GreenTech Americas 2023 | Register your free visit

register

Programme

Much more than an exhibition

Finding new ways to share knowledge and best practices has never been more important in the world of horticulture technology. GreenTech Americas is more than just an exhibition, it’s the global meeting place for horticulture professionals.

Join us on 21 - 22 - 23 March 2023 at Querétaro Centro de Congresos, in Mexico!

Conference programme

Attend and update your knowledge, listening to high-level national and international expert voices showing the current status of horticulture in Mexico and the rest of the Americas in the different Strategic Content Programmes aimed at Growers & Entrepreneurs and the launch of two Masterclasses with academic specialists on topics relevant to horticulture.

The conference programme is not for free.

REGISTRATION FEES

From March 17, conference and workshop tickets will be available only on site.

TUESDAY, MARCH 21 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22 THURSDAY, MARCH 23

Tuesday, March 21 | Strategic programme for producers

Programme subject to change.

09:30 hrs

Opening Message

José Navarro, General Director, Tarsus
Mariska Dreschler, Horticulture Director, GreenTech Amsterdam

09:45 - 10:50 hrs

Water management: Substrate and fertigation in greenhouses

Annie van der Riet, President, AVAG

  • The world population is growing. The need for healthy food is increasing. Cover crops are needed to feed the world population now and in the future.
  • Water is scarce. Water is needed to grow food crops and plants. The Netherlands has a long history with water. Greenhouse technology has developed techniques to clean, recycle and reuse water
  • The Dutch greenhouse horticulture sector is innovative. R&D works on new techniques. This makes the sector strong

    •  

    Micha van Nieuwkerk, Commercial Director, Van der Ende Group

  • Water management in greenhouse horticulture and its challenges.

    •  

    Francisco Alonso, General Manager, Ridder Spain

  • Input optimization is one of the main challenges for farmers due to the rising cost of inputs in agriculture;
  • Crop safety is paramount to ensure maximum yields and therefore disinfection techniques for recirculation are necessary;
  • Environmental sustainability is on the agenda of most governments, and is a major global issue.

    •  

    Jeff Joudrey, Grower Advisor, Grodan

  • Understand how combining water management with fertilisation saves money and maximises your production;
  • Learn the importance of recirculating.
  • Rockwool irrigation management.

    •  

    Moderator: Erik Plaisier, Agricultural Advisor for Mexico and Cuba at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

    11:00 - 11:30 hrs

    OPENING CEREMONY - GreenTech Stage exhibition area

    11:30 - 12:00 hrs

    Networking break

    12:15 - 13:00 hrs

    Conference

    Víctor Manuel Juárez Gutiérrez, General Coordinator of Territorial Operation, SADER

    Host: Alfredo Díaz, General Director, AMHPAC

    13:00 – 14:00 hrs

    Alternative crops as a strategy in protected horticulture

    Sonny Moerenhout, Managing Partner, Cultivators

  • Cannabis & lettuce; two emerging crops with a strong need for high tech development.

    •  

    María Pérez Vázquez, Managing Director - CEO, OLEOFLOR

  • Flower grower with best agricultural and commercial practices to meet the highest quality standards.

    •  

    Erick Ponce, Founding President, ICAN LATAM

  • Progress and expectations of the cannabis industry in Mexico.

    •  

    Juan Gabriel Succar, Founder & CEO, Verde Compacto

  • Vertical Farming

    •  

    Moderator: Mariana Larrea, Executive Director, Santuario Uh May

    14:00 – 15:00 hrs

    Lunch ROOMS 301 - 302 2ND LEVEL

    Sponsor 

    15:30 - 16:30 hrs

    Greenhouse Cluster Success Stories in LATAM

  • Learn about the factors to consider when planning a greenhouse project
  • Listen to the experiences in the construction of a Pioneer Greenhouse Project in a Tropical Climate Zone and in the Development of a High-Tech Agropark

    • Luis Jorge Villarreal, General Director, Metaliser


  • LGlobalization and centralized productivity
  • The technification of centralized agriculture in an agro-logistic park summarizing competitiveness, operability, productivity, traceability and cost

