
Overall this has made the switch to Jiffy consistently economically profitable for the team, Martínez says.
"This technology is worth using, implementing, and learning," Martínez says. "We do not regret our investment."
A deeper dive into Jiffy's Growbag
The Jiffy Growbag is a multipurpose growing medium with a vast range of options in terms of drainage, porosity, and format. They are available in a standard grow bag format as well as a typical container format (EFBags), with different substrate recipe options – High Yield, Husk Chip, 50-50, and Peat-Free.
"All Jiffy Growbags contain 100% coco substrate. The Growbags are available in a wide range of configurations, with or without pre-cut planting and drainage holes, to suit your greenhouse or horticulture practices. Compressed and light, they are easy to transport and store", the team says.
Jiffy Growblocks
The all-in-one medium and container: the Jiffy Growblock is an option for all cut-flower and vegetable growers using hydroponic systems, greenhouses, or other nursery applications. For the manufacturing of all Jiffy Growblocks, polylactic acid is used for netting, which is a corn starch alternative to plastic. PLA netting is a lightweight, fine-fiber web that is biodegradable and compostable under controlled industrial conditions.
Jiffy Growblocks are also RFP Certified for Horticulture for security and safety, meaning they have been tested for contamination prevention, chemical, and physical properties, as well as phytosanitary processes to reduce risks of weeds, pests, and diseases.
For more information:
Jiffy Products International
Tel.: +31(0)78 2062200
[email protected]
www.jiffygroup.com