Efficiency in horticulture and in the greenhouse: investing in profitability

How do you increase the profitability of your greenhouse? For many years, technology and new methods have ensured that Dutch growers achieve the highest yield per square metre. Anywhere in the world. Hortus Supplies International applies this knowledge worldwide for its customers. This is why, in this article, we will list a number of commonly used tools and resources, and we will explain how you can improve the efficiency or profitability of your greenhouse.

The global population – and thereby the demand for food – is increasing all the time, while many countries have limited scope for agriculture and horticulture. In addition, consumers impose increasingly higher demands on their food, and legislation and regulations are following these developments closely. Needless to say, this has major implications for the operations and the margins of growers around the world.

In addition to product and crop innovation, there are a number of technological developments and applications that can ensure that the efficiency in your greenhouse receives a boost. The grower can also make a difference in this day and age, by permanently reducing the required workforce, using fewer raw materials and growing more efficiently. We would like focus on a number of possibilities:

Machines that can be used during crop rotation and cleaning

The following machines make a huge difference during crop rotation and cleaning, primarily because they require significantly less labour:

• Crop shredder – A shredder reduces waste volume by up to 80% during crop rotation. This makes a significant difference in terms of transport costs and handling.
• Greenhouse roof cleaner – Regular cleaning of the glass on the outside of the greenhouse ensures a higher light output and the roof will also look better without all the chalk and dirt.
• Automatic stands and glass cleaner – The glass and stands on the inside of the greenhouse are also cleaned fully automatically nowadays. This is one-off investment that will soon pay for itself due to the considerably lower labour costs and the far higher quality: a machine can clean the inside of the greenhouse more thoroughly than human labour ever could.

The latter two machines naturally work with a cleaning agent. There is another considerable benefit to be gained here. By using our Organic Clean XL as a cleaning agent, for example, the cleaner will only have to go through the greenhouse once because there will be no need to rinse. A special residue will prevent dirt from accumulating and you will use less water and labour.

Harvest, packaging and internal transport

Hortus Supplies International works with various suppliers for internal transport applications and systems. This goes further than automatic harvesting and packaging systems. Robots are nowadays used in many greenhouses to take care of internal transport autonomously. Employees cover considerably shorter distances, the work becomes easier and there is less absenteeism. In addition, there are special applications for each crop, needless to say. In the case of bell peppers, for example, there are special harvesting applications that ensure that the product can be harvested undamaged.

Fertilisers or additives that increase the yield

There are various fertilisers or additives that ensure that a higher yield is achieved in the greenhouse. In an earlier article about crop rotation, we shared an example of certain additives that prevent biofilm from forming in the pipes. We also mentioned the addition of active chlorine in order to prevent certain diseases and fungi. Hortus Supplies International works closely with its customers to select the right fertilisers or additives for their crop or growing method.

In addition, there is our unique product Supramino. This product ensures that, for example, the rose harvest is 6 to 8 percent higher than usual. This additive is added during the weekly crop treatment and therefore does not require any additional labour or handling. The costs for this unique product are insignificant compared to the far higher yield that the grower will be able to achieve with this product.

Irrigation system

Efficiency and accuracy are another aspect of the irrigation system, of course. Various types of drippers can be used in an irrigation system. Which one you select will have a major impact on the consumption and the quality of your irrigation. In certain cases, investment in a pressure-compensated dripper will definitely be worthwhile. This has the following benefits.

1. It prevents the water from running away when you stop irrigating. So you will not lose all that water.
2. This also means that you will not need to build up pressure every time you want to irrigate.
3. In addition, this type of dripper ensures that the water is always distributed evenly, regardless of where the lowest point in the greenhouse is.

Lighting in the greenhouse

A (partial) switch from HPS to LED lighting has been evident in horticulture for quite some time. LED is, of course, extremely efficient in terms of energy consumption. On the other hand, it requires a completely different nutrition schedule. This requires a considerable adjustment on the part of the grower and their organisation. This is why, in practice, hybrid lighting systems are increasingly common nowadays. However, the expectation is that horticultural companies will also switch to full LED lighting in the future.

Hortus Supplies International advises and assists its customers with the (partial) switch to LED lighting. For example, how do you gear the nutrition of your crops towards the new lighting configuration? And what does this mean for your harvest? Together with our partners, we will assist growers in this change from start to finish.

Do you have any questions about efficiency improvement in your greenhouse?

We will be more than happy to discuss the possibilities of improving the efficiency or yield in your greenhouse. Where do we see opportunities, and how can you approach this in the best possible way? We are happy to tell you in a personal meeting. Feel free to contact us!