AI-assisted plant measurements, energy challenges and birthdays

Staal & Plast, a Danish company specializing in tailored irrigation trays, marks its 40th anniversary with a global expansion, while Angus Soft Fruits, now a major player in the berry market, celebrates 30 years of growth across multiple countries.

As European tomato cultivation adapts to energy challenges, advances in LED lighting and resistant varieties are driving a resurgence in lit cultivation. The Van der Knaap Group is expanding production capacity to meet the demand for coco substrates, and companies like Kubo are pioneering CO2-negative greenhouse technologies.

From labor-saving innovations like AI-assisted plant measurements at Bushel Boy Farms to sustainable climate solutions in greenhouses, the sector is increasingly focused on enhancing efficiency and reducing environmental impact.

Tray specialist celebrates 40-year anniversary:

Denmark: "As production capacity doubled, we're now able to take on the global market"

"In comparison to other manufacturers that have a wide array of products, we pride ourselves on becoming specialists in irrigation trays over the past…

Rob Kwinten from MJ-Tech:

"Combining high-pressure fogging and insect netting provides a more stable greenhouse climate"

Fresh Valley grows cucumbers, mini-cucumbers, tomatoes, cluster cherry tomatoes, and strawberries in their greenhouses in Uden, Boekel, Sevenum,…

Papenburg: Heinz-Jürgen Albers

"By year-end, we want to expand our hydroponics cultivation by two hectares"

For the past five years, Heinz-Jürgen Albers has dedicated himself to the hydroponic cultivation of cut herbs using an innovative floating system.…

Pleun van Malkenhorst, Thanet Earth Peppers Ltd / Thanet Growers:

"Growing demand from British retailers for lit cultivation"

Last week, Thanet Earth in Chichester celebrated its inaugural lettuce harvest. "The decision to venture into lettuce production and expand Thanet…

Juan Pablo Saucedo Romero of AgroSense México

"We found an effective means to minimize labor in Mexican greenhouses"

As greenhouse cultivation is very labor-intensive, labor shortages pose a considerable challenge for growers. "We're seeing that Mexican growers…

New trends in the greenhouse produce industry

Greenhouse locations migrate and product innovation continues

For many years, greenhouse growers have been growing produce in the same location and were either East Coast based, or West Coast based. However, in…

Microchips in coconut substrate for increased rootable volume

"An ideal coconut substrate has a percentage of air between 30 and 50 percent. But then, actually, there's not much attention paid to the distribution…

30 years of Angus Soft Fruit

'Run your business like you are going to run it for 100 years'

Angus Soft Fruits, once a small farming operation consisting of three growers in the East of Scotland is now celebrating 30 years. The company now has…

"European retail opts for high-tech in winter tomato cultivation"

Following years of growth in the North European lit tomato cultivation, the European tomato sector has changed drastically in recent years due to the…

photo report: Global Tomato Conference

"Stop with promotions, consumers are willing to pay for tomatoes"

Does taste matter? If you ask this question to a speaker at the Global Tomato Congress, the answer is quite predictable. The answer is 'yes,' often…

open day at Kalamazoo, Michigan on May 30th

Arie Luiten savors his daily 'bakkie' in the new Luiten Greenhouse facility

Mother's Day is over, the growers in the area are less busy, so it's time for a celebration, thought Arie Luiten of Luiten Greenhouse Tech. So, what do…

Van der Knaap Group expands production capacity

"Demand for coco substrates has increased enormously"

In 2022, they noticed at Van der Knaap Group that social and economic developments were boosting the future of sustainably produced coco substrates.…

report from the Root Health Symposium

Why root health matters

Earlier this month, growers, researchers and industry came together for the Root Health Symposium, hosted by the University of Florida, the Florida Nursery, Growers and…

Tomato virus ToBRFV has changed the sector beyond recognition

ToBRFV has turned the tomato sector upside down worldwide. The virus is harmless to humans but can cause significant damage to cultivation. Moreover,…

all international horticultural suppliers in one place

New Greenhouse Guide available online and in print

Hello new Greenhouse Guide! The latest edition of our Greenhouse Guide for the horticultural industry is now available in both print and online…

Iris Herren from Ott Gemüsebau masters lettuce cultivation on water:

"Cultivation is now better and calmer"

The cultivation of vegetables by the Swiss Ott family has a long history. Four generations have been farming in the north of Switzerland, on the border…

Simon Hansen, Miljøgartneriet

"Zero fungal issues thanks to better control over climate"

Miljøgartneriet is Norway's largest vegetable producer, growing tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers, on close to 8 hectares of advanced, high-tech…

Collecting living data by measuring plants with AI

Carrying out plant measurements in a greenhouse can be quite a daunting task. After all, the conclusions drawn from these measurements form the basis…

Protecting crops from summer heat and weather events while simultaneously increasing revenue per hectare

Summers are becoming hotter, the amount of rainfall is becoming more excessive, and hailstones seem to get bigger and cause more damage. Climate change…

Continuous airflow makes greenhouse CO2 extractor

"The ambient air has enough CO2 in it to grow vegetables, but there's not enough ventilation in the greenhouse to ensure a continuous CO2 supply," says Wouter Kuiper with Kubo. This is why...