    • Saul Baez, General Director, Agropark Greenhouse Association


  • Parameters for the decision making of the area for greenhouses
  • Technology decision for greenhouse type

    • Ricardo Lardizabal, General Director, AgroAlpha, Honduras

    Moderador: Homero Ontiveros, Director, AgTech América

    16:30 - 17:30 hrs

    New technologies for high yield crops

    Dimitris Doukas, Export Manager, Greenhouse Films Division, Plastika Kritis

  • How technology can accelerate productivity and sustainability?

    •  

    Dominik Feiden, Co-founder & CEO, Organifarms

  • How new technologies and innovations are shaping the agricultural sector

    •  

    Pablo Antonio Ugalde, Product Manager, Ridder Mexico

  • Recognize the importance of data management in enterprises;
  • Identify greenhouse labour efficiencies through data analysis;
  • Reduce labour cost in the greenhouse industry.

    •  

    Moderator: Ricardo Martínez, General Director, Asesores en Invernaderos

     

    Wednesday, March 22 | Strategic programme for entrepreneurs

    Programme subject to change.

    10:00 - 11:00 hrs

    Information systems to relate production and cost data

    Implementation of data collection technologies and how to use the data for better decision making

  • Manage plant health, manage the risks of fungal diseases such as botrytis and powdery mildew
  • Maintain ideal VPD and optimal plant balance for plant growth

    • Celene Solis, Business Development Consultant for Latin America, WayBeyond

    How Intelligent Algorithms will help your strategy to optimize your production

  • Integrate Intelligent Algorithms into your growth strategy to optimize your production, grow healthier plants and increase your span of control

    • Martin Helmich, CCO, Hoogendoorn Growth Management

    Moderator: Pharis Rico, Director General, HortiConnect NL

    11:00 - 12:00 hrs

    Human resource management: How to reduce employee turnover

  • Employee incentive programs and other forms of retaining non-technical personnel
  • How automation and technology can help you mitigate the lack of labour


    • Carlos Arteaga, Vice-Chairman of the Board, Grupo La Huerta, Agricultural Divisional Director, Rancho Medio Kilo

    Moderator: Georgius R. Gotsis, General Director, Eleven Rivers Growers

    11:00 - 13:30 hrs

    Technical Workshop - Independent Fee

    Constitución Room

    Fertilizer and Nutrient Formula Use Efficiency

    • That the participant knows the ideal values of nutrients, mainly in tomato and pepper and how these ideals and an irrigation strategy can generate significant savings in crop nutrition

    Fermín Barberena, Director of Nursery and Special Projects, Centro Universitario CEICKOR
    Gerardo Garcia, General Manager, Diosol Chemical Centro Universitario CEICKOR

    12:00 - 12:30 hrs

    Networking break

    12:30 - 13:30 hrs

    Keynote

    The road to autonomous greenhouses
  • The world's population is growing rapidly along with the demand for fresh and healthy food. The greenhouse industry can play an important role in the supply of fresh produce, however, operators have to make many decisions to achieve high yields with good product quality and at the right time
  • Managing crop production using all resources (water, energy, labour) efficiently is becoming increasingly important. The right greenhouse equipment, modern sensor technology (climate sensors, crop sensors, camera systems) and the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) achieve advances that make growers' work easier

    •  

    Silke Hemming, Head of Greenhouse Technology, Wageningen University & Research

     

    Host: Mariska Dreschler, Horticulture Director, GreenTech Amsterdam

     

    13:30 - 14:30 hrs

    Lunch - ROOMS 301 - 302 2nd LEVEL

    15:00 - 16:00 hrs

    Finance & Investments

    Alternatives for accessing liquidity

    Claudio García Salgó, Co-Founder, AGreenVesting

  • First Real Estate Investment Trust (“FIBRA”), focused on the agri-food sector in Mexico

