Paul Zantman and Paul Brabander partnered with Bayer in 2018 to establish the De Ruiter Experience Center, which welcomes thousands of visitors each year. Click through the carousel to learn more about this Bayer ForwardFarm.
1. Quality seeds to secure quality harvest: Each tomato plant starts with just a small seed. Using the best DNA material from carefully bred varieties, taking into account growers’ needs, is key to ensure quality fruits and the highest possible yield.
2. Growing media, irrigation & fertilization: With expertise and high-end equipment, the crop can be monitored very precisely, allowing to adjust watering, irrigation, and fertilization schemes in just seconds.
3. Climate, CO2 & light management: Lighting, temperature, and CO2 level are fine-tuned to allow optimal plant growth and productivity.
4. Use of digital technology: Digital tools help monitor and steer environmental parameters and nutrition to create optimal growing condition.
5. Integrated disease & pest control: Resistant varieties, climate control, monitoring, trapping, use of beneficials, digital tools, sanitary measures, and chemical and biological products allow very effective pest and disease control with highest safety standards.
6. Smart input sourcing & recycling: A circular economy is key for efficient resource management. Therefore, inputs such as rock wool and water are recycled. Waste heat and waste CO2 from other industries are used to create optimal plant growth conditions.
7. Responsible stewardship management: Personal protective equipment, safe storage of input materials, closed transfer systems, sanitary measures, environmental safety measures and regular training enable highest worker and food safety standards.
8. Outdoor biodiversity measures: BraZander contributes to biodiversity in a modest yet effective way: the banks of adjoining ditches are sown with special bee and butterfly flower seeds.
9. Transparent tracking & tracing: Training, documentation, and certification allow tracking and tracing across the whole value chain – from the glasshouse to the supermarkets and consumers.
10. From harvest to market: Many benefits of modern horticulture for the consumer, reflected in variety of taste, quality, better packaging possibilities, improved shelf life, marketability, and waste reduction, are demonstrated.
11. Partnerships: Bringing together skills, expertise, and state-of-the-art technology to demonstrate successful and modern sustainable horticulture in a holistic manner.
Responsible Water Use
The BraZander team utilizes a system of drippers to transport water and nutrient solutions to the tomato plants. Depending on the phase of the crops, there are approximately 20 90-second dripping sessions per day. An adult plant needs between 2 and 4 liters of water per day, with the total amount varying based on the amount of light the plant receives as well as the temperature of its environment. Plants are given just enough water in response to light intensity, humidity and temperature, and the team uses a climate computer as a central tool to ensure water efficiency.
The amount of water given to the plants always exceeds the uptake amount, but a 30% drainage is implemented to prevent salt accumulation in the root zone. We collect and reuse all of the water that the plant does not absorb, so no water is wasted. Even the condensed water on the glasshouse’s ceiling is recycled.
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We're happy to connect with you! Contact Jan Kamper with any questions or inquiries.