Ed Classens works with nanobubbles in his water
"Biostimulants better absorbed by higher oxygen levels"
Horti Daily | 14 februari 2022
Now that chemical crop protection agents are increasingly being restricted, growers are looking for alternative ways to protect their crops. Among them is Ed Classens of VieVerde Nursery, with 1.5 hectares of strawberries and 5 hectares of cucumbers. A year and a half ago, he started testing the Pro-Vida, Aquamar's nanobubble generator. Ed talks about his experiences so far.
Optimizing water
"I am always busy optimizing the water because if the water is good, the plants grow much better too," says Ed. In the past, VieVerde used Vitalisers and Venturis to get more oxygen in the water and to give the water more life. "More oxygen in the water makes plants feel better, and you have fewer problems with Pythium or Phytophthora in the cucumbers." Maarten Kramer of Aquamar: "The difference between a Venturi and a Pro-Vida is that you don't get the oxygen level nearly as high with a Venturi as with a Pro-Vida."
Better performance
On the face of it, using the Pro-Vida leads to better results - the new Malling Centenary strawberry plants seem to be growing well, and that's not just down to the variety itself. The measurements also support that conclusion. "We take measurements every fortnight. We see much higher oxygen levels, and lower nitrate levels."
Also, according to research, elements become easier to absorb by using the Pro-Vida. "We are now working with a lower EC, we are administering less. But the latter also has a lot to do with a concept we are doing together with Mertens." More on that later.
Maintenance-friendly
Ed feels completely supported by the Pro-Vida, he says. "There is a maintenance contract, so they come and check on us every year. They will clean the oxygen generator and the filter, for example, and then the system will run smoothly for another year.
The maintenance-friendly aspect also played a major role in the decision to go for Pro-Vida. Maarten: "Unlike some other systems on the market, Pro-Vida has a user-friendly device that you don't have to worry about.
"And it's a plug-and-play system, so it's very easy. Put the box in place, plug it in and it does the job," says Ed with a smile. "And we then see high oxygen levels in the storage silo, if you measure in the greenhouse afterward, the levels are still high."
An additional advantage is that there is little pollution. "Because we work with biostimulants, I feel that we have a slightly higher chance of contamination. Since we have been using the Pro-Vida, we have had less of this. In addition, the biostimulants are also more absorbable due to the higher oxygen levels."
Less liquid
Finally, a note about the concept Ed mentioned earlier. In collaboration with Mertens and Mark van der Werf, the nursery is going to apply less liquid fertilizer and more solid fertilizer. "So we are going to sprinkle grains on the substrate. These will more or less settle on the substrate and are more absorbable by the plants. This also allows us to work with lower nitrate values, which makes the crop less attractive to insects."
In that so-called Vital concept by Mertens, VieVerde works with nitrogen and calcium granules. "We have had a lot of whitefly problems in recent years, but this year I think we can control it better than before," says Ed. "We can also go a bit higher with sulfur in the plant, so we hope to have fewer problems with mildew, although that was a bit disappointing last year."
In addition, in the Vital concept, trace elements are sprayed almost every week, instead of giving them in the water. "These trace elements are more easily absorbed by the leaves than by the roots," explains Ed. "Then we take weekly leaf samples, on the basis of which we can make adjustments."
Cucumbers too
As far as Ed is concerned, strawberries are not the only ones to benefit from the Pro-Vida. The results were so good that Ed decided to buy a Pro-Vida for cucumber cultivation as well. "But since that system has only just been installed, since 7 January, I can't tell you much about it yet. Especially since the authorization for AATerra will soon expire, it is important to find a good alternative to control Pythium."
Ed Classens
VieVerde BV
Roffert 8
5811AT Castenray
The Netherlands
+31622661288
Sourse: Horti Daily
