Around a tenner ago , Van Den Berg Est BV , a modern plant nursery in the center of the Netherlands , participate in run to investigate the correlation between light and temperature in golden glow production . In doing so , the fellowship played an active part in the early development of the Plant Empowerment philosophical system . Tom and Marjanne van den Berg have continued to put various Plant Empowerment principles into practice ever since , resulting in both good plant quality and eminent efficiency .
Van Den Berg Est BV was founded in 1996 when Tom and Marjanne van den Berg purchase 3 hectare of land to grow strawberries and chrysanthemum . They have unendingly expanded their company ever since , and currently operate on 20 hectare of land plus 2.5 hectare of high - tech greenhouses supplying high - timbre plants – mainly golden glow , poinsettias , bedding plants , and hanging hoop – to the European retail sector all year around . With a workforce of around 50 employees in the peak time of year , they produce some 2 million plants per class , of which around 1.5 million are grown or finish off under glass .
“ We discussed these tone problems with Rene Beerkens from Hoogendoorn – the supplier of our clime computer – but it was already late spring by that fourth dimension , ” continues Tom . “ Rather than having to wait until the winter in lodge to investigate the problem , we were penetrating to accelerate up the summons . So we make up one’s mind to limit up a tent inside our nursery to endeavor to recreate the winter climate and lightheaded floor in the summer and impel the same quality issues to occur . ” Jan Voogt , one of the cobalt - authors of the Plant Empowerment book , became involve in the project to ensure that the findings could be used scientifically . “ In various trials , he adjusted the proportion between visible radiation and temperature and search the minimal requirements in terms of the Photosynthetically Active Radiation ( PAR ) calorie-free / temperature ratio and associated moisture ascendency . When all the information was analyzed , the cardinal termination was that if the light grade was downcast , we had to reduce the temperature . ”
wrick pointThat marked a turn breaker point for Van den Berg Est and they started think about the plant from the linear perspective of balancing all the inputs , and in exceptional how much PAR a plant call for to rest in balance . “ We installed a PAR detector and a leaf temperature detector , and we learned to function with the everyday light sum in junction with 24 - minute temperatures and the Radiation - Temperature Ratio ( RTR ) . This significantly amend the industrial plant character in the wintertime . ”
The additional manipulation of a PAR sensor let out that there was often enough radiation outside the glasshouse , but that it was n’t gain the plant at ground level to get a minimal Daily Light Integral ( DLI ) PAR sum of more than 10 mols . “ Our second production bed kind of generate in the mode , ” admits Tom . “ Our greenhouse is relatively small so we ’ve created excess capacity by adding a stratum for get it on industrial plant above the hortensia . But as those plants uprise and become fuller , they occlude out some of the luminousness for the double gold . Thanks to the PAR detector , we ’re now able to supervise the easy level for the hortensias and come down the temperature as necessary . ”
erect fansSince then , the fellowship has continued to look at what other adjustments could be made to further meliorate quality and production . One fundamental dance step was the installation of vertical fan in former 2015 . “ We work with a gamey plant density to accomplish the necessary intensity , but this restricts the plant transpiration degree and potentially makes the plant life more susceptible to disease . We could increase that by raise the temperature , but that ’s the most expensive and least sustainable alternative – plus it would discomfit the RTR counterbalance , ” excuse Tom . “ So instead , we installed fan to push ironical air downwards from the ceiling and into the plant , make a more uniform and active climate . We noticed a difference immediately – the plants were much athirst straight forth . We saw that as a good house that they were finding it easy to transport H2O – and therefore atomic number 20 – upwardly to the cells , resulting in stronger and healthy flora . ”
nearer to the edgeThanks to these tone improvements , the agriculturalist has been able-bodied to further optimize efficiency and increase production bulk . “ We need to push ourselves as near to the edge as potential without falling off . And that ’s only possible if you make datum - driven decisions , ” he says . “ You need to quantify and supervise everything . That ’s why we ’ve recently implemented Hoogendoorn ’s Modern IIVO mood calculator . With its advanced ‘ smart ’ capabilities , and in combination with the LetsGrow.com platform as the data analysis tool , this estimator opens the doorway for implement other raw applied science and will make it even easier for us to keep the plant in balance from now on . ”
As for the next steps at Van Den Berg Est , they are presently exploring other aspects of the plant proportion , such as how adjustments to their fertilization and irrigation strategies could further improve public presentation . “ For us , Plant Empowerment is about think in terms of opportunities , based on all your greenhouse inputs as the vigour source and ontogeny accelerator . It enables you to put up sound support to your plants , plus it ’s a more sustainable approach because you could boil down your habit of chemicals and also preserve vigor . Above all , the primal example for us over the past decennium has been that if you castrate one component of the plant life balance , it has a belt - on effect on the other elements too . The Plant Empowerment philosophy helps us to remember to put the plant first and consider all the relevant aspects when making any changes . That ’s the only way to bring out stronger and healthier plants – and at long last more of them too ! ” concludes Tom .
