Systeemsprong Chrysant: naar een energiezuinige en emissiearme teelt: Deelrapport I, Resultaten van de eerste teelt

The cultivation of chrysanthemums faces several challenges in the coming years: soil-free cultivation, automated planting and harvesting, and a fossil-free, low-emission cultivation that is digitally controlled. A system transition is needed to achieve these goals. Cultivation in containers with substrate offers an alternative. Although the investment costs are higher, the system provides benefits such as reduced energy consumption, reuse of drain water, and better nutrient management. A mobile system enables easier automation. Within the project, four cultivation rounds are conducted, focusing on lighting, substrate choice, and substrate reuse. The first round focused on substrate choice. Chrysanthemums were grown in containers with three different substrate mixtures, two containing peat and one peat-free. During cultivation, plant length was measured, and a destructive harvest was conducted at the end. Initially, maintaining humidity was challenging, likely resulting in suboptimal growth. The quality of the stems was very good, with a long shelf life. The measured parameters showed no significant differences between the substrates, leading to the decision to continue with the peat-free substrate in subsequent cultivations. The reuse of substrates will be investigated in future rounds.