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Since the introduction of the treatment obligation for greenhouse horticulture (effective as of 1 January 2018), greenhouse horticulturists have had to take a different view of water. They now discharge less water and recirculate the same water for longer. Warm summers and high water temperatures are beginning to have an impact on the industry, such as the increase of disease levels in root zones.
After the obligation to purify residual flows came into effect, a number of growers took the opportunity to upgrade their water systems to the latest standards. More care is now being given to decontaminating contaminated basin water, increasing the oxygen levels in the water and using better filtration techniques. The new approach has also drawn attention to the fact that more frequent circulation coupled with less discharge means that substances are more likely to accumulate in the water system.
Agrozone has seen an increase in enthusiasm amongst users regarding the topic of water quality with the water purification obligation most likely bringing it into sharper focus. The nicest thing about improving water quality with ozone is the increased profitability from certain crops. It’s certainly logical – growers have been working for years to optimise the climate inside the greenhouse, while water is the means of transporting nutrients and is constantly present in the root environment – the base of the plant.
Ozone users see positive effects from cleaner water, namely a 50% to 75% reduction in the use of stabilised hydrogen peroxide, lower failure rates and higher yields of up to 1 kg/m2 in some cases. Amortisation periods of as little as two years have even been recorded on investments.
The question now is whether better water quality can get all disease problems under control. The answer is unfortunately no, which has long been the case. When it comes to plant diseases and viruses, Agrozone’s client base of breeders, plant cultivators and growers paints an ever increasing picture of sectoral problems. More industry-wide cooperation is needed to better understand these problems. The warm summers of the past two years have certainly not helped in resolving them. Early reports for this year are that things are unlikely to improve.
As the focus in greenhouse horticulture is shifting, Agrozone itself is now in a transition phase. In recent years, the principal focus has been on supplying BZG purification systems, but that is currently shifting to more customer-focused solutions and optimal water quality. This exerts new pressure on the organisation, which now has to switch from series production to a project-based approach, with more customer field visits.
Since the introduction of the treatment obligation for greenhouse horticulture (effective as of 1 January 2018), greenhouse horticulturists have had to take a different view of water. They now discharge less water and recirculate the same water for longer. Warm summers and high water temperatures are beginning to have an impact on the industry, such as the increase of disease levels in root zones.
After the obligation to purify residual flows came into effect, a number of growers took the opportunity to upgrade their water systems to the latest standards. More care is now being given to decontaminating contaminated basin water, increasing the oxygen levels in the water and using better filtration techniques. The new approach has also drawn attention to the fact that more frequent circulation coupled with less discharge means that substances are more likely to accumulate in the water system.
Agrozone has seen an increase in enthusiasm amongst users regarding the topic of water quality with the water purification obligation most likely bringing it into sharper focus. The nicest thing about improving water quality with ozone is the increased profitability from certain crops. It’s certainly logical – growers have been working for years to optimise the climate inside the greenhouse, while water is the means of transporting nutrients and is constantly present in the root environment – the base of the plant.
Ozone users see positive effects from cleaner water, namely a 50% to 75% reduction in the use of stabilised hydrogen peroxide, lower failure rates and higher yields of up to 1 kg/m2 in some cases. Amortisation periods of as little as two years have even been recorded on investments.
The question now is whether better water quality can get all disease problems under control. The answer is unfortunately no, which has long been the case. When it comes to plant diseases and viruses, Agrozone’s client base of breeders, plant cultivators and growers paints an ever increasing picture of sectoral problems. More industry-wide cooperation is needed to better understand these problems. The warm summers of the past two years have certainly not helped in resolving them. Early reports for this year are that things are unlikely to improve.
As the focus in greenhouse horticulture is shifting, Agrozone itself is now in a transition phase. In recent years, the principal focus has been on supplying BZG purification systems, but that is currently shifting to more customer-focused solutions and optimal water quality. This exerts new pressure on the organisation, which now has to switch from series production to a project-based approach, with more customer field visits.
What to do before 2023 & 2027?
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