Exchange of Knowledge between Research and Horticultural Practice through the Internet

Horticultural production is a complex process, the efficiency of which is rarely attributable to a single factor. In addition, optima tend to vary with internal states and outside conditions. To manage their production process, growers generally rely on rules based on experience. However, much of this experience has been acquired under conditions of relatively low fuel prices. In view of increasing fuel costs and worldwide initiatives to reduce CO2 emission, horticultural producers are faced with the need to adapt their practice in order to remain economically viable. The horticultural research community can provide knowledge which may help growers to adapt to the changing conditions. In The Netherlands, internet technology is being used to facilitate efficient communication between growers and scientists. Information is collected automatically from process computers at five commercial nurseries, dynamic models are used to monitor crop and climate conditions, and nearly real-time results are published on a web portal, where it is linked with an information database and web logs by growers, advisors and researchers. The web portal (in Dutch) can be viewed at http://www.kijkindekas.nl.