Growing is a top sport with narrow margins. An incorrect climate setting or incorrect assumption can mean the difference between profit and loss. Now that greenhouses are generating more and more data, it is easier to guarantee for optimal cultivation results. We must translate data into information and knowledge about the interactions between plants, greenhouse climate, and technology.

Ideally, this will lead to new insights, such as the basic principles of Plant Empowerment. Greenhouse climate expert Ton Habraken: "A climate computer can take a lot of work off your hands and can manage 80 to 90% automatically for you with smart settings. But a real grower knows how to refine that to an optimum. Which can make the difference between 90 or 100 kilos of tomatoes per square meter."

The need for climate knowledge is growing

Every grower, every greenhouse, and every variety is different. The climate outside the greenhouse is also always different, even between other regions. Habraken, therefore, keeps a close eye on all developments in greenhouse climate control. Climate screens have played an increasingly important role in this, and the use of two screens has become common in many crops.

New materials lead to new applications, such as PARperfect, which was launched last year. But that's not enough, Ton says: "Oftentimes when we visit growers, we see that managing climate screens is not always common knowledge. The conversations are increasingly going deeper into climate and screen settings. We noticed that there is a need for more knowledge. That is why we have now started Climate House."

Plant Empowerment as a basis

Growers and crop advisors already have many things on their minds, continues Habraken.

"We want to help growers to use screens optimally. In addition, a crop consultant often does not have enough time to analyze a grower's climate data extensively, but we do. We want to leverage our knowledge about cultivation and climate to advance to a higher level, with Plant Empowerment as a basis. Together with the grower and cultivation advisor."

He continues: "With climate tools such as a thermal camera, we can see at plant level what happens when you take certain climate actions. This allows us to provide growers - also in a business comparison context – generate additional data so that they can gain even more insight into the effects of certain climate settings."

Ton Habraken

For a flawless start

"In practice, we sometimes come across 'fake advice' and strange customs, such as leaving a gap in a summer screen," says Habraken. "Then someone shouts: 'You should always leave a screen gap!', without specific knowledge of the screen present. But a summer screen is already so open in the structure that this is unnecessary. This is sometimes taken for granted in a grower's group. We can use data to prove that advice or use is sometimes incorrect."

But what is the significant advantage for the grower? "If growers start using a new screen and call on us for advice, no major mistakes are made. It is also nice that he can immediately use our experience and knowledge to use the climate screen optimally from day one. We ensure a flawless start."

"We want to help growers to use screens optimally."

Maximum greenhouse climate efficiency

Climate House offers paid services with various options. Climate and climate screen management based on computer data form the basis. Thermal imaging camera scans help measure the effects of specific climate measures at the plant level.

Growers can use energy advice to look at how the greenhouse climate can be made even more efficient. "It does not matter which climate computer or screens you have in the greenhouse. Or low-tech, mid-tech, or high-tech cultivation. For example, we guide a Moroccan grower from low-tech to mid-tech cultivation. In addition, we work remotely as much as possible, more so now due to the coronavirus, but we will also visit physically once or twice a year. Whether the grower has a greenhouse in the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, or anywhere else," Habraken promises. "There is still much progress to be made for climate change in the Netherlands and Belgium."

Read more about Climate House here, and don't hesitate to contact Ton Habraken via the form on the page. 

Ton Habraken