Belgian endives
Inagro's Belgian chicory research unit covers 1000 m². It is equipped with two cold stores with hot gas defrosting for the storage of the Belgian chicory roots and a small cold store for determining the storage life of the Belgian chicory.
The forcing consists of 4 forcing rooms with adjustable temperature and relative humidity. Each forcing room can contain eight stacks of a maximum of six tables high. The ventilation is horizontal, i.e. with an inlet and an outlet side. Each stack can be supplied from one of the eight basins.
In each basin, pH, EC (electrical conductivity) and temperature can be regulated. For safety and ergonomics, the basins are stored in a cellar that facilitates control.
The Belgian chicory research unit is also equipped with two little forcing units where five basins are in one water bath to obtain a uniform temperature. This is suitable for crop protection trials and fertilization trials (including trace elements).
There is also a grader on which the roots are passed after harvesting. The roots are sorted and treated before they are stored in the cold store. A spraying tunnel makes it possible to treat the Belgian chicory root collars before they are placed in the forcing room.
