Japan is a country where efficiency and sustainability are of paramount importance. In Japan, everything is organized down to the last detail, including the greenhouse. Every grower aims to have everyone on the same page. Lowering the crop is done automatically.

De Witte Beek is a small scale (1,5 ha) 'Community Shared Agriculture’ organic vegetable farm in Bierbeek, Belgium, providing an very diverse, year-round selection of vegetables. Tomatoes are clearly the most popular crop among our members and every year we love exploring their diversity, setting each year nearly 40 different varieties.

"Our farming practices may be radical but they have resulted in our farm being one of the highest production farms per square foot in the country.

The Qlipr crop clamping system has more than achieved its position in cucumber cultivation; More than 12 million stainless steel Qlipr clips have already been sold worldwide. However, the system also offers potential for tomato cultivation: the results at a farm in Southern Germany are extremely positive. "There are countless advantages. The system helps to reduce our CO2 footprint and there is more light in the greenhouse. We also expect to save on labour in the long term."

Pellikaan Gewasklemsystemen develops smart applications for the cultivation of tomatoes and cucumbers. The systems can now be applied to an even wider range of crops in both high-tech and low-tech horticulture. A good reason for an interview with Cor Pellikaan.

The photo above clearly shows how much plastic is entangled in the compost.

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

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

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.

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’.

About The Wegener Farm | Rob, Cheryl and Matthew of The Wegener Farm:

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 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.

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.

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.  Mike Morrison has introduced our Qlipr system in July 2018 and shares its experience with us.