In 2011 Emsland Gemüse began with its so-called dual system, a system which allows for easy switching between tomato or cucumber cultivation and bedding plants in the same greenhouse. A fascinating system, which, five years after its introduction, is still unique. "We invented and designed everything ourselves and recent years have shown that it works," says Erwin Savenije, responsible for the daily operation of the company along with Ton Peters.
Being able to quickly switch between ornamental plants and vegetables is what makes Emsland Gemüse special. When bedding plants are grown, the floor is free of anything but the plants. When these have to make room for tomatoes or cucumbers, the tubular heating system and irrigation tubes that are attached to the greenhouse roof are lowered using a system of hooks and cables. Substrate mats are laid on the ground, the irrigation tubes are inserted in the mats and cultivation can begin. At a later stage the plants are hung on the wires, the possibility of which of course is included in the set-up of the greenhouse.
Different mindset
When bedding plants are grown, internal transport is managed by a construction that is also attached to the greenhouse deck. With this system, implemented by Achterbosch, entire bays can be filled or emptied quickly. When there are cucumbers or tomatoes instead of bedding plants this system can’t be used. Erwin: "Growing tomatoes is really different from growing bedding plants. It requires a different approach, different logistics, a different mindset. There are simply different demands on both the production process and the product, but you also have to deal with other activities and another type of planning. This is illustrated by, for example, the use of the paths. When we grow bedding plants we only use the center aisle. The bays have a depth of 230 meters, which is not a problem for the automated transport system. However if an employee needs to enter the tomato crop 230 meters is a bit far. So we have another path in the exact middle that we only use when we grow vegetables: the vegetable path."
This year, from January 1st, Emsland Gemüse started growing tomatoes on half of their cultivation area, which totals over 12.5 hectares. Only tomatoes for the local market are grown. Since at Emsland everything is grown on the basis of contracts, the ratio of bedding plant/vegetables always varies.
Emsflower
The greenhouses of Emsland Gemüse are part of Emsflower, a company consisting of more than 100 hectares of greenhouses spread over four locations. Its business center is located in Emsbüren, Germany. The company is a local attraction: besides the huge production area you can find a tropical butterfly garden, a restaurant and a display greenhouse, you can enjoy tours and you can also visit a large garden center, located next to the production facilities.
For more information:
Emsland Gemüse Erwin Savenije
Sechs-Sterne-Weg 6
48488 Emsbüren
Duitsland
T: +49 5903 93553 287
M: +49 172 7952 831
E: erwin@emsflower.de
www.emsflower.de