Airmaster for application in short-day crops: "The spiral was the answer"
Source: VFD.com
Airmaster for application in short-day crops: "The spiral was the answer" Controlling pathogens and unwanted odors in the greenhouse remains a persistent challenge for growers. The Airmaster, an air purification system developed by German company O3Tech, has long been used to improve air quality in greenhouses.
© Eelkje Pulley | VerticalFarmDaily.com Lies van Geest at IFTF Vijfhuizen 2025 The spiral was the answer As is often the case with major innovations, the solution turned out to be surprisingly simple: a spiral-shaped baffle, referred to by Tuprotec and O3Tech as the "wokkel." The design was integrated directly into the Airmaster. © O3 Tech Broad applicability and effectiveness The Airmaster, and specifically the UV and ozone lamp mechanism known as the T20 unit, was not originally developed for horticulture.
It was later adapted for larger spaces such as offices, restaurants, and hotels to purify air of viruses, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. With this latest adaptation, which eliminates light emission and improves airflow, the Airmaster from O3Tech, distributed by Tuprotec, offers an even more complete solution for a healthy and productive growing environment.
Why this matters: For operators, this is a water-management story. The useful signal is that direct substrate measurements can help cut drain loss materially without giving up yield or fruit quality, which is exactly the kind of controllable efficiency gain a facility can build on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does substrate sensing matter in free-drain strawberry systems?
Because drain percentage tells a grower what already happened, while substrate moisture and EC data show root-zone conditions directly. That makes it easier to cut water loss without guessing.
What is the operator takeaway from this trial?
If the thresholds are understood well enough, growers can reduce drain water materially while protecting yield and fruit quality, which makes sensing an operational tool instead of a reporting tool.
