TNO - TNO striving for clean water for greenhouse horticulture

July 01, 2010

TNO striving for clean water for greenhouse horticulture

Begin July the ‘Productschap Tuinbouw’ (Horticulture Commodity Board) begins two projects aimed at cleaner water in greenhouse horticulture areas. These initiatives for both substrate and soil based crops will reduce the emissions of nutrients and crop treatment products into the surface water, thereby helping the sector to comply with Innovation program European Water Framework Directive (Innovatieprogramma KRW) requirements.

Substrate crops

TNO is involved in the substrate crops project. The projects, at an investment of around five million euros, are being undertaken by consortia in which research institutions, industry and water boards are collaborating. The Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management is setting aside a subsidy of almost four million in the European Water Directive subsidy scheme. Hagelunie, a Dutch insurance company, is also contributing a tidy sum as are the water boards. The sector itself is funding its own contribution through the ‘Productschap Tuinbouw’, which is both secretary and overall project manager. The sector will be closely involved in the supervising committees, excursions and discussion groups.

The role of TNO: closing the water cycle

The aim of the substrate crops project is to fully close the water cycle of the greenhouse horticulture companies by developing technology to purify the wastewater so that it can be reused. Pilots are also being established for this and TNO is investigating whether the residual substances from the purification can be reused (valorisation). The emissions of nutrients and crop treatment products via the water will have to be (virtually) zero.