“At first, the filters clogged up with algae every few days, now we hardly need to clean them at all, and the root development is excellent. We see more roots and almost no dead materials.”
This is how the course of events in the greenhouse of Andy Domen of Douglas Boomkwekerij can be summarized in two sentences. He recently installed a couple of Agrona’s Oxybull aeration systems in the water reservoirs. The systems consist of a type of mats placed on the bottom of the reservoir and are hooked up to a compressor. Oxygen gets pushed through the membrane and binds with the water molecules, resulting in water rich in oxygen. Oxybull also causes more movement of the water. Both factors – more oxygen and movement – counter algae growth, lead to more vital water, kill bacteria that are harmful to the crops, and prevent high levels of sludge forming at the bottom of the reservoir and in the drain.
"The effects were immediately noticeable”, says Andy. “The algae growth has slowed down tremendously, causing the water to be visibly cleaner (see photos/video). Especially when the weather was nice, we had our hands full. The algae sometimes grew so fast that we had to clean out the filters every other day. After installing the Oxybulls, the number of cleanout days quickly got reduced to once every ten days and now it's hardly needed at all.”
In one of the two locations, Andy had three Oxybulls placed, in the other six. The latter reservoir has recently been completely renovated. “In the past, we had a decent amount of trouble with Phytophthora, Pythium, and other (water) fungi. Since we recycle our water, it isn't easy to get it out of the systems, and most of our crops are in the greenhouse for a relatively long time. We looked for a solution for a long time but never really found one. To put it simply, this system has helped us out a lot.”
For more information:
De Douglas Boomkwekerijproducten BV
Wernhoutseweg 80c
4884 AX Wernhout
Netherlands
T: 0031 (0)76 – 597 2863
E: info@douglasboomkwekerij.nl
www.douglasboomkwekerij.nl
Agrona B.V. 
Leeuwenhoekstraat 56
2652 XL Berkel en Rodenrijs
Netherlands
T: + 31 (0) 10. 7371451 E: info@agrona.nl
www.agronagroup.com