Wednesday 22 May , is Biodiversity Day . Biodiversity is important because in an environment with a rich diverseness of plants , animate being , and microorganisms , disease and cuss are less likely to go on . We spoke to Nico Reijm ( pictured ) and Eric van Heijningen of HilverdaFlorist . This company , together with fellow companies , is taking part in a pilot task in Greenport Aalsmeer to kick upstairs biodiversity outside the greenhouse .
HilverdaFlorist is based in De Kwakel and focuses on fostering and propagating cutting heyday and pot and garden plants . Nico is the output director there , while Eric cultivate as the cultivation handler of Cultivation & Quality .
Making field edges more attractive to bee and other insects"We have been working for a long time to restore the lifelike residue inside the greenhouse , but in this fender , we are also doing it outside " , Nico explains . " The labor is still in its early stage , but we are fully take in planting field edges around several farms in the area with more color , and plants that attract bees and other insects . The aim is to achieve a biologic balance between pest insects and their natural enemies so that plague do not reach the upper helping hand . In pattern , there are legion possibilities for this , depending on the insect . Nice results have already been achieved with thripid and whitefly , but aphids remain a problem . Against louse , for instance , we use ichneumon wasps as natural enemies . Besides promoting biodiversity , planting field edges with bright flowers also contributes to the visual aspect of the environment . "
attain the innate balance is not yet easy . " Attracting natural controls requires very unlike vegetation than we are used to . We are now cultivate out what work easily . We are still learning every day . It would be nice to ask us again in autumn next year about our experience ! "
increase demand from customers"Controlling pests is quite a challenge for many cultivator , as chemic agents are more and more on the ebbing , " says Eric . " The penury to go on the biological tour of duty is getting stronger , and pastime in this has really take away off in late yr . We are also clearly noticing more need from customers because they themselves work with biology . So if we apply chemistry , it affects them . We , therefore , make trusted we render the industrial plant ' clean ' , which they can build up on . "
The pilot in which HilverdaFlorist is participate is an opening of Greenport Aalsmeer and six companies together , he continues . " Greenport help us , for model , with subsidy possibilities and coordination with municipalities and water authorities . reference with municipalities is also needed , for exemplar regarding the mowing insurance policy of grass edges . Greenport Aalsmeer really act as a spider in the WWW . "
' We hope for a sweet sand verbena effect’Do Nico and Eric have any bakshish for company that also want to do more about biodiversity outside the greenhouse ? " seek to tackle it orbit - wide , for example with neighboring companies . Together you have a better chance of success . Of naturally , we also desire that more and more companies will join Greenport Aalsmeer and that we will achieve that snowball impression , despite the fact that we are still evolve this undertaking ourselves . We too are still searching and it is far from crystallized . But it get down with create sustenance , which is the most important thing . The great thing is that we acknowledge that more and more company are sympathetic to initiative like this . "
For more information : Royal FloraHollandwww.royalfloraholland.com
