“Robotization drives demand for reliable, consistent plugs" RHP certification for Cultilene stone wool plugs:
In high-tech horticulture, standing still means falling behind. At Cultilene, part of Saint-Gobain, they understand this very well. With the recent RHP certification of their stone wool plugs – a first in the sector – the company is taking an important step in guaranteeing uniformity and reliability. CEO Mathilde Jehanno and quality manager Murat Bogutekin explain why this certification is essential in a sector that is automating at high speed. “It’s about reliability from start to finish.”
Since November last year, Mathilde Jehanno has been leading Cultilene as CEO. Having worked within the Saint-Gobain group for some time, she moved over from the construction sector, where stone wool is mainly used for insulation. “There are similarities with the construction industry, but the differences are significant,” she explains. “When I meet growers and propagators, I sense an enormous passion for their profession – perhaps even more than in construction. They are closely connected to nature and the life cycle of the plant.” The high level of technology and innovation is also unique. “Nothing is left to chance; everything is controlled. The constant drive to innovate and improve every day is truly impressive.”
This drive for innovation directly translates to the day-to-day operations of growers and propagators, where automation has continued to expand in recent years. Murat Bogutekin, Quality Manager at Cultilene, was closely involved in the process of achieving RHP certification for the plugs. While Cultilene’s slabs and cubes had already been RHP-certified for some time, this marks the first time that the stone wool plug has also received the certification. In fact, it is the first time this certificate has ever been awarded to a stone wool plug.
Quality mark
The RHP quality mark guarantees factors such as water absorption, air content, pH, EC, and nutrient values, while also ensuring that the substrate is clean and safe. According to Murat, the certification is more than just a quality label; it is a promise to the grower. “The certification simply means that our stone wool plugs truly meet the quality we promise,” he says. “For growers, this provides confidence in a reliable and consistent product.
“This is crucial because modern propagation companies increasingly use robots for planting and grafting. A plug is only a few centimeters high, but the robots handling them operate with surgical precision to pick them up and place them. That places enormous demands on our product quality: in a tray, every single one must be identical.”
Automation
In addition, plugs, and the cubes as well, are picked up multiple times throughout the process. “The mechanical stress placed on the substrate has increased enormously,” Murat confirms. “That requires a unique combination of product properties. On the one hand, the plug must be firm enough to withstand repeated robotic handling without falling apart, while at the same time remaining soft enough to allow the roots of the young plant to grow through effortlessly, even after multiple irrigation cycles.”
The importance of reliability and consistency extends throughout the entire cultivation process. “At the grower level, there are fewer robotized handling operations involving the substrate, but there the substrate must deliver a completely different kind of performance,” Murat continues. “Once the plants and slabs are in place, they need to remain stable and retain their structure for an entire year, regardless of intensive root growth and irrigation.”
To ensure this uniformity, Cultilene is also investing heavily in its own factories. For example, the plug production lines are equipped with a high tech quality detection system. “Using this kind of system, the production line immediately detects any, after which those plugs are automatically rejected.
“In construction, a small deviation may still be acceptable: you work with panels that can be two meters long and disappear behind a wall”, Mathilde says. “But with a small plug, even a tiny inconsistency can directly affect the plant. You immediately see it reflected in growth.” Cultilene therefore applies extremely tight tolerance levels. “In that respect, construction is definitely following horticulture.”
Contact with growers and propagators
The increasing demand for automation within the sector is one of the reasons why Cultilene continues to develop continuously. To identify trends like these, the company remains in constant contact with growers and propagators – to share knowledge, provide support where necessary, and understand both current and future substrate requirements. “The goal is to help growers achieve the maximum performance from the substrate with minimal water consumption. That is what we provide today, and what we aim to continue providing in the future.”
Cultilene has also partnered with various companies to investigate the circularity of substrates. For example, the company works together with SoilSteam to explore the possibilities of steaming substrates for reuse. At the same time, Cultilene is investing internally in sustainability, as the Saint-Goban company aims to achieve Net Zero by 2050 and is making major investments in its factories to reach this goal.
Stone wool market
The stone wool market itself continues to evolve along with the high-tech greenhouse market, Mathilde says. “Perhaps not everywhere at the same pace as before, but in other regions growth is accelerating again.” According to her, the fundamental driver behind the ongoing demand for substrates is the global and increasing need for fresh, safe, and healthy food. In addition, self-sufficiency is becoming an increasingly important theme in multiple markets.
“This trend goes hand in hand with the further professionalization and technological advancement of the global sector, where growers who previously worked with less high-tech systems are now transitioning to more advanced production methods,” she explains. “And in that process, stone wool is almost a logical step. Minimal water consumption, maximum control over cultivation, and far-reaching automation all require stone wool plugs, cubes, and slabs that are extremely homogeneous, uniform and reliable.”