A vital plant is the foundation of any successful crop. A crop that actively grows, adapts to changing conditions and resists stress. Vitality is not just about health, but about balance. Balance between growth, energy, water and climate.
During HortiBiz News Radio's Vitale Plant podcast, Lisanne Meulendijks, crop researcher at KUBO, talked about how KUBO's Ultra-Clima® greenhouse, research and cultivation knowledge contribute to that balance. The insights from this conversation show that vitality doesn't happen by itself, but is the result of smart technology, in-depth knowledge and close collaboration between grower and manufacturer.
Here are five insights that every grower, and anyone interested in the future of sustainable food production, should hear.
"A vital plant is one that uses its environment to grow, not to survive," says Lisanne. At KUBO, the plant is literally at the center of greenhouse design.
A vital crop is active: it continuously evaporates moisture, absorbs water and nutrients, and converts CO2 into growth. For this, the plant needs a stable environment in which temperature, humidity and CO2 are optimally balanced. Stress, due to heat, drought or fluctuations in climate, leads to energy loss and reduced production.
In KUBO's vision, vitality is therefore not only a biological concept, but also a technical issue. By designing the greenhouse environment from the needs of the plant, growth becomes predictable, resilient and efficient. This approach also forms the basis of the Full Service Grow Concept, in which cultivation, technology and knowledge come together.
The Ultra-Clima® greenhouse is the result of almost twenty years of innovation. Whereas traditional Venlo greenhouses regulate their climate through vents, the Ultra-Clima® greenhouse works with a climate corridor: a separate space along the greenhouse where temperature, humidity and CO2 are created and then blown through the crop with fans and air hoses.
That sounds technical, but the effect is easy to understand: the plant continuously experiences a light, slow movement of air around the leaf. This keeps the air around the plant fresh and moving, removing moisture and bringing in new CO2.
"It keeps the crop active," Lisanne explains. "The plant can evaporate better, cool itself and absorb nutrients. That makes it stronger and more vital."
The cultivation strategy is also changing. Whereas growers in a traditional greenhouse have to watch out for too much humidity, the Ultra-Clima® greenhouse allows cultivation under higher humidity levels. This requires new knowledge, but also provides new opportunities.
The benefits of this climate system go beyond plant health. Comparison studies in KUBO's test greenhouses in the Westland region show that growers in an Ultra-Clima® greenhouse use an average of 20% less energy than in a traditional greenhouse, without sacrificing yield.
The difference in CO2 use is even more impressive: thanks to the closed system and recirculation of air, up to 90% less CO2 is needed.
"The air we use barely leaves the greenhouse," says Lisanne. "As a result, virtually no heat or CO2 is lost. We reuse what we add, and that makes the system extremely efficient."
For growers, this means not only lower operating costs, but also a lower carbon footprint. An important benefit in view of future legislation and the growing demand for sustainably grown food.
The benefits are also visible in crop results. In strawberry trials, a remarkably lower disease pressure was observed, especially against powdery mildew. Air movement results in drier leaves and less mildew. Less chemical control means healthier plants and a better product.
An innovative greenhouse requires an innovative way of growing. Therefore, KUBO not only invests in technology, but also in knowledge development.
In Westland, KUBO has two test centers where cultivation strategies are tested and optimized. The insights gained there are actively shared with growers through the Smart Growing team. A multidisciplinary team of cultivation consultants, data experts and researchers.
"Whoever starts in an Ultra-Clima® greenhouse receives intensive guidance," Lisanne says. "We help calculate heat and cooling requirements, give advice on cultivation strategy and help growers translate their climate settings into practical results."
That cooperation doesn't stop after the greenhouse is completed. KUBO regularly organizes the Ultra-Clima® convention, where growers from around the world exchange their experiences and learn from each other. This creates a worldwide knowledge network that works together toward one goal: more yield with less energy, water and emissions.
The approach is clear: KUBO not only builds greenhouses, but sustainable partnership with the plant as the starting point.
The next step in vitality is digitalization. Within KUBO Innovations, a specialized team is working on the AutoPylot: software that converts cultivation knowledge into smart control.
This technology learns from data, sensors and historical cultivation information to automatically optimize the greenhouse climate. The grower retains the overview, but receives support from software that thinks along 24/7.
"An Ultra-Clima® greenhouse offers enormous possibilities, but also many settings," explains Lisanne. "With the AutoPylot, we make that easier. Less manual adjustments, more insight. This allows the grower to concentrate on what really counts: the plant."
Artificial intelligence in the greenhouse is not future music, but a logical next step. By combining human knowledge with digital control, vitality becomes predictable and repeatable, from seedling to harvest.
The Vitale Plant podcast shows that a healthy, active plant is not independent of technology, data and knowledge. Vitality is the result of cooperation: between people, plants and technology.
For KUBO, this is the core of sustainable growing. With innovative greenhouse concepts, smart software and cultivation knowledge, KUBO helps growers worldwide to grow. Literally and figuratively. The Ultra-Clima® greenhouse proves that sustainable choices do not have to mean concessions. Less energy, less CO2, fewer resources and still more yield and quality.
The vital plant is thus not just a goal, but a mindset: the conviction that the future of our food supply starts with the power of one plant.