Fruitponic, of the Projar Group, increases the economic value of fruits such as nectarine up to 30%

The semi-hydroponic cultivation technology, Fruitponic, developed by the Projar Group together with the Valencian Institute of Agricultural Research (IVIA) contributes to increase the economic value of fruits in crops such as nectarine up to 30%, according to the results obtained in its tests of research, where there has been a 5% increase in fruit weight, even in situations of deficit irrigation of up to 30%. It is, therefore, a system that is suitable for large producers of fruit trees with poor production or water shortage.

The basis of this technology is to transfer the advantages of hydroponic cultivation, very standardized already in vegetables, to fruit trees such as citrus, nectarines or persimmons, where it has been shown that there are significant benefits

Fruitponic, a solution that is already registered in the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office, is a system adaptable to root growth. It consists of the placement of coconut fiber culture plates near the roots of the trees, allowing some of them to access the substrate and colonicen. Thus, part of the roots develop in the grow bag or culture bag that opposes less resistance to the uptake of water and nutrients than the soil.

Generate more economic value

This system alleviates the deficiencies of the traditional system of cultivation, especially in cases with problems in water supply or low soil fertility, where growth is more problematic. After removal, the tree does not suffer because it is not dependent on this support

In a period of three months, the grow bag begins to be colonized so that, in three years, between 15 and 30% of the roots will occupy the growing bag.

Fruitponic favors an increase of the production with average increments of the weight of the fruit of 5%. What has repercussions in an economic increase of the fruit of between 10 and 30%

In this sense, the Project Manager of Grupo Projar, Vicente Franch, explains how the semi-hydroponic solution “has improved the water status of the trees in several phases of the crop cycle in the tests carried out with the IVIA”.

The Fruitponic system “is a suitable solution for large producers of fruit trees that face problems of unproductive land or water shortage. It is a culture technology that concentrates the adventitious roots in a suitable culture medium, and facilitates the absorption of water and nutrients”, specifies.

In this sense “Grupo Projar contributes its more than 30 years of experience in hydroponic cultivation and its know-how obtained, so as to offer an integral solution to the farmer about the system and its management”, emphasizes Vicente Franch.

Source: Grupo Projar

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