Published juli 30, 2024

Join the 2-day Plant Empowerment course in British Columbia, Canada

Are you a grower in North America and ready to learn more about achieving optimal crop growth and health? And ready to grow in a more efficient and sustainable way? With like-minded growers from the same region? You feel three yes-ses? Owh yes! Then we have an interesting course for you, planned on November 20 and 21, 2024 in Vancouver region, BC, Canada.

This two-day Plant Empowerment course is designed for you, to educate and empower growers by teaching them how to implement the Plant Empowerment philosophy effectively in their practices. Following the success of our previous courses in the last years in Leamington and BC, which attracted more than 200 growers, this year you can be empowered as well. We offer both new and returning participants the most valuable insights and practical knowledge.

"Discover how to keep the plant in balance with Plant Empowerment and increase both your yield and your efficiency"

What is Plant Empowerment?
Plant Empowerment is an integrated approach to sustainably growing crops in greenhouses by supporting the plant’s balances. The starting point is to stimulate and support the natural growing power of the plants by creating optimal growth conditions, both above soil and in the rootzone. Under all conditions, the plant aims to optimize its three balances to become strong and healthy. By supporting these balances, the plants make more efficient use of water, fertilizers and energy. In nature, plants are resilient against pests and diseases.

The Plant Empowerment philosophy is a unique, data-driven way of thinking that facilitates higher yields and better crop quality while promoting the efficient use of valuable resources such as water, energy, and nutrients. Plant Empowerment uses these natural characteristics to optimize plant growth. That’s why Plant Empowerment contributes to sustainable horticulture.

But how do you implement all this integrated knowledge in practice? How do you make sure the plants are constantly happy? That’s what you’ll learn in the 2-day Plant Empowerment course on November 20 and 21, 2024 in Vancouver region, BC, Canada.

Who is this course for?
This course is organized for junior and experienced growers, but also for consultants or other horticulture professionals. This course is organized for junior and experienced growers, as well as consultants or other horticultural professionals. Have you taken a Plant
Empowerment course before? Even then it's definitely worth participating because we're also sharing a lot of new knowledge.

This course helps you to:

  • Discover how Plant Empowerment can help you optimize your greenhouse operations.
  • Learn how to support your plants' natural balance for better yields and quality.
  • Gain insights into efficient resource management to save on water, energy, and nutrients.
  • Connect with experts and fellow growers to share experiences and strategies.
  • Don't miss this opportunity to elevate your growing practices and contribute to a sustainable future in horticulture.

The trainers
We are pleased to introduce our esteemed trainers who will be leading this 2-day course. Each trainer brings a wealth of experience and knowledge in their respective fields. All of them are working for our partners and members who are making our mission thriving. They are eager to share their insights and provide personalized guidance throughout the two course days.

  • Mark van der Werf
    Nutrition & plant health specialist Consultant Plant Empowerment
  • Evripidis Papadopoulos
    Researcher & data analyst LetsGrow.com
  • René Beerkens
    Data driven growing specialist Hoogendoorn Growth Management
  • Remy Maat
    Substrate specialist Saint-Gobain Cultilene
  • Ton Habraken
    Screening and greenhouse climate specialist Svensson
  • Ruud Schulte
    Watermanagement expert Van der Ende Group
  • Paul van Gils
    Lighting specialist – Lumiforte

Ticket sales

  • Early bird ticket: C$890 (€599) until 15 September
  • Normal ticket sale: C$1040 (€699)

Prices include study materials, lunch, and beverages during the course.
Dinner, accommodation, and transport are not included.

Register here.

The program
November, 20 - morning session
Uniformity as the basis of plant growth
We begin the course with a focus on uniformity, a crucial element for achieving balanced plant growth.

You’ll discover techniques for achieving consistent crop growth, including: 

  • Good root zone conditions  
  • The importance of uniformity data 
  • Strategies for maintaining a uniform climate 

These basics are essential to Plant Empowerment and will help you achieve the best results in your greenhouse. This will be a valuable refresher for some, while others will gain new insights. 

November, 20 - afternoon & November, 21
Choose from break-out sessions
In the afternoon of the first day and throughout the second day, you have the freedom to put together your own schedule. We offer a variety of breakout sessions so you can choose what best suits your needs and interests. These breakout sessions give you the opportunity to deepen your knowledge and improve your growing practices. 

Here are a variety of topics:
 

  • Increase the value & performance of your greenhouse data
    • Optimize your data analysis for better performance.
  • Everything you need to know about water quality
    • Learn how to improve water quality for healthier plants.
  • Support irrigation strategy with sensors
    • Discover how sensors can improve your irrigation strategy.
  • The influence of light on irrigation strategy
    • Understand how light affects your irrigation strategies.
  • Insights into coatings
    • Gain valuable insights into different coatings and their applications.
  • The properties of a healthy plant
    • Learn how to create a fertilization schedule for healthy plants.
  • Lessons learned after the energy crisis
    • Share and learn from experiences after the energy crisis.
  • Screens, screen openings and air movement
    • Expand your knowledge about screens and air circulation.
  • Growing without mildew
    • Discover strategies to grow without mildew.
  • Absolute humidity

    • Discover the effects of absolute humidity

      ... and many more topics will be announced soon.

Reviews
Stars: 4.6 out of 5 – Canada course 2023

  • “The workshop was amazing! I learned a lot about Plant Empowerment and how to use it in practice. Hope the Plant Empowerment team comes to Canada every year!”
  • “Great experience! The workshop mixed interesting theory with practical knowledge. The trainers were super knowledgeable and made everything easy to understand.”
  • “I would 100% recommend the workshop to other people, it was very interesting!”
  • “I loved the Plant Empowerment workshop. I'm looking forward to their next visit to Canada!
  • ‘’I'll definitely come back again, and this time with more colleagues.”

More information?