CO2 GRO Inc (TSX-V:GROW, OTCQB:BLONF) has announced a second rose greenhouse CO2 Delivery Solutions Technology Trial in Colombia.
The grower, who has requested anonymity, operates 2.14 million square feet (20 hectares, or Ha) of greenhouse capacity. The trial will last for up to one year.
CO2 GRO said the goals of the trial are faster flowering, greater flower production, and Pathogen Perimeter Protection.
READ: CO2 GRO reports commissioning of a technology trial at a large EU grower’s R&D greenhouse facility
According to studies conducted on atmospheric CO2 enrichment in rose greenhouses, the company said yields increased 16% to 60% over those grown in a non-enriched atmosphere.
According to a 2020 Statista update, Colombia exported $1.42 billion of flowers in 2020 of which $1.2 billion was to the US, Canada, and Mexico. Colombia's flower production is led by roses (22.6%) and carnations (14.6%). Colombia is the largest exporter of roses and other flowers to the US and number two globally after the Netherlands.
CO2 GRO said atmospheric CO2 enrichment (gassing) to enhance rose production is not widely used in Colombia due to year-round heat venting and relatively low-tech greenhouse and other protected grow facilities.
As a result, the company said its CO2 Delivery Solutions is a viable alternative for Colombian rose growers to enrich their plants with CO2 despite low-tech facilities and venting, in order to achieve increased yields, plant quality, revenue, and profits.
"We are gaining further traction in Colombia in addition to neighboring countries such as Ecuador and Peru,” said Aaron Archibald, CO2 GRO’s vice president of sales and strategic alliances, in a statement. “These countries’ flower and berry growers are major global exporters that see the potential value of our technology for enriching their plants with CO2 and the resulting increases in yields and returns. We are also initiating discussions with licensed Cannabis producers in Colombia who operate under the country's Cannabis laws."
Targeting the global grower market
CO2 GRO's proprietary CO2 Delivery Solutions technology is revolutionizing the estimated 800 billion square foot protected global grower market. The system creates a dissolved CO2 solution that is misted onto plants grown in greenhouses and protected grower facilities globally providing growers with multiple significant benefits.
Growers that cannot atmospherically enrich their facilities with CO2 (gassing) can now realize yield increases of up to 30% and up to a doubling of gross profits, while suppressing the development of micro-pathogens such as E.coli and powdery mildew, leading to healthier crops.
Greenhouses and indoor facilities that currently do employ CO2 gassing can save up to 90% on their CO2 consumption, thereby reducing their production costs and CO2 enrichment emissions.
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