Two major players launch key to just-in-time irrigation at GreenTech 2023
Amsterdam, 12 May 2023 – Two leading lights of the horticultural sector, Hoogendoorn Growth Management and Saint-Gobain Cultilene, are today announcing the launch of Connected Irrigation, a unique add-on to Hoogendoorn’s smart IIVO irrigation module, at GreenTech 2023. The new software takes into account the properties of substrates into a process computer for the first time, takes into account just-in-time supply of natural resources and ensuring sustainable crop production.
The proliferation of new technologies such as sensors, ventilation units and new types of screens entering the growing environment can change the energy balance in the crop. One of the biggest changes currently affecting growers is the switch from HPS artificial lighting to LED lighting. Plants receive 40 percent more heat from HPS lighting than from LED. As plants transpire less under LED, they take up less water and nutrients.
Recognising how even one such change can impact on all the others, Hoogendoorn and Cultilene have together developed a tool that will better support growers by providing a rapid overview of evapotranspiration levels in the crop and calculating water and nutrient levels to reflect these changes.
Following the principles of Plant Empowerment, Connected Irrigation delivers customised irrigation by integrating the properties of Cultilene’s high-quality substrates and its advisory values on the pF curve, substrate volume and dry-back time into the process computer. The software reduces water, nutrient and energy use, while preventing plant stress and benefiting the root environment.
Remy Maat, Manager Application at Cultilene: “By combining our substrate expertise with Hoogendoorn’s outstanding process automation technology we have produced a unique evapotranspiration-based irrigation software application that will benefit growers worldwide. Its ability to improve water use efficiency will lead to healthier, more resilient root systems and therefore better quality plants, responding to the need to grow more healthy food while using less natural resources. I encourage you all to learn more about Irrigation for Success: evaporative energy as a solution by attending our inspiring presentation on this topic on the vision stage at GreenTech Amsterdam on Wednesday 14 June at 13:45 – 14:30.”
Martin Helmich, CCO at Hoogendoorn Growth Management: “Collaboration between supply chain partners is essential to feed a growing world population in a sustainable way. Hoogendoorn’s long track record in process automation solutions and Cultilene’s expertise in smart water and root zone management combine the best of both worlds for the grower, enabling them to get the most out of their crop and achieve more sustainable production.”
From left to right: Dennis Wertheimer, Managing Director Saint-Gobain Cultilene, Claudia van Groesen, Marketing Manager at Saint-Gobain Cultilene, Angela Luijten, Projectmanager International Business & Strategy at Hoogendoorn Growth Management, Remy Maat, Manager Application at Saint-Gobain Cultilene & Rene Beerkens, Senior Data Driven Growing Specialist at Hoogendoorn Growth Management.