The ErfGoedFloor meant salvation for their outdoor plants for two French growers. During the extreme weather conditions of the past few months their crop was unscathed. That was in stark contrast to many other growers. Luc Guilemain from Bourgogne Plantes and Jean-Claude Foucard from Roses Anciennes André Eve were using the ErfGoed outdoor floor for the first time this season, with its testing conditions.
The outdoor floor of Jean-Claude Foucard from Orleans was completed in April. Two months later, the whole area was inundated in the aftermath of heavy rainfall. “Under normal conditions, that would have meant a substantial loss. But to my amazement we suffered no crop loss at all. The ErfGoedFloor proved its worth in that sense very quickly. I don’t know yet how my fellow growers from this area have fared, but it’s clear that there have been severe losses.”
Enormous buffer capacity
The enormous buffer capacity the cultivation floor offers removes the water immediately, filtering through the floor’s porous layer. A modern ErfGoedFloor has a capacity of around 40,000 liters per hectare! At that stage, the water can be pumped away to the surface water or the tank at a leisurely pace. In this way, the cultivation floor ensures optimum water storage and offers the opportunity for controlled drainage.
The solution for the future
And pot plant grower Luc Guilemain, from Crimolois, is very happy that he got ErfGoed’s outdoor floor sooner, rather than later. “Given the rainfall we have had in the past two months, I was reckoning with crop loss of at least 15%. That is now 0.” Both growers are convinced that this cultivation floor is the solution for many outdoor growing situations. “The unpredictability and intensity of the showers are forcing us to take steps. With the arrival of the ErfGoedFloor we appear to be on the right path.”
Read also ‘How do I ensure sufficient water buffering against extreme rainfall’
