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Smart Logistics and Harvesting in Hydroponics

Tue, 13 Apr 2021 10:28:58 GMT

Botman Hydroponics B.V. investeert voortdurend in slimme oplossingen in de logistiek en oogst voor de teelt van bladgewassen op hydroponic teeltsystemen. Dit kost veel tijd en geld om de transitie van de conventionele grondgebonden teelt naar de teelt op water te maken.

Omdat de Provincie Noord-Holland dit belangrijk vindt, hebben wij een subsidie ontvangen op grond van de Uitvoeringsregeling subsidie MKB innovatiestimulering topsectoren Noord-Holland 2020.

The Technology Of Cultivating On Water Is Fascinating

Thu, 07 Jan 2021 14:07:02 GMT

The Technology Of Cultivating On Water Is Fascinating

"A solid belief in yourself and an even greater belief in technology, that’s the formula for Botman Hydroponics, the ultimate floating cultivation system." The company spent more than ten years on development and research. "It was a necessary period for refining and optimising every aspect. Now the real action starts", said Jan Botman, company founder.The body content of your post goes here. To edit this text, click on it and delete this default text and start typing your own or paste your own from a different source.

Until about five years ago people were still often skeptical to the ideas of crop cultivation on water, but you can’t ignore it anymore. The concepts have been refined and thorough research is being done. Hydroponic cultivation has finally become a reality. Jan: "The technique of hydroponic cultivation grabbed me years ago and it has not let go, I have worked for about twenty years as an exporter of produce, especially overseas.

"I decided I wanted to do something else and I read about the program called "Teelt de Grond Uit” (Cultivation Out of the Ground) from Wageningen UR. In this program, cultivation systems for open-field horticulture are being developed that comply with European regulations for water quality. This is done in cooperation with Proeftuin Zwaagdijk and others. Back then, I had already visited a hydroponic project in Belgium that used gutters. I contacted Wageningen and got on board as an entrepreneur. In the meantime, I was already involved in a program of growing leek on water at the testing company of Applied Plants & Environment in Vredepeel. In 2012 I got more deeply involved."

Crop level sub-climate

"Proeftuin Zwaagdijk conducts applied research and I developed the Botman Hydroponics system. The nice thing is that the further development of the system ran parallel to the tests that were being done. Many other systems of cultivating on water work with styrofoam, for example. I absolutely wanted the materials of my system to be 100% food safe, which is why I opted for plastic. In 2013 I made the first Botman Drijverbak model, for both leaf crops and ornamental plants. After several years of testing and research we gained a deeper insight into how the system works and how crops can grow optimally."

"The nice thing about plastic is that it lets the temperature through, because it doesn’t insulate. Contrary to what is sometimes thought, this offers great advantages: the water that the container floats on can act as a type of floor heating - or as cooling. This allows us to create a sub-climate at the crop level, without the entire room having to be a certain temperature. This is much more sustainable. This system also does not leave any waste. The plastic can be recycled and the plant containers are biodegradable. All components have been thought through in detail in order to achieve the most efficient result possible."

Oxygen-rich water

"Another long-held assumption was that the oxygen content of water was unimportant. The opposite is true. The presence of oxygen is essential for the absorption of nutrients by the plant. I therefore developed a system for this as well, that’s been studied for three years now. All the results indicate that we are on the right path. In oxygen-depleted water, disease also becomes more likely. This is also the biggest risk of cultivating on water. If things go wrong, then a bacteria can spread rapidly through the water, so you have to make sure that it can’t go wrong. We’ve been successful so far.

The next step is to control the water temperature with a heat pump for both heating and cooling. I have been working on this for ten years, but to me it’s really only about to start now. The actual production is going to begin, I'm really looking forward to that. It takes a lot of time and attention to think of every step. I stand up and I go to bed with them. But with a smile. "

LivingLab

"From LivingLab EVERGREEN I made a test setup for Clusius Lab, the practical teaching facility at the Clusius College in Hoorn that allows students to do tests on behalf of entrepreneurs. I facilitate the hydroponics system that students can use to find answers to various research questions. While the system of Botman Hydroponics has my name, I of course can’t do it all alone. I also work gratefully together with different companies and people. Students can make valuable contributions through smaller, very concrete studies. For example, calculating working with heat pumps or researching an idea for supporting the stems of chrysanthemums. Because they naturally go vertical, you need crop support. And even though some studies do not seem that important, often they are very necessary to get a step further. I can imagine that it would be fun as a student if you could contribute to that."

EFRO EVERGREEN

"In the collaboration with organisations such as Proeftuin Zwaagdijk, like now with the EFRO EVERGREEN project, there is a mutual benefit. They offer the location and a number of facilities, but the input of knowledge comes from two sides, just like the sharing and building on it. I am also a client of Proeftuin Zwaagdijk: partly we work together, other things I take care of myself. The most important thing is the link to the experiments: we have already achieved so many good results. I’m also not the only one working on floating cultivation, other parties are working from their approach. And that we meet each other is only a benefit I think.”

Source: "The technology of cultivating on water is fascinating" HortiDaily ( https://www.hortidaily.com/article/6041619/the-technology-of-cultivating-on-water-is-fascinating/ )

Breakthrough Cultivation On Water

Thu, 07 Jan 2021 13:48:31 GMT

Breakthrough cultivation on water

Growing crops in soil is all we have ever known. But climate change, more extreme weather and increasingly stringent requirements for emissions, quality of groundwater and pesticides/chemicals are making agricultural entrepreneurs to look for other solutions. Growing on water may be the clean alternative.

The benefits of cultivation on water are countless, according to entrepreneur Jan Botman of Botman Hydroponics (left) and researcher Matthijs Blind of Proeftuin Zwaagdijk (right), where this innovation has been tested for years.

“Instead of growing into the soil with their roots, crops grow in water that is enriched with nutrients. This prevents the growth of weeds and reduces the risk of diseases. Plus the product is sand-free. Moreover, one is more attractive as an employer since people do not longer want to work outside in the field.” Blind concludes.

“Therefore, the importance of hydroponics in agriculture is enormous. The possibilities are being fully investigated and developed. If the conditions are right, it is amazing how many plant species can grow roots in water. Now, the main objective is to scale up this approach of cultivation and making the production economically viable as well. And that is less easy than it sounds.”

Aeration and flow

Proeftuin Zwaagdijk has demonstrated in various trails that proper aeration and flow of the nutrient basin water is essential.

At Botman Hydroponics this aspect receives a lot of attention. “I have developed a completely new aeration system that creates good flow through the entire basin and supplies the plant roots with sufficient oxygen. At very low costs and with minimal energy consumption. Since stress periods do not occur, a healthy, strong plant will grow.”

Albert Heijn

Lettuce is the foremost crop where hydroponics is being used on a large, commercial scale. Meanwhile, a number of companies in North Holland and elsewhere in the country are satisfied with the use of our cultivation method, Botman tells.

“Our customer B4Hydrogrow in Warmenhuizen is growing six different lettuce varieties on water for Albert Heijn under contract by vegetable processor Vezet.

Behind the scenes, I am working on demos in Germany where commercial projects are expected to ensue.”

Cut flowers pose the next big challenge

The next big challenge is growing cut flowers such as chrysanthemums and Lisianthus on water.

“We encounter entirely different issues with these cut flowers compared to lettuce. Flower breeders in the south of our country have spent years of researching hydroponics, but have thrown in the towel. Too complex. Together with companies in our region, we have taken up the challenge here. During the first year we faced a lot of issues as well. In the second year we discovered the most important problem for growing cut flowers on water. We are busy to elaborate this now. We will succeed in finding the solutions for the issues.

In parallel to this, we are also conducting research into automation for cultivation and harvesting. The techniques are already there, but we are experimenting how we can implement them specifically with this method of growing.”

Fraught with anticipation

Botman is convinced that the major breakthrough of hydroponics is closer than ever.

“By working very hard, convincing others and persevering with enthusiasm, we have achieved a lot in recent years. Confidence of the sector is starting to emerge. Several agricultural companies are fraught with anticipation. We now have to deliver and show that we can create systems that are a fullyfledged or even better alternative to soil cultivation.

This is only possible in collaboration with the entire chain. All parties must commit. It starts with the breeders, who have to start selecting and breeding for hydroponic suitability. Because I might be stubborn and think I can work faster on my own, but together you will achieve more.”

Source: ''Breakthrough cultivation on water'' Magazine Region North of Amsterdam - Agrifood - Greenport NHN ( www.nhn.nl/ )

We will achieve that in a few years

Jan Botman has been working on that mission since 2007. “Hydroponics fascinates me. I’m an entrepreneur, not a researcher. A researcher should be unbiased and neutral all the time. Sometimes I like to go against the grain. Only then you will achieve innovation.”

Proeftuin Zwaagdijk gave him the space to do his own research. “Before we started we thought: we will achieve that in a few years. Now twelve years have passed and many different versions of the growing system have been examined. Every time we ran into new issues. How should the system look, what is a good floater, how should the water be treated? Logistically there is a story behind all of it. It turned out to be very complex. Only since two years we have got the models we want to continue with.”

5e0be88e

Smart Logistics and Harvesting in Hydroponics

The Technology Of Cultivating On Water Is Fascinating

The Technology Of Cultivating On Water Is Fascinating

Crop level sub-climate

Oxygen-rich water

LivingLab

EFRO EVERGREEN

Breakthrough Cultivation On Water

Breakthrough cultivation on water

Aeration and flow

Albert Heijn

Cut flowers pose the next big challenge ﻿

Fraught with anticipation ﻿

We will achieve that in a few years

Cut flowers pose the next big challenge

Fraught with anticipation