Optimising use of coir

Arjan van Leest

Product Manager Hydroponics

Coconuts...

Coir...?

Quality Coir!

GLOBAL PARTNER

The Jiffy Group has manufacturing plants worldwide as well as JIFFY sales offices,

distributors and importers located throughout the world.

DenmarkJiffypot

Sri LankaJiffy-7CGrowblockGrowbagCoco diskCoir substrates

CanadaJiffy-7, Jiffy-7 Forestry, Jiffy-

Pots, Peat Production

Jiffy International AS The NetherlandsHead office NorwaySubstrates

Preforma

SpainPreforma

NorwayJiffy-7

USAPreforma

Substrates

EstoniaSubstrates

GermanyPeat

production

SwedenSubstrates

JapanPreforma

From coconut...

...to...

...end user

Product Qualities Coir

• Easy resaturated with water

• Stable substrate if thoroughly composted / high Lignin

• High air-content, even when fine structured

• Fibres and/or husk chips further increase airiness

Microscopic view coir fibre

Product Qualities Coir

• Easy to (re)saturate with water

• Stable substrate if thoroughly composted / high Lignin

• High air-content, even when fine structured

• Fibres and/or husk chips further increase airiness

• Water-air-content perfect for root development

• Organic origin. Recyclable after use

Difference organic coir inert media

Aspect Coir Stonewool/perlite

EAW 33% of volume >67% of volume

Buffer Water, EC, pH None

Disposal Reusable Contaminated organic matter

Irrigation High(er) frequency, small(er) amounts

Standard

Consistency Good if production chain controlled

Good

Quality Good if produced RHP or OMRI

Good

Availability Renewable resource Plenty of raw material available

LCA 1/3 bags, 2/3 blocks Standard = 1

Physical Aspects Jiffy Growbags (pF1)

5050 HY HC Rockwool0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

CoirAirWaterBuffer

Where to take note of

• Irrigation

• Fertilizers at start

• Organic!

It’s all about roots

It’s all about roots...

It’s all about roots!

Jiffy Hydroponics Trials• CVETMO, France, cucumber

Jiffy Hydroponics Trials• CVETMO, France, cucumber

#fruits/m2 Jiffy Exxelent Grotop

1st crop 36.7 36.6 35.1

2nd crop 68.2 65.8 66.5

3rd crop 39.5 39.8 39.5

2011 total 144.4 142.2 141.1

Jiffy Growblock

• Worldwide trend to use organic media (i.e. coir) and logical demand for

coir growblocks

• Compressed and dry block made of 100% coir

• Matches with automatic propagation lines

• 100% biodegradable with PLA netting

• Trials in both the Americas and Europe showed a stronger plant and

faster rooting in coir compared to rockwool cubes

Growblocks (L) and plugs (R) in Coir growbags

Plugs (L) and Growblocks (R) in soil

Growblock and plug just after transplanting

PreGro concept: Preforma in a Growblock

Cucumbers + Coir

Cucumbers + Coir

Cucumbers + Coir

Cucumbers + Coir

Vegetables

Vegetables

Thank you for your attention!

THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION