"China: "Success of an organized nursery depends on automation"

Over the last few years, Chinese grower Beijing Florascape upscaled their acreage and increased their production by 50%. At the Hortiflorexpo in Shanghai last month, head grower Kevin Chen explained to us why the grower opted for automation instead of manual labor in the nursery process.

Beijing Florascape is one of the largest high tech bedding plant growers in China. The company is a supplier of the many ornamentals that are very often used for the decoration during official ceremonies. Their 2.5 hectare Floriculture Research Institute for Potted Plant Production at the Beijing Flowerport is a very modern nursery operation that is equipped with much automation and technology like bench systems and automatic irrigation booms.

Alessandro Mazzacano from Urbinati together with customer and grower Kevin Cheng from Beijing Florascape.

Recently, Italian manufacturer of nursery equipment Urbinati installed a complete seeding and planting line at the Chinese grower. According to head grower Kevin Cheng, the success of an organized nursery like FloraScape depends on automation. He explained that since the company scaled up the production, automation became inescapable. "We grow large quantities nowadays and demand a very consistent quality in our production. Automation is the only way in order to guard the quality while at the same time increase the production."

Urbinati designed and installed three sowing lines at Beijing Florascape. The propagation trays are now automatically filled with the help of a substrate mixer and drum seeders. "In this special case we opted to install a double drum seeder", said Alessandro Mazzacano of Urbinati. "The machine is capable to sow different kinds of seeds; from standard pellet seeds to the rare begonia seeds with irregular shapes. After the seeds are sowed, vermiculite topping is placed on the cells and the machine waters the cells."

"Thanks to the automation we are now able to seed 5,000 trays per day", said Kevin Cheng. "That is 640,000 seedlings per day!"

For more information, please contact Urbinati:
Urbinati S.r.l.
Allesandro Mazzacano
Mob +39 334 6723 039
tel +39 0541 932018 (ext. 107)
fax +39 0541 932679
alessandro.mazzacano@urbinati.com
www.urbinati.com
skype alessandromazzacanourbinati