GREENHOUSES I SHADE NET I HYDROPONICS I AQUAPONICS
The Microbial world of FULL CIRCLE
Full Circle is a specialized greens production farm in the Elgin Valley, Western Cape. Produce are grown in four hydroponics units in 3ha multi-span greenhouses. The farm produces several crops with special focus on soft herbs. Full Circle delivers to three retail chain groups with individual production programs for each of these.
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obus Pienaar, CEO of Full Circle has an interesting background. Both his parents were in education, but in the broader family, a number were engaged in grains and sheep farming. Cobus became engaged in the technical arena and did product development for different companies. A culmination of circumstances offered him the opportunity to investigate intensive farming. Cobus was fascinated by this farming sector and it led him to new prospects. This resulted that even now, eleven years later he is looking forward to new horizons in this
exciting field. “The microbial world is phenomenal and plays a cardinal role in plant development. My background in research and development continually produces new applications under the microscope. Through close cooperation with local and international experts, we developed a unique growing process called the Integrated Growing Method (IGM),” Cobus explains. “IGM put us in the position to grow purely organic, semi-organic and even purely conventional by using hydroponic techniques. Depending on the market and product requirements, we are able to interchange between the different methods relatively quickly,” he said. “Haygrove is an important role player in Full Circle’s business. Their knowledge and experience made it possible to make quick decisions at strategic times. Their continuous interaction with Full Circle is
4 Undercover farming I September/October 2021 I Volume 18 No 5
most important especially when it comes to new product development and best practice innovation. A unique function of Haygrove is its capacity to integrate historic product lines with developments without drama,” Cobus said, much impressed. Full Circle uses two different grow methods. Firstly, DWC (Deep Water Culture) and secondly organic media beds are used. This allows them to acquire high plant density (up to 1100/m2). They use both active and passive control over the most important parameters during the growth process. The process is dynamic and important to manage with precision. If control is lost, it is very challenging to get back to the flow of the process. “Wastage in any business is a bad principle, especially in intensive farming. We invest continually in research and development activities with a view on improved utilization of all our inputs. This results in continuous improvement in profitability and sustainability. “Water is one of our most important input resources. Through IGM we are able to recirculate our water and only add when required. We never have to discard water
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