30 may 2017
At the start of this month Delphy announced that they will start a research of controlled watering in pot plants, in which the sensor is focused on. RHP will contribute specific substrate knowledge in this project.
RHP will bring in her knowledge on the subject in Delphy’s new research project that will be executed at her Improvement Centre. This research will happen in cooperation with several partners, under which one of the RHP certified companies (Horticoop) and several nurseries. The goal of the project is to optimise watering in pot plant cultures, focussing on the sensors.
Water content, water uptake speed and pore volume in the pot (ball) were already part of collective research at RHP. The research results were shared with RHP certified companies in the workshop “What is in the pores; water or air?”.
Photo: experiment Delphy Improvement Centre
Small changes in the irrigation regime or in the substrate recipe can already have big consequences for the culture. For that reason, Hans Verhagen, head Research at RHP, called for growers to study the water uptake characteristic of their substrate and to measure it routinely. Information can be requested via RHP certified companies. This will give insight in when water and oxygen are optimally present. Both are essential for the plant and her roots.
