A new crop clip system for cucumber and tomato plants has led to a breakthrough for the company Pellikaan. Cor Pellikaan, the founder, came up with the idea while working with tomato plants.
Cor: "After many years, I have learned what to pay attention to for a more effective and profitable workflow 'under glass.' I have developed a product that is used for more efficient cultivation of tomatoes and cucumbers."
Cor Pellikaan
Founder
Cor was born and raised in the Netherlands, where he started working in greenhouses as a teenager. However, since last year, he has relocated to Spain, right in the middle of the Spanish horticultural area.
Qlipr system
The idea for a new crop clip system for cucumber and tomato plants was a pivotal moment for the company. Cor came up with it while working with tomato plants. As these grew taller, the height of the greenhouses grew from 2.5 meters to 7 meters. This height required various difficult cultivation actions, so he wondered if it was possible to hang the plant from the stem. This would make rope and clips redundant and would simplify the actions required in cultivation.
At the end of the cultivation, the grower no longer has any plastic or rope in the crop residues, so this can be disposed of as a raw material for compost or used in the paper industry to possibly make tomato/cucumber packaging. There are currently various projects supported by the EU (GMO) to utilize the waste streams from horticulture.
Spanish market
Cor: "The originally Dutch idea is very suitable for the Spanish grower. I am convinced that we can offer the Spanish grower an efficiency boost. The Qlipr system was easy to adapt."
The clip system is based on a simple tool. The plant is pulled down, the clips are replaced, and the plant is topped and trimmed. Cor: "This allows multiple actions in one work pass, saving time and cost and limiting leaf damage. In addition, the design of the crop clip system makes for better working conditions, as the other way of taking care of tomatoes often involves more physical labor, with employees having to reach far above their heads or work with movable platforms. This makes the new way of working more accessible to everyone. We are happy to help the growers in Spain make that efficiency boost; costs will decrease, and yields will increase. Isn't that great?"
For more information:
PelikaanQ Crop Clip Systems
World Horti Center
, Europa 1
Tel.: +31 (0)492 33 03 77
[email protected]
www.pellikaanq.com