The need for a full - fledge biologic plant food can finally be answered . After three successful years of testing , Van der Knaap Group are able to bring their biologic fertiliser solution to the market . It will put up the USDA – National Organic Program grower in the US and Canada production numbers that are similar to those in traditional growing methods . The organic fertilizer is released in a nuclear reactor and administered through drippers . Ron van der Knaap : “ The Canadian and the Dutch cultivator were apace win over about the effects . ”
tomato plant trial run in ‘ de Kas ’ : grown in the soil , using irrigation water from the reactor
ResiduesThe organic fertilizer is create by convert residue proteins from other industries through a appendage inside of a reactor into limpid plant food that can be deliver through drip irrigation . According to Karel de Bruijn with Van der Knaap Group , when they first tried converting the protein into nitrate nitrogen , they try out to do it in the substrate , but that did not work . “ So that ’s when we start up with the idea of a bioreactor , ” says Karel . “ With a bioreactor we convince residue protein and amino acids into fertilizer through the use of specific bacterium . ”
Cucumber tribulation in ‘ de Kas ’ : coco substrate and organic fertilizer . Slight damage to the leaves because of high temperature / warm conditions .
They managed to commute the protein into biologic fertiliser , but ran into another progeny . “ In 2016 we reached the breaker point where we had the system work for about 90 % , but we still had some organic waste derive along into the glasshouse , ” order Ron van der Knaap . “ This clog up the drippers and accumulate in the substratum . So for the final step , we worked together with a partner in Ede ( NL ) to filter the irrigation water . ”
love apple test in ‘ de Kas ’ : coco substratum and organic fertilizer . The taste sensation is highly right . We compared the same tomato variety ( Axiana ) grow in the grunge and in substratum .
AmericaThe organic fertilizer is now useable in growing systems , which is good word for biologic grower in Canada and the US . In Europe , there is a legislative issue that means that acquire grown out of the dirt can not be identified as organic produce . “ With this organic fertilizer we are capable to grow organically , ” says Ron . “ People say this is n’t biological , but this is because the rules say it can not be . You are allowed to grow out of the dirt organically , but your production can not be mark as biologic in Europe , due to legislation . ”
Ron keep : “ Here in Europe growing organically is inseparable from growing in soil , but when looking toward the futurity – taking into story sustainability and circular line of work – this is potential to change . When produce in soil you have emissions of water and plant food to the subsurface , which you will never be capable to get back . When growing in substrate you get everything and recirculate it . On top of that , the production in substrate rivals that of traditional farm methods . ”
The trial with pepper in ‘ de Kas ’ has only just part .
In America , specifically Canada , you are allowed to grow organically in substrate , provided you reach a sure volume of substrate . “ In essence , companies were already trying to grow organically in this direction , but they run into the same matter as candid field production , ” articulate Ron . “ The garden truck did n’t bet full , because the fertilizer coverage was discrepant . ”
With this new organic fertilizer , however , Ron and Karel say the green goods they have been growing has looked and savour remarkable . “ We ’re very proud , ” says Ron . “ Especially when walking through the greenhouse and seeing no discernible difference in quality between organically fertilized and minerally fertilize plants . ”
After separation , this is what the irrigation water look like . No more clog up the drippers .
TasteNot only is there no discernible difference in the way the green groceries search , but Ron and Karel say the produce actually tastes good . “ We ’re in use work on research into the difference in taste , ” says Ron . “ With traditional fertilizer , you have six macro- and six micronutrient , but when looking at constitutional fertilizer you have a much broader spectrum of micronutrients . All those micronutrient see sure process in the harvest , which means that different mental object substances – such as vitamin , antioxidant , carotene – are acquire . For this inquiry , we look at the differences between the nutrient content and these comprise means of the organically and non - organically grown green groceries . And we see that organically grown products with constituent fertiliser hold many more sum that ensure unspoilt taste . ”
A dissimilar brandSince the produce that is grown out of the stain using the organic fertiliser can not be call organic in Europe , Van der Knaap are see to get a different label . “ We ’re in talk with people to put it on the market under a novel label , ” say Ron . “ So that this type of produce can be sell in Europe under a dissimilar sword , and it can jump taking over a part of the supermarket shelves . “ So that this type of produce can be sold in Europe under a unlike make , and it can start out taking over a part of the supermarket shelf . It tastes better , is more healthy , produces more , and more sustainable than typical organically grow food . We conceive that there is a market for this type of solid food , and until we can also call it organic here in Europe we would like it to be sold under a dissimilar name . ”
Karel de Bruijn indicate the root arrangement of the lettuce from the trial .
