IPM 2024: Where expertise meets innovation

Böcking: Klasmann-Deilmann remains the reliable partner for horticulture

For Klasmann-Deilmann, the International Plant Fair (IPM) in Essen is all about new product solutions. Decades of expertise and completely new developments have resulted in raw materials and growing media that are pioneering for the requirements of today and tomorrow. Expertise meets innovation at the trade fair stand in Hall 2.0, Stand D17.

“High-quality raw materials are a crucial basis for crop-safe substrates,” says Managing Director Moritz Böcking. “Our expertise in this area has grown over decades. Using the variety of raw materials we develop the optimum substrate mixture for every area of application.” In this context the proportion of peat is adjusted and wood fibres, green compost, coco, perlite and bark are increasingly used. The result is balanced, perfectly functioning substrate mixtures with an improved carbon footprint.

Added to this are innovations such as Growcoon and Nygaia, which enrich the substrate sector with a completely new approach. The biopolymer solutions developed with the company Maan Biobased open up a wide range of possibilities for greater efficiency and flexibility in traditional propagation systems, in hydroponics and for vertical cultivation systems.

“In total, we have recently used more than 900,000 m³ of alternative raw materials,” says Moritz Böcking. “By the end of 2025, the proportion will increase to 30% of annual production, and by 2030 it should be 50%. This makes us a leading player in peat alternatives not only in terms of quality, but also in terms of quantity.”

In order to push ahead with its plans, Klasmann-Deilmann is securing additional raw material resources, modernizing factories and creating storage space. “This development means high investments in the raw materials sector,” explains Moritz Böcking. The joint venture with Olde Bolhaar Eco-Service in Germany and the Netherlands as well as the acquisition of Australian Growing Solutions in Australia, both of them specialized in wood raw materials and composts, make a significant contribution to securing resources. In addition to its own R&D, Klasmann-Deilmann is also involved in research projects in Germany, France and the UK to investigate alternative raw materials in practice.

“Klasmann-Deilmann remains a reliable partner for horticulture in the development and use of new raw materials and substrates,” confirms Moritz Böcking. “We combine expertise and innovation. Our customers can rely on us to provide them with first-class substrates with maximum crop safety.”

More renewable raw materials in ADVANCED substrates

At the IPM, Klasmann-Deilmann will be presenting modern solutions for cultivation from the ADVANCED substrates product line. They are based on 40-100% alternative raw materials and reduce emissions by 20-80%. In particular, tried-and-tested substrate solutions for soft fruits, bedding plants and potted plants such as poinsettia and cyclamen will be on show.

The peat components are obtained from responsibly managed areas with RPP certification, while the renewable raw materials such as wood, compost, coco and bark come from natural material cycles. Due to the partially reduced substrate weights, CO2 emissions during transport can be reduced through load optimization.

The ADVANCED growbag for vegetables and strawberries

To ensure that nurseries remain successful in the cultivation of vegetables and strawberries in the future, a substrate must meet a wide range of requirements. A high degree of sustainability through the use of renewable raw materials with an improved CO2 footprint is important. New substrate mixtures should be easy to implement in the existing crop management. They must also contribute to good and healthy root development as well as high and reliable yields and be available all year round. The new Growbag ADVANCED meets all these requirements. With a completely new raw material mixture based on wood and a low proportion of coco pith, the Growbag ADVANCED offers unbeatable advantages in production.

Coco products from Klasmann-Deilmann

Klasmann-Deilmann has direct and exclusive access to coco raw materials from India and Sri Lanka as well as two production sites. This means that a comprehensive portfolio of coco products is available: In addition to coco growbags, also pressed 5kg blocks, open easy-fill planting bags and soaker pots in various sizes. Klasmann-Deilmann also continues to supply highly specialized product solutions.

Nygaia for hydroponic systems and innovative nurseries

Nygaia is the substrate solution of the future that will soon be able to completely replace conventional substrates, e.g. in the cultivation of leafy vegetables in hydroponics and vertical cultivation systems. The innovative substrate fibre consists of 60% natural, bio-based raw materials and is completely biodegradable, meaning it produces neither waste nor microplastics. Nygaia is inert, salt-free and has a good water retention capacity. It also offers very good air capacity, which optimally supports healthy root growth. Nygaia is a joint product of Maan Biobased Products and Klasmann-Deilmann.

Growcoon also for pot-free bedding plants, perennials and potted herbs

The Growcoon has proven itself as an innovative propagation system for many crops and applications in trays. Now Klasmann-Deilmann is also presenting the Growcoon as a solution for pot-free cultivation, which can significantly reduce the use of plastic. In addition to the plugs for cultivation trays, the Growcoon is also available in larger dimensions. This makes it suitable for growing bedding plants or perennials in small pots and even for growing potted herbs in 1L pots. The plants can be sold and planted out together with the Growcoon without the need for plastic pots. The Growcoon is a fully biodegradable potting solution with an open mesh structure based on polymer technology. It can be used with automatic dispensing systems.