Last month , Eurofins foretell the launch of its independent glasshouse gardening division : Eurofins Horti . It is much more than just a newfangled name , explains managing director Theo Aanhane in an interview in which he also talk over several new developments in both the sector and the laboratory world . " Some body politic have a powerfully developing horticultural sphere , and in those we see a strongly growing interest in optimize water and plant food use as well as improved plant wellness monitoring . To avoid complicated , delaying logistics , we need to be confining to there . "
The Eurofins Horti team . Theo is 2d from the rightfulness .
LocalEurofins Horti , antecedently have it off as Eurofins Agro , maneuver internationally . The company is part of the global Eurofins electronic internet of laboratories - about 900 in aggregate - that are divided among the Food , Health , and Environment divisions . In late years , the need from the ( nursery ) gardening sphere has been increasing . " Nowadays , we receive samples from some 70 countries , " says Theo . " These are often from item-by-item finish companies , or thanks to ties external growers already have with Dutch supplier . So , external companies already where to find us . It can be quite expensive for item-by-item companies to air samples to us , and logistically , too , there are quite a few snags sometimes . By positioning ourselves as a separate division , we can better help oneself these customers . "
There are several options to do so , which Eurofins Horti already uses . " We already join forces with many intellectual nourishment - tailor laboratories in our international web . Acquiring laboratories is also an option in home where we do n’t yet work with them . A third pick , which we already often use , is to partner with a local sales squad , " Theo keep .
" We have agents who represent us in countries like Canada , Mexico , Ecuador , and Kenya . They collect samples , take charge of the logistics to the Netherlands , and , with the financial support of our team in the Netherlands , give feedback and sometimes advice . We do see that , however , with the tremendous growth horticulture is run across in certain neighborhood , we ’d sometimes care to be even well represented locally . "
Eurofins Horti encounter samples from about 70 nation nowadays . These are often from individual cultivation companies .
Logistics under pressureTheo mention Mexico as an example of a quickly developing regional horticultural sphere . " There are 26,000 hectares of shroud crops and more and more mid and high - technical school glasshouse with a fortune of Lycopersicon esculentum cultivation in particular . So , the need for true measurements and report is on the salary increase . Those growers do n’t want to take on any logistic hold when sending materials for psychoanalysis in the Netherlands . Of course , you could send fabric to laboratories nearer to home , but growers tie great time value to reliable analyses and the specific horticultural knowledge in the Netherlands . "
logistic issues due to the world pandemic have become an indisputable discussion point in the past two years . " For Canada , this is how it works now : the client institutionalise a sampling on Tuesday , and by Thursday , we have a composition . However , the declining number of scheduled flight and less load capacity have put that under pressure : we still meet the deadlines , but we foresee increasing demand . Growers need to have their crops analyzed as closemouthed to fulfil their hoppers as possible . They need that data point back promptly because they want to give the plant the right aliment , " explains Theo .
Data integrationHe compare the readings - usually of many different nutritional levels - to those growers get from ( climate ) detector . " Those are often eminent - frequency measurements , and our low - frequency measurements mean we , too , can give growers selective information . This data can be combined with , say , climate or weather data . I ’m a great believer in data integration : not one informant , but a compounding of sources and data point is the future . That ’s why we recently part figure out with 30Mhz . We want to integrate our Eurofins depth psychology app data point with their data weapons platform . "
A weewee washbasin at a farm in Mexico .
Another roleJust as more detector are being uprise , so , too , are ego - examination methods , admit for food . Does Theo regard these a menace to Eurofins Horti ’s services and science lab in general ? " No , I do n’t , " he answer , shake his head . " Not in the short or long term . Indeed , you already have proficiency that can measure various elements reasonably accurately . However , these are still far from working for all type of constituent . For example , you could not yet measure ghost elements , for certain not as faithfully as you should . "
" As long as that ’s the case , I think you should keep send sampling to research lab ; then you ’ll get a complete set of true readings . Moreover , we also give advice establish on more than 90 years of information . company that pop out with such measurement technique do n’t have access to that . It ’s a market that ’s definitely develop . My question is , therefore , not whether there ’ll be more of it , but when . I do n’t have the answer yet , but I do get laid for sure that by then , they ’ll undoubtedly require a unlike set - up from us as a research lab , for object lesson , for calibrating and corroborate readings , " Theo adds .
unmediated data connectionMeanwhile , Eurofins Horti is not being baseless ; there is the already - mentioned new collaboration with 30Mhz , and another partnership with a supplier will presently follow . " We ’re establishing a unmediated data connective with Van Iperen ’s fertilizer module . In doing so , we introduce the grower ’s depth psychology data point into Van Iperen ’s organisation - with permission and the proper security , of course . Such link are becoming more and more common , and we are participating in them , too . "
Eurofins Horti will show a unmediated datum tie with Van Iperen ’s fertilizer module .
New measurements and analyses are also always being created . " Currently , our portfolio contains several hundred analyses . Some , we outsource to fellow laboratories in the Eurofins internet , but we do most ourselves . Nutrient readings are the basis , but , today , we do a mint of microbiological analyses , plant disease , and deoxyribonucleic acid analyses , too . We also use method such as Next Generation Sequencing , a relatively new proficiency that sometimes helps us find organism we did n’t bang were also present in certain crops or that could stimulate disease . "
ModulesThe exploitation of ( inter)national horticulture has already been mentioned . In Eurofin ’s experience , vertical farming is something more and more investors and agriculturist are venture into too . " That ’s why we ’re developing special module for that , just as we ’ve developed modules for growing under specific conditions , like in the desert , " says Theo . " entrepreneur with small finish experience often start these variety of project . It helps them staggeringly if you give them a list of the most important analyses which they can use to quickly get clean-cut brainwave into their farming . And , hopefully , quash common mistakes . "
Until recently , Theo saw that laboratories only come into the word-painting once a labor was already in output . " Now , our module are already included in the screw package that cover all sort of greenhouse technologies and service in accession to a glasshouse more and more often . That means we ’re already involved in a projection ’s start - up phase and thus we can suggest customize sample schedules and set those . That way , everything ’s in order when the greenhouse is full of plants . That prevents cultivator discovering yellow plant six weeks into having a brand novel glasshouse or perpendicular farm , " he concludes .
For more information : Theo AanhaneEurofins HortiTel : +31 ( 0 ) 888 761 014Email:[email protected]Website : www.eurofins - agro.com / en / greenhouse - horticulture
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