GreenTech Live & Online exceeds expectations

GreenTech Live & Online, the first show since the pandemic, was a great success. Between September 28th and 30th, over 7,500 professionals from the horticulture field from 140 countries attended the in-person show and/or accessed the virtual platform, while 4,200 visitors attended the event in person in Amsterdam. The top-5 countries represented were Germany, Belgium, the US, France and the Netherlands.

The show’s director Mariska Dreschler said: “I have never seen so many happy faces on a show floor, because we could finally meet each other again in person.”

GreenTech is a global meeting place for all horticultural technology professionals and is supported by AVAG, the industry association for the Dutch greenhouse technology sector. GreenTech 2022 will take place next year on June 14-16th.

Corvus drone, scoops award 

The Corvus Drone is the first automated flying drone designed for greenhouse crop monitoring. Its route can be programed by the piloting user via a phone app. Its primary application is for crop monitoring of plant nurseries by helping in counting seed germination by providing pictures, as well as in detecting flower ripening level and the growing level of pot plants for more precise harvesting.

GROWLIGHTENGINE®2.0, the most powerful led grow lights

With 300 watts of power, the natural led light is also the most compact for indoor and greenhouse farming. It provides a single white light and 120 optic for better uniformity. It also uses passive cooling technology like iPhones. By providing 20 hours per day illumination for crops in indoor farming, led lighting can help increase yields by up to 50%, even in Mediterranean regions.

Koppert, new Spidex Vital and Chrysopa-E solutions

Leader in biocontrol, Koppert has unveiled a new formula for its “Spidex Vital” solution, which contains predatory spider mites. It offers 3 times faster infestation by including young mites in the formula. Koppert has also introduced its new Chrysopa-E solution against aphids and trips, which contains the larvae of chrysoperla carnea, considered to be an omnivorous insect since it lays its eggs inside the aphids.

Light4Food, new hydroponics floating system

The new automated hydroponics floating system of Light4Food is mainly suitable for leafy greens like salads, aromatics or pak choi. Several systems have already been installed across the world, including in the US, Germany, and the latest one for Gartenbauzentrale in Papenburg, Germany. 

LLC, the legal cannabis coalition

Based in the Netherlands, the global association advises growers and investors on how to start with and optimise the use of technologies. LLC provides training, shares innovation, looks at regulation and facilitates commercial connections. The coalition currently has 21 members, most of whom are Dutch-speaking. LLC has so far supported 50 new projects.

Priva, supplies pruning robot “Kompano”

An award-winner 2 years ago, Priva has already supplied 50 of the fully automated Kompano pruning robots in 2021 and started serial production. Kompano can help address the current labour shortages and represents the same investment cost as an employee. Kompano can run for 24 hours and requires 3 hours for charging. It carries out UV disinfection of its knives after every pruning. The device has so far been used with tomato crops, and is currently being tested with cucumbers and peppers.

Urban Harvest, an indoor farming expert

The Belgian firm started out 4 years ago as producers on an indoor farming area of 1000m2 in Brussels. Urban Harvest’s main focus today is on providing technology and growing assistance for new projects. It has so far set up 4 indoor farms of between 50 and 500m2 in the Benelux, mainly for potted herbs, lettuces and strawberries.