Mixing 40% BVB Accretio with 60% Coco show remarkable results on rooting speed in strawberry plants
Tests with plants growing in a mixture of 40% sphagnum moss, (raw material named BVB Accretio) and 60% Coco show remarkable results on rooting speed. BVB Accretio creates a better growing environment through a better structure within the substrate. The first tests with BVB Accretio for long-term cropping of strawberries were carried out in 2018. In these tests BVB Accretio was added to the mixtures used for the cuttings. Four different mixtures were compared in these tests. One of the mixtures contained 40% BVB Accretio and 60% coco. All mixtures showed good rooting and production figures. The speed at which rooting took place was best in the mixture with BVB Accretio. The sphagnum moss adds airiness to a mixture, which could explain the rooting speed.
-The roots and plants have developed well if we compare this with the regular mixture. The stability is very good of BVB Accretio. The after irrigation and the water holding capacity of BVB Accretio is even longer than coco, Bart says.
Next to that, using a mix of 40% sphagnum moss and 60 % coco is more sustainable than a mixture that exist purely out of coco. Coco has a high air content, despite its fine structure and a very rapid water absorption capacity and good capillary working. We use coco for rapid rehydration from a dry state.
– We are sure we only use well-buffered coco when compiling our recipe. Well-buffered coco ensures that the nutrients for the plant are well absorbed by the coco and released again when the plant needs them, Bart says.
Reducing the water waste of coco in Netherlands
With coco it is important to reduce waist and especially water waste. Water is an incredibly scares raw material and recourses now in the world and especially where coco is coming from such as India and Sri Lanka. These countries use a lot of water to wash and buffer with a calcium resource. That’s one reason we have a new facility in the Netherlands (Nijmegen) where we actually can wash and buffer coco and capture and contain all the water we use. We can also clean it again and re-use it and therefore lowering our water footprint and hopefully again contribute to a more sustainable product.
New sustainable raw material BVB Accretio
BVB Accretio and research center “Proefcentrum Hoogstraten”
Extensive research into the properties of BVB Accretio and the use of it for strawberry growing has been conducted. Kekkilä-BVB and Proefcentrum Hoogstraten started working together on new developments in strawberry growing in 2012. The first tests with BVB Accretio for long term cropping of strawberries were carried out in 2018. The tests were performed within the controlled researching facilities of Proefcentrum Hoogstraten.
Because of the successful results of our lab tests at “Proefcentrum Hoogstraten” Kekkilä-BVB has taken the next step. We have tested BVB Accretio at around 20 soft fruit growers during 2019 with great results (propagation and production growers). Attached you find our datasheet for the production growers (60-40% mixture) and our datasheet for the propagation.
Strawberry Green Propagation
Propagation is especially suited for the propagation of strawberry plants in trays. This mixture is the more sustainable alternative to Strawberry Premium and Excellent Propagation due to the addition of BVB Accretio. The traymix consists of stable block peat fractions with the right airiness and stability. This mixture also proves to be beneficial to the cooling speed of the plants. The addition of cocopeat improves a quick water uptake, while perlite adds more airiness to the mixture.
We can calculate the environmental footprint of our mixtures to show the sustainability benefits of our Green product line.
What to grow in sphagnum moss?
Sphagnum moss, mixed with other raw materials is used for potted vegetables, herbs and soft fruits. Tests on strawberry growing have shown remarkable results. Sphagnum moss is also suitable for green house growing and for the growing of tomato, cucumber and peppers.
Sphagnum moss is used in, among other things, mixtures for young plants and propagation, flowering pot plants, deciduous shrubs, bedding pot plants, leafy greens, forest nurseries, vegetables, mushrooms and soft fruits.
– We always find together with the customer the best tailormade mixture based on different circumstances such as water quality, way of growing, climate conditions, a long/short term crop etc, Bart explains.
Please contact us if you have any questions.