Enabling Precise Greenhouse Oversight with Source Track

Frans van den Arend is the Head Grower and Location Manager at Greenbalance Bryte in 's-Gravenzande, a town in the thriving cultivation region of Westland in the southern Netherlands. Greenbalance specializes in cultivating 8.5 hectares of tomatoes and also grows 7.5 hectares of cucumbers at the same location.

Having spent over 18 years in the world of tomato cultivation, Frans has witnessed the evolution of the industry firsthand. In the last few years, Greenbalance has made the step to go from unilluminated greenhouse cultivation to illuminated cultivation. 

This is a big shift. Familiar as a grower might be with how tomatoes respond over time without lighting, introducing lamps changes the entire way of working. The shift is notable – more uniform and stable. During the winter period, for example, natural light is scarce outdoors in the Netherlands. Approximately 1050 joules of light are now meticulously generated in-house, enough to sustain the plants. 

Given the constantly changing conditions, growers can leverage new technologies, such as additional lighting and other pivotal tools, to realize their optimal cultivation strategy. However, growers must find the optimal way to work with all these new technologies.

Embracing different and innovative technologies is always exciting, even though each one comes with its learning curve. When Greenbalance integrated Source Track, it wasn’t the first tool they gave a chance. So, what made them stick with it? Well, first, Source Track offered a more visual and easy insight into different cultivations while remaining in full control over all the elements of the greenhouse. This combination is something Frans van den Arend, like many growers, appreciates. 

Moreover, Source Track simplifies plant measurements through the Plant App, maintaining standardized data while allowing Frans to delegate tasks when faced with conflicting priorities. This flexibility was lacking in their previous setup. Source Track allows a less experienced grower to do the plant measurements after walking with an experienced grower about 2 to 3 times, thanks to the easy-to-use plant app and its visual orientation. 

Frans and his colleagues at Greenbalance are looking forward to the upcoming innovations from Source.ag. "We're excited to explore the possibilities of simulations and strategic support offered by the Source solutions."

Currently, Source Track's significance lies in standardizing data inputs for future decision-making and enhancing insights into cultivation practices.

Source facilitates the digital excursion groups among various growers including Frans. This service is called ‘Source Collaborate’ and it allows growers to share knowledge and learn from each other in terms of yield and growing conditions. During these sessions, videos are shared to give insights into their plants and Source Track is used to compare data from the different cultivations to gain valuable insights. These collaborative sessions have proven highly beneficial for the learning curve, serving as an invaluable complement to the Source Track solution.

In our conversation, Frans explained how using Source has positively impacted his daily operations. He emphasized the value of Source Track in visually representing data, facilitating more informed decision-making. Anticipating the release of the upcoming new Source Solutions, namely Source Cultivate and Source Control, he looks forward to incorporating these new products into his daily operation soon.