Growing in soilVan der Knaap believes that the constitutional fertilizer might also be used to make more traditional ways of grow more sustainable . “ The mineral that traditional fertilizers contain are becoming more and more scarce and so the price will eventually start going up , ” says Ron . “ At some point , the price will arrest up to our intersection and then many raiser might just switch , regardless of whether they grow organically or not . ”
Before that can happen the product needs to be allow for use in soil as well , which ask a Skal - certificate . “ We are surd at work trying to get the fertilizer Skal - certified , and we ’re well on our way to get that done , ” Ron says . “ When that ’s taken care of we might be able-bodied to protrude cast these reactors down at biological growers across Europe that rise in soil . They also have issues with nitrogen supplying in the soil , so this would also be a result for them . Typically these facilities grow at 50 - 60 % in compare to the traditional grower , but with this fertilizer that can be increased to 80 - 90 % . ”
How it startedNine long time ago Ron and Karel met with Pura Natura , who wanted to grow organically out of the soil . “ We tried a lot of dissimilar thing , ” says Ron . “ We tried to create a fecundate admixture that allowed to grow for longer periods of time , but the fertilizer come out irregularly , which create shortage and overindulgence . ”
At the fourth dimension that they were work on this , the dominion about organic growing were being discussed in Europe , and they had high hope that they would change . “ That discussion has since ended with no real solution , but we were so invigorate by it that we wanted to get along up with an organic system that is similar to the one used in traditional maturation . With this idea , you run for into one major yield , which is nitrogen . Everyone thought we were wild set about to make an constitutional plant food with enough N that would be able to be distributed through drippers . You ’re not allowed to grow organically out of the filth , but we want to see if it was potential . ”
trial in ‘ de Kas ’ : orchidaceous plant
Van der Knaap has been working on the mathematical product for seven years , with a mess of tryout and error . “ We had compiled a mint of information , ” say Karel . “ At first we add up up with a very nice production , a eccentric of constitutive pee , but it was difficult to redeem this through a dripper . We had to apply double drippers , one was used while we clean out the other . agriculturist would never use a system like that over their regular systems , so it was back to the drawing display panel . ”
They want to find a answer , and it came in the material body of a company in Ede ( NL ) . “ We met people at a company in Ede that worked in water purification and offshore , ” says Ron . “ They were the cay to getting our project from 90 % to 100 % completion . We started a ship’s company with them and all the knowledge that we had collected , and we finished the mathematical product . Now for the past two years , we have been mature various vegetables , soft fruits , and lettuce , in the style you would grow normally , but with using biologic fertilizer make from residues . ”
Karel : “ A well - equipped laboratory is a must to be able to develop these types of product . ”
Na removalOne more affair that Ron and Karel research was atomic number 11 removal . “ In horticulture , you go with constituent cloth , which all have electrolytic processes , ” says Karel . “ The electrolyte that are used for these processes are more often than not atomic number 11 . So when working with organic materials you always have a rootage of sodium , so you start project increase values of sodium . ”
Karel remain : “ This think that the wastewater has to be unblock earlier , to lower the values . However , we came up with a root for that which we are presently testing . A sodium remover , which we nickname Natrex . Natrex allows us to reuse all the wastewater by taking out some of the sodium with a drain rate of less than 2.5 % , so much everything can be reused . ”
Natrex specifically permeate only the sodium . “ The simple machine keeps the crop protection agents in the system , ” says Karel . “ From 2026 onward you are no longer allow to free wastage as a grower , and the main reason for discharging is Na , so Natrex is a heavy solution . ”
“ In the future tense , Van der Knaap would wish to deliver the full package to the grower , we want to deliver substrate , our reactor to make constitutive fertilizer and also our atomic number 11 remotion root Natrex . So that growers will be wholly coiffure - up for headache - free constitutive growing . ”
For more information : Van der KnaapKarel de BruijnRon van der Knaap+31 174 296606[email protected]www.vanderknaap.info
© FloralDaily.com/Annet Breure
