Ensuring quality production
Erik Zwinkels is a tomato grower in Holland. He is one of the managers of the family-run company, Zwinkels Tomaten, which has 20 ha of greenhouses divided among three production sites situated in the Westland region, in north-western Rotterdam. The company specialises in vine tomatoes.
The categories include cocktail, plum and round cherry tomatoes. To achieve year-long production, 11 of the 20 hectares of greenhouses contain crops grown under light.”
“Last October, we used the Grodan Elite substrate, which we use today on 11 ha. Numerous testimonials from other growers convinced us of this slab’s advantages and we have since noticed many of them on our sites”, explains Erik Zwinkels. “During production, we’ve noticed that water is better distributed throughout the day and irrigation sessions are longer. This makes fruit less susceptible to cracks, an especially important factor for the smaller fruit varieties.”
“Unlike other slabs, Elite fosters a strong, finely branched root system, contributing to better absorption of water and nutrients. We also observed that with the Elite slab, even when the drainage rate is high in the middle of the day, the water content in the slab remains low. This is a good thing”, adds Erik Zwinkels, who believes that in these conditions, the root system will be stronger at the end of the crop. Erik Zwinkels also appreciates his interactions with Grodan. “It’s really important to us, because Zwinkels Tomaten and Grodan share the same approach: ensure a quality production so that we can offer premium products.”
