Cannabis

Agrekal’s Perlite Substrates – Guaranteed Precision in Cannabis Horticulture

Using perlite as a growth substrate has many advantages:

the cannabis market is developing rapidly and demand for precision cannabis cultivation just continues to rise. many countries have entered the cannabis cultivation area, among them israel, which is considered to possess extensive knowledge in this field, and is a leader in developing cultivars and growing methods. israeli technology is appropriate for cultivating cannabis in greenhouses and closed structures, and this attracts interest particularly in countries that grow crops under indoor conditions. outstanding among israeli companies, agrekal has already been the country’s leading supplier of  substrates for agriculture and landscaping for more than 70 years.

 

agrekal is a stable, profitable company experiencing accelerated growth that has developed an innovative growing method using perlite substrates. it has demonstrated– not for the first time — knowledge, experience and professionalism in the substrate field, and its ability to adapt itself to market changes by offering innovative and creative solutions.

innovation in a traditional context
as noted, the cannabis industry is flourishing in israel, where especially in the southern arava area there are quite a few local cannabis farms that also provide a livelihood for many workers. in israeli there are currently approximately fifty cultivating farms, each of which is a production facility with all that implies.
agrekal employs approximately one hundred workers, including three agronomists who accompany each of the company’s projects from a to z, who are experienced in spotting cultivation problems throughout every growth stage.

 

 

since the end use of the cannabis plants is intended for consumption by the pharmaceutical market, there are many requirements and regulations and the necessity of maintaining sterility throughout the growth process, including the manufacture of the substrate as well.  (all these demands are difficult for the farmers and increase their growing expenses). over the years agrekal managed with determination and persistence to develop a detached substrate using an innovative method of growing, and to slowly but surely introduce it into the rapidly growing cannabis market. the substrate is a unique combination based on years of field experience of geotechnical cloth and 100% perlite, manufactured by agrekal at its production site in israel, and is endowed with many advantages for growing cannabis in using a precise method.
 

 

guarantee for precision cannabis horticulture
perlite is an aggregate which undergoes expansion at 800º c. during the manufacturing process, whence its sterile characteristic, which among other things enables it to meet the strictest standards for growing cannabis.

 

using perlite as a growth substrate has many advantages:
• sterility –the production process is carried out without hand contact – from the oven to the perlite filling stage of the growbag, so there is nearly no risk of contamination.  
 inertness – thanks to its inert character, perlite does not tend to create chemical reactions with the environment.  the roots are nourished solely according to the decision of the grower, using only the nutrients they require.
• perfect drainage – transition to growing on worktables can create a problem with some substrates of water leakage from the tables and growth substrates to the drainage troughs. when perlite growbag is used, there is almost no leakage from the substrate itself to the troughs, which helps to prevent blockage and enables growth in a cleaner and more sterile work environment.
• precise fertilization – the fact that perlite tends to retain water enables the plant to receive the precise amount of water as determined by the farmer. since the fertilizing materials are transported to the plant through water, the plant receives the precise amount of fertilizer required.
 cooling – perlite’s characteristics permit cooling of the substrate by approximately three degrees less than other substrates, which thus reduces the plant’s water consumption .
• time growth savings – since there is no need to expand the substrate material, two days are saved in each growing cycle. furthermore, the blossom of the plant develops earlier, in some cases even one week. thus the cumulative savings reach approximately one month in a year when taking into consideration that 3-4 cycles per year is the standard.

agrekal continues to develop and to introduce innovations and inventiveness in the cannabis growing field. it is currently involved in two new projects — one in the neighboring country of jordan, and the second in denmark.

 

david bar yosef, agrekal’s ceo, sums it up: “agrekal is dedicated to non-stop innovation and continues endlessly to experiment, observe and develop. we hope that these efforts will also ripen into commercial applications. to bring high quality innovative products to the market is our mission”. 

 

contact us for more info: office@agrekal.co.il

 

this article was published in ‘medical cannabis’ 2022.

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