focus CE-Line
What happens to greenhouse crops when they receive exactly the right nutrients at exactly the right doses at exactly the right time? At the Wageningen University & Research (WUR) test site in Bleiswijk [around 14 kilometres north of Rotterdam], the answers to this question are currently being collected.
Customized irrigation water
Wilco Dijkstra, Founder
‘Our technology can process a high number of parameters in real time’
These are the first practical trials with
fortnight. They have to develop an
Global food crisis
the CE-line technology: a measuring
effective nutritional strategy based on
Dijkstra is already looking beyond the
system that measures the quality and
those results— it’s an impossible task. Our
borders: “Dutch greenhouse horticulture
composition of the irrigation water in
system provides online measurement
is world-leading—we have higher yields
real time and can immediately adjust
of individual nutrients with associated
than anywhere else. China, Canada, the
it to the desired composition. Start-up
individual nutrient dosages. The result is
Middle East, Spain and France operate
CE-Line, a Water Alliance member,
controllable and immediately adjustable
at higher capacity, but their yield per
recently received the prestigious
irrigation water, which is a huge leap
square meter is much lower. CE-Line
GreenTech Innovation Concept Award
forward.”
could serve as a flywheel in the process
for its innovative concept.
by drastically increasing yield. That’s Circular system
no luxury in a world where the food
Horticulture
Five per cent more yield, improved
problem is growing and demands a
“We had been developing water
crop and fruit quality, reduced water
focus on high quality.”
measuring systems for some time.
and fertilizer use, and remote water
Our technology is unique in that our
and nutrient management. These
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
system can process a high number of
are the benefits of a system that is
According to Dijkstra, artificial
parameters in real time”, says Wilco
also completely circular, according to
intelligence will become an important
Dijkstra, founder of CE-Line. The start-up
Dijkstra: “We can reuse almost one
driver in greenhouse horticulture in the
is based in Heerenveen, a municipality
hundred per cent of the water. The
coming decade: “We are getting more
just under thirty kilometres from the
extremely precise composition and
and more access to big data. Using that
WaterCampus Leeuwarden. CE-Line
dosage avoids the creation of unusable
data, computers can make qualitatively
was established in 2018 to make the
wastewater.”
better predictions than growers. I see a
ingenious measuring system suitable for
The practical trials at the Bleiswijk test
future in which greenhouse production
greenhouse horticulture.
site are very promising. CE-Line is
lines are fully based on AI, with a grower
There is a great need for a measuring
currently working with growers to gain
turning the dials in the cockpit. CE-Line
system like CE-Line, particularly in
the necessary practical experience: “We
can be a link within that system.”
greenhouse horticulture, explains
want to develop the optimal watering
Dijkstra. “Growers currently send
strategy together.”
a sample to the laboratory once a
celine.frl | 19
