IJsselgrow B.V.
IJsselgrow is a cucumber nursery located in the horticultural area De Koekoekspolder in IJsselmuiden, the Netherlands. This originally family-run business was founded in 1986. The business grows cucumbers all year round in three greenhouses, covering a total area of ten hectares.
IJsselgrow is a cucumber nursery located in the horticultural area De Koekoekspolder in IJsselmuiden, the Netherlands. This originally family-run business was founded in 1986. The business grows cucumbers all year round in three greenhouses, covering a total area of ten hectares.
Klaas Limburg and Herman Keijsers
IJsselgrow has grown into a large business with cucumber cultivation on stone wool. Now, after many years in the business, the company has switched to cultivating cucumbers on perlite. IJsselgrow worked with Bato on the development of the Bato trough 2.0.
Tailor-made process
‘Before we thought about custom-made solutions, we first looked with Bato at their current range, and tried four or five existing substrate trays. Unfortunately the size did not match our gutter, or the trays did not meet all our needs’.
‘Bato quickly came up with appropriate ideas and solutions. And they followed that up with several customer-visits, bringing 3D prototypes to our greenhouses. This was great, because it allowed us to fit and measure in practice. What would fit our gutter best? What details needed to be improved so that the tray would meet all our requirements? In this way, we progressed step by step’.
Collaboration
‘Besides processing all our wishes, Bato gave active consideration to the entire process. They have a lot of in-house horticultural knowledge. So the R&D department came up with the idea of placing handles on both sides of the substrate trays. We can easily install or move intermediate trays. Solving the drainage problem was also a very valuable development. Now look back happily at this very good collaboration’.
Extra low annual costs
Cultivation on perlite in the Bato trough 2.0 comes with three exceptional advantages: extra low annual costs, maximum crop risk limitation, and these trays offer a unique possibility of intermediate planting. The substrate trays and the perlite can be steam cleaned, which means that both can be reused time after time.
Maximum cultivation risk reduction
The cultivation risks are reduced as much as possible by using the Bato trough 2.0. This tray has a light pyramid-like shape in its interior, which causes the water to flow from the centre to the ends, and they have two drainage holes to prevent wet patches in the substrate.
‘The legs at the bottom of the substrate tray and the choice of position for the drainage openings prevent excessive root growth. This is very important for preventing the risk of diseases spreading, such as pythium and viruses. No contact with the gutter, means no infection from the it’.
Possibility of intermediate plants
‘The substrate trays are made in a special length, making it very easy to install a new, extra Bato trough 2.0 between them. So you can already plant new plants, while the old ones are still being harvested. And this offers a very interesting cost-effectiveness profile. For every day that we can plant earlier, we deliver one extra cucumber per m2, per day. So, this allows you to work very efficiently and you don't miss any production days’.