Climate change and environmental degradation are existential threats. That is why the European Union has set "sustainable growth" as one of its objectives. The goal is to obtain a greater agri-food production to meet growing demand with fewer resources and in a more sustainable way.
And how can we contribute to the setting up of intensive crops to obtain large productions without further depleting our resources?
Projar has offered its hydroponic growing solutions, with a range of more than 250 substrates made with different raw materials: coco coir, peat, and wood fiber. "If a good 'fertigation plan' is implemented, the choice of a quality substrate is important to optimize crop yields and production costs, such as the use of fertilizers, irrigation water, etc.," says Vicenta Riera, Crop Marketing Specialist and Agricultural Engineer at Projar.
Projar advises first to define this "plan" and then establish an action protocol for its implementation and follow-up, keeping a daily/weekly control of the various irrigation parameters and applying the necessary adjustments to volumetric allocation or to the frequency and start/end time of irrigation, depending on the conditions and phenological state of the plant.
"We offer an agronomic advisory service to our customers, allowing them to apply our vast knowledge to the management of soilless cultivation. Our more than 40 years of experience in different markets has led us to develop the AGRO+ Projar Support Solutions advisory solution. This new service addresses aspects related to crop planning and monitoring, as the first few weeks are key to the crop's success; therefore, we guide our customers on the best practices for the stabilization of coconut fiber or substrate in hydroponic cultivation" says Vicenta Riera.
To this end, the company has agronomic advisors specializing in different types of crops (horticultural, medical cannabis, berries, ornamental plants...) and with extensive experience in international projects.
This service includes everything from the set-up and installation of the hydroponic system to the provision of technical support in the fertigation plan. A study and proposal for improvement of both the irrigation and fertilization programs are carried out to meet the water and nutritional needs of the plant.
"To become partners and really stand next to our customers on their path to success, we could not limit ourselves to selling crop solutions. We had to share our experience and knowledge with them. In this way, our customers feel accompanied and advised at all times, and this helps them improve and optimize the profitability of their productions," says Vicenta Riera.
"And what better time is there for this than now, when the world is suffering an increase in the costs of raw materials and transport, making all products drastically more expensive, not only for processors but for the agriculture and livestock sectors," she said.
To help optimize hydroponic cultivation, Projar has developed this Technical Guide for irrigation management in periods of low solar radiation that can be downloaded for free.