The cost of labor is a big part of the budget of a greenhouse horticulture business. In addition, it is difficult to find good workers. Saving on labor without compromising on the quality of the work will therefore be very appealing.

There's no labor of love on the farm quite as time consuming and stressful as attempting to raise a healthy tomato crop. After years of honing in on a system, we find what methods work best for our spaces and what varieties outperform others. This cumulative experience of growing tomatoes, season after season, serves as the wisdom that ultimately leads to our success. Trellising, pruning, mulching, grafting, and growing in high tunnels are all maintenance innovations that have helped producers achieve that desirable crop and new and exciting developments in these areas are sprouting up every year.

Clipping tomato or cucumber plants to the high wire, that's something growers are well accustomed to.

The PlanthooQ is part of the Qlipr system of Pellikaan Gewasklemsystemen. Two stainless steel clamps are fixed on the hot-dip galvanized PlanthooQ - also called the crop hook - to allow the plant to grow. Burlap rope and plastic clips are therefore unnecessary. "Because the hook and the clamps last for years, it is extremely durable; something that is becoming increasingly important in today's horticulture. It is for a good reason that over 30 million cucumber and tomato plants already have been fitted with Qlipr clamps worldwide," says Cor.

Currently the Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) is in the spotlight. The number of countries where the virus is appearing is growing. The question is how growers, together with other parties such as suppliers, can prevent the virus from spreading. According to Cor Pellikaan from PellikaanQ, reducing plant contact helps to reduce the risk of contamination.

News source: By JEANETTE MARANTOS Staff writer WWW.LATIMES.COM

The crop rotation for many horticultural companies is right around the corner. This also means that the taken out crop is shredded and removed. These crop residues often contain plastic. This brings about extra disposal costs for the grower, is socially undesirable and prevents optimum use of residual flows. With regard to the latter, there are plenty of opportunities: for example, tomato leaves as a basis for the production of paper or textile are certainly no longer a ‘remote possibility’.

Cor Pellikaan, the founder of Pellikaan, was born and raised in the Westland region, which is the centre of the national and international horticulture sector. As he started his working career in the famous greenhouses of this area, the cultivation of tomatoes and cucumbers held no secrets for him. Therefore, when he started his own agricultural contractor company in 1985 at the age of 18, he knew precisely what to look for in order to achieve his aim of realizing a more effective and profitable workflow ‘under glass’, with the result that he quickly developed a mission that would create the most efficient cultivation of tomatoes and cucumbers

The use of LED lighting in cucumber growing can significantly increase yields. This is the finding from the LED trial which Philips Horticulture LED Solutions is conducting at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences. The trial is carried out using the Qlipr system from Pellikaan Gewasklemsystemen. “Qlipr brings profit, in light and labour.”

 Tempel Farms Organics is a diversified,  certified organic vegetable, cut flower and egg farm located in Old Mill Creek, Illinois.

The Qlipr plant clamping system, which consists of a galvanised crop hook and two stainless steel clips, has more than earned its place in cucumber and tomato production with over 12 million Qlipr clips sold worldwide to date. 

The Qlipr system developed by Pellikaan Gewasklemsystemen is extremely durable: the clamps and hooks will last for at least ten years. This is a major  advantage over plastic clips and ties. The Qlipr clamps and hooks can moreover be easily and eff ectively disinfected, say growers who use the system. “Steaming is 100 percent eff ective; we have no problems whatsoever caused by viruses or bacteria.”

Qlipr, the sustainable, ef cient clamping system for cucumber and tomato production.

The crop clamping system Qlipr is renowned for its application in cucumber and tomato cultivation. Cucumber grower Wim Joosen from the Belgian Brecht developed his own 'Qlipr method', with which he can use the system both for cultivation on the high wire and in traditional cultivation. However, the system also has added value in the propagation of blackberries, as demonstrated by the experience at Tuinderij Joosen. The entrepreneur is particularly positive about the simple way of working and the sustainability gains that are made.

Cucumber grower Herman Keijsers has been working with the Qlipr system since 2003. Full of conviction: according to the grower and advisor, the system is easy, flexible, sustainable and efficient. "We save about a third on the number of hours, compared to turning in. Partly because of this, the investment in Qlipr clamps and hooks is recouped within five years. "

Paul Jeannet, manager of UrbanFarmers in The Hague, uses the Qlipr system in four different crops. After three months of testing he wants to say his opinion: "It is very easy to use as soon as you are used to it.It saves time and - that is the biggest advantage in my opinion - the clips can be reused after each harvest cycle We can easily separate the clips from the plants and compost the plants, because there are no plastic rope or plastic clips in the back.There is nothing wasted."

The Qlipr crop clamping system - which consists of a galvanised crop hook and two stainless steel clamps - has already earned a strong position in the cucumber and tomato cultivation sector as more than 12 million Qlipr clamps have already been sold worldwide. A tour at some 'Qlipr tomato growers' shows that the system can be used with all cultivation methods, it is easy to use and it cuts down on the work required. But perhaps most telling factor is that Qlipr is very sustainable!

The Qlipr plant clamping system, which consists of a galvanised crop hook and two stainless steel clips, has more than earned its place in cucumber and tomato production. Qlipr is easy to apply and labour-saving and can be used with all growing methods. It also has sustainability benefits: it leaves no plastic or string residues in the crop. This makes Qlipr an environmentally sound, future-proof growing system!