Research & development

Van der Knaap Group has its own Research & Development department. In innovation centre 'de Kas' we have an extensive laboratory and R&D greenhouses where various growing conditions can be simulated. In 'de Kas' we continuously work on optimising existing products and developing new ones.

We regularly publish articles about trials and developments on our newspage.

A selection of recent innovations:
 

Obturo® cat-eye
We have developed a special Obturo® plug specifically for tissue culture, designed to perfectly meet the practical needs and requirements of the industry. Tissue culture is a method of propagating plants under sterile conditions. The Obturo® cat-eye offers all the flexibility needed to perfect the cultivation process.

Thanks to the opening at the top, the cutting can be inserted by machine, after which the plant easily develops roots. These roots spread rapidly throughout the entire plug, ensuring the best possible growth results. We are particularly proud that our Obturo® plugs have even been awarded the OK Biobased (four stars) certification by the certification body TÜV Austria. 
 

Renewable and circular resources
Van der Knaap is constantly looking for (more) sustainable solutions for rooting and plant growing. Van der Knaap's Research & Development team are investigating different renewable and circular resources. When the proportion of renewable raw materials in substrates is increased, the safety and good quality of raw materials remains a priority to ensure the product continues to meet the high standards of our customers. New renewable or circular raw materials are subjected to a programme of extensive trials to assess their suitability. We perform growing trials, chemical and physical analyses and finally assess how the substrates perform during greenhouse trials under normal growing conditions. These conditions are replicated in our high-tech greenhouses. We also run trials outdoors and set up practical trials with customers. A number of new circular raw materials have already been added to the product range. This allows us to offer our customers more and more possibilities.
 

Circular innovation in practice: Green Soil
Green Soil is a circular raw material that can be used in substrate mixtures for professional (ornamental) horticulture. It was developed in collaboration with Comgoed Substrates, a specialist in upgrading residual flows. Van der Knaap's Green Soil is a circular, peat-free raw material that contributes to increased sustainability. The base material (a waste stream) used in Green Soil comes from soft fruit cultivation. The characteristics of Green Soil are comparable to those of garden peat. The substrate contains virtually no ballast salts, such as sodium and chloride, has good water-holding capacity, and also has an air content and bulk density comparable to those of garden peat. Green Soil is also an affordable option. There is a financial and sustainability benefit for the grower who supplies it and the nurseryman who uses it in his substrate mix, as the use of this recycled raw material contributes to a lower ecological footprint.

 

From waste to fertiliser
With its Organic Water System (OWS), Van der Knaap has an excellent in house system that can process multiple raw material flows. New research focuses on processing residuals from livestock farming (slurry) and organic residual flows from horticulture (e.g. plant residues) into organic fertilisers for the horticultural sector. It is a way of linking the agricultural sector to circular horticulture.