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    Hydroponically Grown Leek Slowly Growing To Matur-Wageningen University and Research 385977

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    viorel9499
    This document discusses the development of a hydroponic system for growing leeks commercially. It describes the hydroponic system that was designed, including plant density and tube dimensions. Key findings are that the hydroponic system improves nitrogen efficiency and is economically viable compared to soil cultivation, though some bottlenecks around rainwater surplus and frost need further work.

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    Hydroponically Grown Leek Slowly Growing To Matur-Wageningen University and Research 385977

    Uploaded by

    viorel9499
    16 views3 pages
    This document discusses the development of a hydroponic system for growing leeks commercially. It describes the hydroponic system that was designed, including plant density and tube dimensions. Key findings are that the hydroponic system improves nitrogen efficiency and is economically viable compared to soil cultivation, though some bottlenecks around rainwater surplus and frost need further work.

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    This document discusses the development of a hydroponic system for growing leeks commercially. It describes the hydroponic system that was designed, including plant density and tube dimensions. Key findings are that the hydroponic system improves nitrogen efficiency and is economically viable compared to soil cultivation, though some bottlenecks around rainwater surplus and frost need further work.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    16 views3 pages

    Hydroponically Grown Leek Slowly Growing To Matur-Wageningen University and Research 385977

    Uploaded by

    viorel9499
    This document discusses the development of a hydroponic system for growing leeks commercially. It describes the hydroponic system that was designed, including plant density and tube dimensions. Key findings are that the hydroponic system improves nitrogen efficiency and is economically viable compared to soil cultivation, though some bottlenecks around rainwater surplus and frost need further work.

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    06/07/2015

    Introduction
    Hydroponically Grown Leek:
     Less nitrogen emission in outdoor cultivation
    Slowly Growing to Maturity ● Leek:
    ● Vulnerable sandy soils
    July 2015 ● Inefficient with fertilizers
    Erik van Os, [email protected] ● 2009 -2013: programme, cultivation out of the soil
    ● More yield, better quality
    ● Floating system: DFT
    ● ~ 80 pl/m2, 200 g each
    ● 2014 – 2017: 2nd programme
    ● Commercialisation
    ● Robustness
    ● Mechanisation

    System description System requirements

     Floating panels  Plant density: 40, 50, 70, 100 pl/m2


    ● device – tube+tray ● soil 25 pl/m2
    ● 15-25 cm solution ● > 70 pl/m2: smaller plants
    ● < 200 g/pl, > 2.5 cm thick
     4 crop cycles per year 60-80 pl/m2
    ● Yield: 300 ton/ha/yr
     Tube:
    ● (against 65 in soil) ● 28 or 34 mm inner diameter:
    ● Shaft length: >14 cm ● 34 mm for thicker leek
     Upscaling ● 10 or 20 cm long:
    ● Semi commercial scale ● 20 cm for more white shaft
    ● 2x 200 m2 at Kamperland ● Grading plants before planting
    ● More uniform yield
    -

    Cultivation requirements

     Planting – issue with long roots


    ● 8 cm roots are folded and may rot
    ● ~4 cm: partly in solution
    ● 1 cm too short, no growth recovery
     Age of young plants: 10, 12 or 14 weeks
    ● Age from sowing to final planting
    ● No difference between age
     Fast growing varieties (summer cultivars)
     Long shaft length varieties
     Grading: 10% smallest plants eliminated
     Other symptoms: yellow stripe virus

    1
    06/07/2015

    Towards a commercial system

     Terms of reference was made


     Dry Hydroponics designed a system:
    ● 64 pl/m2
    ● 20 cm tube with special tray
    ● 36 inner diameter
    ● Floating panels with air room
     Grower: 2 x 4m x 50 m ponds
    ● No stock nutrient solution
    ● EC: 2-3
    ● Continuous planting/harvesting

    Nitrogen efficiency

     Goal of the programme: higher N-efficiency


     Average: supply 2.9 kg N per ton harvested leek
    ● Efficiency in soil: 45%
    ● Efficiency in hydroponics: 81-100 %
    ● Possible discharge after harvesting
     Precipitation entering the system (800 mm/yr)
    ● Transpiration leek: 300 -500 mm/yr
    ● Other system design to avoid spill over
    ● Storage in pond, surplus to surface water
    ● Direct storage in tank

    Measurements Economy

     Cost price per kg leek


     In small pond ● Hydroponical: € 0.43- 0.50
    ● Soil: € 0.59
     Space for investment
    ● Investment hydroponics: €455,000.-
    ● Paybacktime: 8 years
     Same market price
    ● Niche market important
    ● Taste is same

    2
    06/07/2015

    Present bottlenecks

     Rainwater surplus
    ● System adaptation
     Frost in winter
    ● Continuous cropping or stopping
    ● Regrowth after planting in
    spring
     Disinfection of solution?
    ● Virus?
    ● Erwinia bacteria
     Cover it with a greenhouse?

    Conclusions
     Commercial system developed
    ● 64 pl/m2, 20 cm tube, 36mm inner
    diameter
    ● Mechanization to be started Thank you for
    ● Marketing as new product
    your attention !
     Start of cultivation to be improved
    ● Graded plants
    ● Plant raising for hydroponic goals
    ● Better varieties
    ● Better uniformity
     N efficiency much better as in soil
     Economically viable

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