For about 2 year now , Beekenkamp Plants is working with their new BKX - trays and this season , they started to use it on a large scale ; for virtually all their semen - conjure up products . The determination for these trays develop from the increasing grandness of becoming more sustainable and the maturation that more plant cloth is processed mechanically . So , how does it all work in practice ? Last week , Jaap Solleveld , Product Manager Seed at Beekenkamp , present us around at their production location in Maasdijk , The Netherlands .
Jaap Solleveld with the BKX - trays .
From Styropor to plastic trayBefore using the BKX - tray , Beekenkamp used Styropor tray . They were quenched with the products and its reliable quality that were grown in the trays , but the tray themselves became more of an eyesore . " With our objective to become more sustainable and the fact that it is n’t always that easy for mechanical employment as the sizing of the tray is n’t always consistent and may break especially after re - using it a few meter , we decided to switch to a credit card tray . " It is a tray that is already on the grocery store and in good consultation with the developer , they could utilise it for their merchandise as well , only in another color and bring up it the BKX - tray .
The mind behind this tray is that it is being re - used and therefore will contribute to a better environment . " An important part of this is the returning of the tray " , he articulate . In parliamentary law to support the mental process in a good and clean-cut way , they have choose for a sediment scheme . Every tray has an unique tracking RFID shred so Beekenkamp knows exactly which tray has been sent to which client . " The former Styropor tray , we could only use for 1.5 times , the BKX - tray can be used many more times . "
3 unlike types of tray , 128 cells , 264 cells and 480 cells .
There are presently three different type of trays ( see picture above ) , namely a 128 , 264 and 480 cells tray . In the future , they are eager to bestow more types . Even though the amount of cellular phone differ per tray , the size of the tray does not and the dissimilar types can therefore be stacked on top of each other easily ( see impression below ) .
All dissimilar types of tray can be stack on top of each other .
tumid investment - not just the traysThe geological fault towards the BKX - tray has been a large investiture . First of all , the hundreds of G of these trays - of which the purchase price is much higher that of the Styropor tray - had to be buy . Then , they had to add together a washing station as well , to make clean the trays when they deliver from the grower , a digital scanner , to glance over the intersection and tray before they leave the greenhouse to the grower , and new seeding machine line of work as they had to change from insistence plug to at large filling plug .
Only come now , but more will followCurrently a large part of their seeds categorization are being upraise in these new trays . Their cut raised categorization and some of the stay on seed assortment will be the next footstep .
Jaap in the produce area admit a tray .
proud of so far?For several twelvemonth , Beekenkamp has been trialing the BKX - trays on a small exfoliation and started to work with it on a big scale two year ago , and last twelvemonth on a much large scale leaf with virtually all their come - raised varieties . So , how is it going so far ? " It has been and still is a process with several challenge . With ten chiliad of trays at the same time , there is always something happening that did not happen during our trials . But all in all , we can not complain . And the same goes for maintaining the quality of our mathematical product . We used to furnish a dissimilar type of plug , which mean a dissimilar mood , moisture balance and so on . We have to inform and get up our cultivator . In the lag , we attempt to improve continuously and attempt to determine the right-hand multifariousness to uprise . "
So how does the process workAfter the trays have been returned and washed , they are ready to be satiate again . They will be brought to the new seeding business line which works as follow , see the exposure below .
Firstly , the empty trays are put on the belt manually , then everything goes mechanically .
Below , the trays are being occupy with soil .
Then the soil is being pressed to check that the entire mobile phone is filled .
The semen are being sowed .
They continue their way along this line , where the RFID tagged tray gets the allocation of the article and quite a little number .
Then , they are watered .
And eventually , after they receive a stratum of Vermiculite , they receive a water bath .
Then , they can be , manually , be stacked on top of each other so that they can go to the sprouting room .
After germination , they go to the greenhouse where they can originate a little further .
Then , before they are ship to the raiser , who will land up them , the trays will first be scanned and linked to the grower they are go to .
For more info : Beekenkamp PlantsKorte Kruisweg 1412676 BS MaasdijkNetherlands[email protected]www.beekenkamp.nl
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