A Dutch-based research project could hold the key to boosting greenhouse production and crop quality in China.
The project has seen the development of a solar greenhouse at Wageningen University & Research in Bleiswijk, which replicates the climate conditions of a typical Chinese greenhouse. The greenhouse has been fitted with cutting-edge Dutch technology, such as a climate screen, an irrigation unit and a climate computer.
Cucumbers were the first crop trialled at the site, with the plants said to have developed well through the solar energy stored within the facility.
“This resulted in a first successful harvest within the intended time,” according to a release from Hoogendoorn Growth Management, one of the partners involved in the project.
A Chinese-bred tomato cultivar will be the next crop to be trialled at the greenhouse, with planting to begin in mid-August.
The project has been set up by Partners in International Business (PIB), a group of leading Dutch horticultural companies and research institutes that are active in the Chinese market.
“By demonstrating and experimenting, Dutch suppliers show that their technology can be aligned to Chinese circumstances,” Hoogendoorn’s release added.
