Your journey towards growing healthy crops

The educational plant health program consists of four sessions, with each session emphasizing various aspects of cultivating robust and nourishing crops using an integrated and sustainable approach. By assimilating these nutritional insights into your crop strategy, along with the principles of Plant Empowerment, you can advance your journey toward growing healthy crops.

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About the program

The specialists provide new insights relating to the benefits of the Plant Empowerment philosophy in the following four sessions:

How to grow a healthy plant
Including e-book chapter 1: “Plant health and photosynthesis”
How minerals influence plant health
Including e-book chapter 2: “Plant health and minerals”
How to create a solid foundation for healthy plants
Including e-book chapter 3: “Plant health and nitrogen”
How substrates and irrigation strategies contribute to healthy plants
Including e-book chapter 4: “Plant health and defenses”

The program kicks off on April 12, 2023. We will host a total of four online courses in which you can participate. After the launch dates, you will get access to the recordings, so you can follow the course afterward again at your own convenience.

Every course is followed by one chapter of the plant health e-book, which goes into more depth on several subjects of plant health.

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The success of this integrated approach has been demonstrated in various real-life projects worldwide. Plant Empowerment has gained valuable insights into how to grow healthy and resilient crops in an integrated and sustainable way. Heritage Frams, for example, is taking a holistic view of the optimal temperatures and humidity levels through the use of screening, better air quality and more air rotation, the right nutrients in the slab, and a better assimilate balance. And the results look very promising. They finally expect to complete a full ten-month crop cycle this year, putting them on track to achieve 30kg per m2. In fact, they hope to push through to October or November, which will be nearly a whole year since planting.

Heritage Farms

Healthy plants generate the highest possible yields

Over the past couple of decades, nutrition in high-tech crops has become largely dominated by synthetic fertilizers. This has enabled production levels to be continuously improved. But these production improvements have come at a price: the constant threat of pests and diseases. This initially led to the widespread usage of chemical crop protection agents in high-yielding crops. The recent trend towards more sustainable approaches – such as breeding varieties with natural resistances, or the use of integrated pest management – tackle the symptoms rather than the underlying cause: weakened plant health. So what exactly is ‘plant health’?

Course 1: How to grow a healthy plant

During the first part of the educational program, trainer Mark van der Werf will give you an introduction to plant health. What factors are necessary in order for a plant to become “healthy” and how can growers influence those factors? During the table discussion some of these factors will be discussed.

Course 2: How minerals influence plant health

During the second part of the educational program, the team of specialists will focus on minerals. Minerals play a key role in the functioning of a plant. What are exactly the functions of all these minerals and how do they affect plant health. Are we supplying the optimum diet for plants already or can we still make some improvements?

Course 3: How to create a solid foundation for healthy plants

The third course is all about the foundation. A solid foundation is a “must-have” for a healthy crop. This means we need the right genetics and a good plan. During this session, we will discuss how genetics are the bases for a healthy crop. And a good strategy is crucial in order to avoid stressful situations.

Course 4: How substrates and irrigation strategies contribute to healthy plants

In the final course, the team of specialists will discuss substrate properties and irrigation strategies and how they affect plant health. The health of the plant starts around the roots. Roots are working together with microbes in order to get enough water and minerals. In the same area, pathogens are constantly looking for a chance to attack.

Ticket sales

By registering for the full course, you will get free access to the e-book. If you don’t want to participate in the online courses, but still want to get access to the e-book, you can buy the e-book separately for €24,95.

* All revenue generated by this online training course will be reinvested in the further development of the Plant Empowerment philosophy.

Do you have any additional questions about the course?

Plant Health Consultant Plant Empowerment

Mark van der Werf

Email Mark

Learn how to grow healthy crops