Wet Novelties At Renewed HortiContact

Just a small hour and HortiContact 2020 will show it’s renewed fair. Water remains an important theme at the fair. Their renewed machines are presented by Ridder and Agrona, among others. Furthermore, more biological crop protection options thanks to extensions of the label at Biobest.

For the next three days, the greenhouse horticulture sector will gather in the Evenementhal in Gorinchem to catch up on this and that, to see new innovations, to discuss practical results with each other and, of course, to view the new exhibition layout.

Oxygen in the water
Agrona’s OxyBull aeration system ensures that the oxygen concentration in the water and the root environment is optimal. The system has been improved and now has a more powerful pump with a capacity of 60 m3/hour. “This allows even more air to be blown into the water and there is more movement in the water, which prevents algae growth,” says Nadir Laaguili of Agrona.

“A high oxygen content in the water is important,” says greenhouse vegetable grower Peter Aarts in Heusden. “This aeration system takes care of that.” Aarts grows cucumbers and autumn tomatoes on rockwool slabs. He applies the system in a silo whose water is intended for a department that always has many root problems due to Pythium. Application of the aeration system should prevent this.

Agrona is at the fair in stands I106 and G205
www.agronagroup.com

Sodium remover plus
This week, the new Ridder NoNa+ sodium remover from Ridder can be viewed at the HortiContact. Since its introduction last year, the unit has been tested in practice and further developed. In addition to removing sodium, the machine can also be used to purify drain water, according to the BZG committee. Approval for this was issued earlier this year.

During the HortiContact, a special knowledge session in the Next Level Theater will focus on the potential of the new Ridder NoNa+ sodium remover. Jerre de Blok, Product Manager Water Treatment at Ridder, discusses the application of the system in detail and is available to further explain the new selective CED purification technology. The knowledge session will take place on Tuesday 18 February at 4:30 pm.

Ridder is at the HortiContact at stand C117

More biology
Biobest puts the label expansions of Preferal and Asperello in the picture at the fair. These well-known biopesticides were granted much wider authorization earlier this year.

Preferal is a biological insecticide that works excellently against greenhouse and tobacco whitefly. Dutch growers can now use Preferal more often and in more crops. This means a breakthrough for tomato, bell pepper and eggplant growers. Until the end of last year, this product could only be used three times per cultivation cycle for tomatoes, cucumbers and floriculture. From now on, tomato, bell pepper and eggplant growers can use the biological agent up to 25 times per cycle. Cucumber, zucchini, strawberry and ornamental growers can use Preferal 12 times per cultivation cycle. “Tomato, bell pepper and eggplant growers in particular are very happy with it,” says Biobest advisor Stefan Bohté. “Because whitefly is common in those crops. They are especially bothered by the tobacco whitefly (Bemisia tabaci), because it can transmit harmful viruses.”

Asperello expands to Dutch floriculture and cucumber
Asperello T34 Biocontrol, a biological fungicide against fungal diseases, also received a nice label extension. The agent against Fusarium and Pythium was already successfully available on the market in the US, Canada, France and Belgium. From now on, it is also permitted in the Netherlands for a whole range of covered crops of cut flowers, pot plants, tomatoes, bell peppers, aubergines, cucumbers, zucchini, small fruit, leafy vegetables, cabbage crops, tree nursery crops, perennial crops, breeding crops and seed production.

Until recently, this was only allowed in a few of these crops. “Especially in floriculture, Asperello is of great added value. Growers all over the world are getting good results with Fusarium’s approach,” says Biobest advisor Stefan Bohté.

Biobest can be found at stand K118 at Horticontact.