Sept. 4, 2009, Amsterdam — FormFlex, a manufacturer of horticultural gutter systems in the Netherlands, is not participating in the HortiFair in the Netherlands this year and has decided instead to offer tours in the Demo Nursery from Oct. 10 to 17 (except Sunday, Oct. 11) with all of its specialists.

The Demo Nursery is located just outside Amsterdam and is an innovative centre of about 10,000 square metres under glass, in which the cultivation of flowers, vegetables and potted plants is combined with a presentation of technology. Along with the current system and product overview of 19 leading companies, trials are also conducted by scientists together with the participating companies and individual growers.

The tours are free of charge and offered in several languages. Interested parties can register for a tour with their local FormFlex dealer, or directly via www.formflex.nl.

Inside the Demonstration Nursery, a current system and product overview is displayed of 19 leading and progressive participants. In addition, various trials are conducted in the 35 cultivation plots.

There is always something new to see in the Demo Nursery. The systems and products are constantly being innovated because new developments in the horticultural sector arise in quick succession, and because many systems in the final phase are ultimately adjusted to measure. Many of these systems are first tested in the Demo Nursery before they are actually used in practice.

Systems for harvesting and internal transport, access technology, as well as cultivation and incandescent lighting systems from different manufacturers are applied, tested and operational for visiting growers and industry specialists.

Also, various horticulturally oriented parties are brought together in the Demo Nursery. Collaboration leads to better developments and innovations. Projects have been started, for example, that focus on innovation from the workfloor.

Research highlights include:

• Gutter from FormFlex for plastic greenhouses: this gutter is so strong that you can walk on it.

• Metazet M-Track: induction guided internal transport system.

• Automatic push cart: pushes the heavy harvest trolleys automatically during harvesting.

• Suspended chain track system: enlarges the growing surface above the crop on the floor or above the packing facilities.

• Aster on substrate.

• Botrytis trial.

• Tomato cultivation in water.

• Double-row rose cultivation system.

• Pepper transport system.

• Continuous cultivation of tomatoes.

• Fungi and insect trials.