About Ridder

What we do

Climate change, drought, population growth – our changing world presents a huge challenge for the agriculture and horticulture sectors. Ridder works hard to help farmers and growers to transition successfully to more efficient and, above all, more sustainable production methods. The shift towards protected cultivation plays a key role in this: within a controlled greenhouse environment, crops can be grown with minimal use of water and fertilizers, regardless of the external weather conditions. However, challenges involving economies of scale, labor management and shortages of expertise also require practical innovation and effective services, so that growers really can achieve their ambitions.

As an international family business, part of Ridder’s everyday work for the past 65 years has been developing solutions that can enable horticultural businesses and their suppliers make their companies and projects as successful as possible. Together with our global network of partners, we provide complete system solutions to create the ideal growing environment – from mechanical systems to digital services. In designing these products, we draw on all the knowledge and experience that we have acquired in the past. But above all else, we are a future-facing company, and we have a vision for the autonomous greenhouse of the future. That means moving towards a fully automated and intelligent growing environment.

Ridder Drive Systems

Our drive systems provide the ultimate control over relative humidity, CO2 levels and temperature inside the greenhouse. They are extremely reliable and enable you to get the most out of your screen systems to control energy and light levels.

Ridder Climate Screens

Ridder climate screens give you optimum control over energy, light, radiation, temperature and humidity inside the greenhouse.

Ridder Labor Management

With Ridder Labor Management you can be confident that harvesting and crop work is done in line with the requirements of your crop, your business plan and your customers. Our handy applications also give you more information and control over the quality of your harvest and the health of the crop.

Ridder Process Automation

Our smart software, sensors and powerful climate computers give you precision control over the climate in the greenhouse, so that you can give the plants exactly what they need, while also achieving your business objectives.

Ridder Water Treatment

Ridder water systems can be adapted perfectly to the nutrition and irrigation requirements of your plants. They are also good for the environment, enabling the more sustainable use of water and fertilizers.

Energy Balance

The correct energy balance will optimize your crop and crops yields. Factors such as the climate in the greenhouse and the amount of solar radiation and/or supplemental lighting all need to be in perfect balance with your crop’s energy requirements and their need to release energy through transpiration.

Moisture Balance

The plant’s moisture balance regulates the absorption of water and nutrients, and the rate at which they are transported through the plant. The ideal moisture balance will result in better uptake of fertilizers, better cooling of the crop, and therefore higher yields and better quality. By making precise adjustments to irrigation, the climate inside the greenhouse and ventilation/air flows, the ideal moisture balance and rate of crop growth can be achieved.

Labor

The deployment of your workforce and the timing of greenhouse operations are factors that contribute to the optimum growth and progress of your crop. Timing greenhouse jobs and monitoring the quality of the work have a direct impact on yields, plant health and the quality of your harvest.

Plant Health

Plant health is a key principle for growth. Careful monitoring and timely intervention if pests or diseases occur help to ensure quality and production levels.

Assimilation Balance

Photosynthesis is the basic process that drives plant growth. Balancing and optimizing this natural process, providing water, light, energy and carbon dioxide in just the right quantities and at just the right time helps your crops grow and produce maximum yields.

Ridder HortOS: For smart and innovative business management

In today’s world, running a horticultural business is a dynamic challenge that very often involves a high level of complexity. Every business strategy, crop, project and location is unique, and the same goes for other operational variables such as labor, knowledge, sustainability and the need to scale up operations. For growers, owners and organizations, it is essential to have as much useful information as possible, so that you can work towards shared goals and make the right operational and strategic decisions at just the right moment.

Ridder HortOS offers large-scale horticultural enterprises an easy-to-use centralized environment for working collaboratively towards shared goals. Not only does it give you access to financial and operational data from multiple crops, greenhouses and locations, but it also transforms that data into actionable information and clear insights – so you can make the right decisions yourself or have HortOS make them for you fully automatically. Whether it involves day-to-day greenhouse operations or long-term strategic decisions, HortOS enables the entire organization to work together to drive growth and profitability.