Kwekerij Zuurbier ( Zuurbier Nursery ) from Heerhugowaard have had a MPS - A environmental certificate for years . " It ’s a very small step to certification . "
" you could hang lights and twist on the heating , and carnations will also grow well . But that takes a lot of energy and you never earn it back , " say Erik Zuurbier , grower of carnations and peonies . " With us , nature does its study : daylight and the warmth of the sun . We keep a airless centre on gaseous state prices . You ca n’t get away with it price - wise . The fact that we work with daylight saves on kindling systems , screen , and electrical energy . In other spring , we do turn up the heat to have output again around Mother ’s Day . But in principle , we forge with the time of year . Carnations can withstand that well . " Erik be intimate what he ’s peach about . At the Zuurbier baby’s room , they have been doing it this manner for years . His father started the company in 1972 and now Erik and his wife Karin own the 1.3 - hectare farm . The carnations bloom in the greenhouses ; out of doors , he share a piece of music of land with a cousin-german where they grow four types of paeony .
On an one-year basis , Zuurbier Nursery uses approximately 19 m3 of natural gas per m2 for heat and CO2 supply , which means that Dianthus caryophyllus cultivation is a ' cold ' craw . " CO2 released during the burning of natural gas is administer in the greenhouse to the carnation , which grow better as a issue . The heat energy that we acquire during the day is stored in the rut buffer . We use this to heat greenhouse at nighttime when there is no CO2 need from the plant , but there is a heating plant demand . Another sustainable resolution , " says Erik .
Registering is becoming easierRegistering everything his society consumes was already being done . " For geezerhood and years . A small seek to do that through MPS . An extra benefit is that the credential is listed with webshops . When deal at auction , it does n’t even weigh whether you have MPS - A , -B , or -C. For vendee , it ’s more crucial than the quality is good , that we are a reliable party , and that the clove pink are favorably price . "
The new MPS site took some acquiring used to , but passing on using up usually does n’t take much time . " I care the fact that I could just call if I could n’t work it out . And you comment that they really did something with my feedback . Registration is becoming easier and easy . I do it in the evening . After a working Clarence Shepard Day Jr. , just enter a few details online , once every four weeks the full consumption of water , gas and electricity , press agree and it ’s done . We also split all waste matter stream at our business and for the past few geezerhood have had our own compost site for composting our green waste . "
Expensive pesticidesMPS - ABC are more than just a credential . It ’s a monitoring tool that allows companies to turn the right knobs in gild to reduce their environmental shock . Registering consumption measures how sustainably a company get . This take to a more conscious use of goods and services of resources and agriculturist can use the data point to make their business more sustainable .
Erik is also very witting of the use of pesticides , although that also has to do with the toll rag . " The floriculture industry is often criticized for using so many pesticides . But that ’s really folderal . That material is so expensive , you ca n’t just do it . For five liter of Azatin to battle thripid , you bear 580 euros . So you really practice that as a last recourse . You are not going to blow thousands of euro for fun . What we do is control spider mites with biological agent such as predatory tinge . That works well , but it remains a challenge as to how to keep everything in check without chemicals . We ’ve also done many trial run of biologic control of thrip , but this is hard in carnation refinement . Since we do command wanderer mites with predatory mites , we , therefore , do n’t expend pesticide to control thrips , which the predatory mites ca n’t address . These agent often also have a much low environmental wallop and are also safer for multitude and nature . "
globose standardIn the Netherlands and Belgium , there are n’t that many Dianthus caryophyllus growers . 80 or 90 % of them have an environmental certificate . In other countries , growers are n’t so far forward-looking and many land also go for dissimilar rules when it descend to sustainability . " In Ethiopia , there is a enceinte party with an environmental certificate , but in Italy and Turkey there are grown players who are n’t so far advanced . Personally , I recall that when it comes to sustainability , they should also check the auction more strictly . Carnations are fall to the Netherlands by plane , some of which can continue to grow . That ’s all right if Royal FloraHolland yield care to the surroundings and want everyone to have an environmental credential , but keep an eye on these practice . If it ’s up to Erik , there will be a global monetary standard for sustainable decorative industrial plant cultivation . " Even in Belgium , the normal are different . It would help if Europe would take the same production line . "
For more information : Royal FloraHollandwww.royalfloraholland.com
