After 20 years experience in hydroponic culture on Grodan substrates, the system led to those of «New Generation». Finally the most solution led to two types of slab types:
- Grotop EXPERT with vertical fibers offering: fast rooting, vegetative growth at the begining of the crop, easy rinsing.
- Grotop MASTER with the unique dual layer of fibers (thicker on the upper level and less dense at the lower level) wich provides: control range on vegetative and generative phase of plant through the water management, root growth through the whole slab, quick resaturation.
These substrates were chosen for easy steering from vegetative to generative growth and vice versa.
Stone wool benefits Stone wool is a natural product consisting of a volcanic rock called basalt. Use of stone wool has many benefits for the professional grower:
- Thanks to the controlled manufacturing process, this growth medium is of a consistently high quality. Sterile production at extremely high temperatures guarantees a clean product with no pollutants, free of plant diseases.
- Additionally, stone wool enables recirculation of water and nutrients, so there is no waste of input materials.
- Plants grow easily and well on this growing medium. The plant has all the room to root in and develop optimally in this airy growing environment.
- Its unique hydrophilic fibremakes the cultivation on stone wool substrate very easy to control. All the water and nutrients administered to the plant are available to the plant.
- Stone wool substrate does not lock up or release any substances, enabling the grower to apply precisely the right amount of water and fertiliser and thus optimise the growing result. Waste becomes a thing of the past.
- Efficient use of water and nutrients keeps yield per square metre high, and energy consumption per unit of product low.
- The product is lightweight, making it easy to use.
To sum it up, stone wool substrate is a sustainable and environmentally-friendly product:
- Constant, controlled quality
- Clean: contains no contaminants
- Optimum control range
- High yield at high quality
- Saves on water and nutrients
- Lower energy consumption
- Easy to use
- 100% recyclable
- Sustainable and environmentally-friendly
Water management in combination with nutrients (electrical conductivity), temperature and pH (solubility of nutrients) is the prerequisite for the successful of retention, root growth and plant productivity.
In FraoulaBest® solution the WCM is used since it is easy to use tool that provides the following:
- Measurement of water content, electrical conductivity and temperature on the slab
- Statistical analysis of the above parameters (average/standard deviation) of 250 measurements.