Flower bulb cultivation increasingly data-driven

Data data data data: and then what?

The flower bulb industry has long worked with crop sensors supplied by multiple suppliers. And the use of a Crop Protection And Weather Information System (Gewis for short) has also been common practice in the industry for some time. More and more information about the crop is recorded in crop registration programs as well as by digitally recording personal observations in the field. And that includes satellite data.

In short, more and more data are becoming available. Translating all this data into practice is the next step. And for that, practical experience and cultivation knowledge are essential. Optimal spray timing The good news is that new steps are being taken all the time. For example, a link was made between crop sensors (FieldMates) and the crop registration program GMN Crop. First in tulip cultivation. With this link, the GMN Crop user gains access to ten weather stations in different regions. The grower not only has insight into current conditions, but also receives notification of disease pressure. An additional advantage is that based on recorded crop treatments combined with local weather forecasts, the next treatment can already be scheduled. At the optimal time.

Irrigation optimization

A key challenge is to develop irrigation recommendations based on data. To make that happen, much experimentation and testing has been done. This year we will be working with satellite data. Satellite recordings of the crop combined with sensors in the field make it possible to determine the moisture requirements of the crop. At least, that's the theory. Tests are being conducted with a number of growers to see if this will help optimize irrigation in practice.

Keeping up with technology

Not every grower needs to invent the wheel themselves. Agrifirm-GMN closely follows developments in precision agriculture. Thanks to research and trials, consultants are able to advise growers on the use of new techniques. To keep the knowledge at Agrifirm-GMN up to date, it collaborates with numerous specialists. Together, we are looking at applicability aimed at future-proof flower bulb cultivation.

This article is from 'Bol&Teelt', the magazine for customers of  Agrifirm-GMN. Several times a year, members of the cooperative receive the magazine with inspiration and examples in the field of cooperative, innovative and sustainable entrepreneurship in bulb cultivation.