With strawberry propagation and cultivation increasingly moving to high tech, Grodan is committed to understand the added value of its offering for this crop.
Contact usAfter the classic greenhouse vegetables (tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers), strawberries are also on the rise in high-tech greenhouses. Due to the extensive knowledge that has been gained and the emergence of new techniques, strawberry has great potential for year-round cultivation under glass. Not only does this allow growers to better control their strawberry production, but it can also maintain quality and cost-efficiency.
Via this page, Grodan wants to keep you updated on the progress we make in our strawberry project. We are building up knowledge on hydroponic strawberry propagation and how fantastic strawberries are grown on our stone wool. We are learning a lot at this journey and get very energized from the early results. Do read the info and contact us in case of questions or remarks.
Grodan and Fluence, two leading horticultural solution providers, have completed an innovative demonstration trial aimed at exploring the opportunities for year-round cultivation of everbearing strawberries in a controlled environment. The results show that the use of stone wool growing media in combination with cutting-edge LED technology makes it possible to stay out of dormancy and maintain high-quality plants with a high yield throughout the winter. These findings have the potential to redefine the best practices for high-tech cultivation of everbearing strawberries, enabling growers to consistently supply retailers and consumers with fresh, high-quality strawberries all year round.
Why stone wool stands out in indoor strawberry cultivation? The choice for growing media is made prior to the start of each cultivation cycle and is important to achieve the most from a crop, specifically for strawberry cultivation. Trials conducted at research centres in the Netherlands concluded that growing in stone wool growing media for high-tech glasshouse cultivation does improve growing results. So why to switch to stone wool? Thomas Peters explains further in the whitepaper : “Optimising water and nutrient management in strawberry cultivation”.
This article explores innovative irrigation techniques for high-tech indoor strawberry cultivation using Grodan stone wool growing media. By leveraging its steerability, growers can precisely control water content (WC%) and electrical conductivity (EC), enhancing young plant quality and yields. Ebb-flood irrigation systems in hydroponic strawberry propagation maintain dry crowns, minimising Phytophthora infections. A strategic irrigation strategy promotes robust root systems. In cultivation, Grodan offers blocks, slabs, facilitating real-time monitoring the root zone management via GroSens sensors. Read more in this article.
A recent trial by Grodan has demonstrated that strawberries can be propagated and cultivated on a stone wool substrate while maintaining high quality and attractive fruit size. Focussing on commercial strawberry propagation and cultivation. Additionally, the yields and Brix values were higher than with traditional methods. “Our trial has shown that we have enough knowledge to grow good strawberry plants on stone wool. Everything is ready for upscaling,” says Johanna Bac-Molenaar from WUR.
Growers of many crops worldwide are under mounting pressure from several sides. Against the backdrop of rising consumer demand for fresh and healthy food, retailers expect a reliable year-round supply of consistently high-quality products. At the same time, there are tighter sustainability-related requirements, combined with sharp cost increases due to inflation. “Another factor affecting the commercial strawberry farming industry in many regions is the restriction of the use of pesticides to avoid pollution of surface water. As a result, on a global level, we have seen a significant increase in the number of strawberry crops produced in greenhouses over the past decade. And this shift from outdoor to indoor strawberry growing is likely to accelerate in the coming years,” says Thomas Peters, Business Development Manager New Crops at Grodan.
Grodan & Fluence, horticultural leaders, share mid-term results of a breakthrough trial at Wageningen Uni. , transforming winter hydroponic strawberry cultivation with stone wool and advanced LED tech boosts strawberry growth & quality and keeping the plants out of dormancy.
Grodan and Fluence join forces to develop new concept for year-round, high-tech strawberry cultivation with a demonstration trial at Wageningen University & Research in Bleiswijk, The Netherlands.
Research Centre Hoogstraten in Belgium is experimenting with hydroponic strawberry growing by using stone wool growing media and GroSens. In this Gro-Hack, researcher Dieter Baets talks about his initial experiences and why the project is so special – also for him personally.
Together with industry partners Grodan created a series of inspiring videos showing how successful propagation is dependent on a multitude of elements. In this video Thomas Peters visits our partner Genson Group where Thijs van Doorn talks about commercial strawberries propagation on stone wool substrates. Watch it here.
Global strawberry farming is at a turning point. Growers are faced with sharp cost increases, while they also need to continue to guarantee high quality and consistent products, as consumers demand healthy, fresh fruits throughout the year. That is why strawberry propagators and growers are constantly looking for ways to optimise their growth strategy, maximise their yields and minimise their costs. This is the reason for the increasing trend towards the production of everbearers worldwide.
One solution to optimise strawberry cultivation, is to move indoors and to grow strawberries on stone wool growing media in high-tech greenhouses. Growing strawberries on Grodan stone wool with a focused irrigation strategy has been shown to increase yield and increase brix levels. It also allows the re-use of all drain water from the start of the cultivation, allowing strawberry growers to reduce fertiliser costs and meet legislative demands on drain water discharge.
In the past years, we have already seen a large increase of strawberry production in greenhouses worldwide. At Grodan, we believe this trend will continue in the coming years. We are leading the way, by helping ‘early adopter’ propagators and growers to shift to strawberry cultivation on stone wool. By providing the most innovative growing media solutions, and guiding customers to take full advantage of the benefits they bring, Grodan is aiming to transform the way strawberries are cultivated.
In this paper, three Grodan experts will explain why more and more commercial strawberry propagators and growers are interested in growing their products on stone wool growing media, what the benefits of cultivating strawberries on stone wool are, and how Grodan can support propagators and growers to meet the challenges of our time.
Business development manager new crops
Precision growing: is giving exactly what the plant needs in every cultivation phase.
Grodan provides growing media which promote better root development, water supply and more uniformity which will result in better yield and quality.
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