A wooden chimney in the box ensures optimal aeration and less work when pre-sprouting seed potatoes.
Arable farmers Erik Juurlink and Frank Hoitink from Slootdorp, North Holland, assess Everest seed potatoes. The ErFra VKS VoorKiemSystem (VKS) is mounted in the cubic box. Juurlink came up with the idea in 2014. ‘I wanted to get rid of the old mesh trays. By placing a chimney in the box, the aeration improves, so that the tubers heat up evenly. ‘
The seed potato and bulb grower experimented for six years until he developed the ideal system. Hoitink hooked up. ‘Pre-sprouting is in the spotlight,’ he notes. ‘You bring the cultivation forward and reduce the harvest risk. ErFra VKS works more ergonomically than germ trays. It is compact in storage and can be used without box modifications. ‘
Hinged shelving
ErFra VKS consists of hinged racks. It’s childishly simple, but there is a lot of thinking involved, Juurlink knows. ‘We build the system ourselves. That keeps costs low and ensures a long lifespan. ‘ ErFra VKS, the company of Juurlink and Hoitink, supplies a lid with which you close the chimney before filling.
• Read also: Pre-germination system ErFra VKS is back in production
Juurlink: ‘It costs 300 kilos of crate capacity, which is no problem for me.’ Hoitink also puts the boxes in the refrigerator with ErFra VKS. He sees the improved aeration and it saves energy. ‘We sell this system to conventional and organic growers in the Netherlands and abroad.’
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