    •  

    Alternative Financing in Agribusiness

  • Learn about financing opportunities in the Private Equity Industry for the Agribusiness / Agro-industrial sector (Private Equity Funds - Venture Capital, Real Estate and Mezzanine Debt)
  • Understanding the advantages of Real Estate as financing for agribusiness projects. Differences between Real Estate, Equity and Debt
  • Relevance of Sustainability (ESG) in Investments


    • Andrés Vázquez Lamont, Co-Founder, FARM Capital

    Challenges and opportunities for Mexico's economy

  • We will provide the Financial Group's economic outlook for this year, framed in a global environment that remains complex
  • We will analyse the possible impact of a global and US recession, as well as factors that could differentiate performance, especially nearshoring
  • Perspective on financial variables, including interest rates and the exchange rate, and how this could influence household and corporate finances

    •  

    Juan Carlos Alderete Macal, Executive Director of Economic Analysis and Market Strategy, Grupo Financiero Banorte

    Moderator: Pablo Ricaud, Co-Founder & President, Rising Farms

    16:00 - 17:00 hrs

    Global and economic situation in protected agriculture

  • What is happening with the supply chain?
  • How do geopolitical conflicts affect the supply chain?
  • Global perspective and how labour, fuel cost and COVID are affecting it

    • Georgius R. Gotsis, Director General, Eleven Rivers Growers

    Guillermo Jiménez, President, AMHPAC

    Tyrone Orozco, Founding Partner and Head of Projects and Legal, CJT Traders

    Moderator: Oscar Woltman, Procurement Manager, Agrícola Globalmex

    Thursday, March 23 | Strategic programme for entrepreneurs & producers

    Programme subject to change.

    09:30 - 10:30 hrs

    Optimization of energy used in greenhouses


    Recommendations for maximizing energy efficiency through the use of thermal screens
  • Cost/benefit of additional lighting and thermal screens.


    • Alan Falomir, Climate Consultant, Svensson
    Alejandro Medina, Climate Consultant, Svensson (Q&A session)

    Hybrid hydrothermal greenhouse heating (solar + gas)

  • The hydrothermal heating of greenhouses brings the heat where it is needed through pipes in a very effective way
  • Learn how to take advantage of the great solar radiation that exists in a large part of the country, even in the winter seasons
  • We will analyze the maximum use of solar energy and how this lowers energy costs

    • Tomás Barberena Zermeño, Director, SOLUSOL

     Miguel Ángel Rojas, Business Development Director, HORTI LATAM, SIGNIFY
  • Harnessing and using artificial lighting to improve horticultural production;
  • Artificial lighting as a support for the future of the food industry;
  • The use of artificial lighting in places with a lot of natural daylight.

    • Moderator: Frank Hoogendoorn, Agricultural Advisor, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

     

    10:30 - 11:30 hrs

    How to change from medium to high-tech - Case studies

  • The use of new greenhouse technologies has transformed food production around the world
  • Greenhouse growers are investing in a number of emerging technologies to achieve higher yields and product quality.

    • Gabriel Trejo, General Director, Cosechos


    Alejandro Ávila, Operations Manager, Bonanza Fresh

    Javier Ignacio López Ruffo, General Director, AgriCo

    Moderator: Olmo Axayacatl Bastida, Agroexport Specialist, ProducePay

    11:30 - 11:45 hrs

    Networking break

    11:45 - 12:45 hrs

    New developments in biological pest control

    Integrated pest management in berries

  • To understand biological control and its impact on crop sustainability.
  • Understand the main challenges of biological control
  • Paradigm shifts towards biological control

    • Julio César Velázquez González, Manager, R&D Koppert Mexico

    Biocontrol of Crop Pathogens

  • Bacterial biocontrol agents have proven highly effective at controlling key greenhouse pathogens such as Fusarium and Pythium
  • This talk will go over how biocontrol bacteria work and how to effectively use these solutions in your growing operation
  • Recent advances and research will also be discussed

    •  

    Danielle Rose, CEO, Ceragen

    What should I look out for in pest-proof netting?

  • To know the biological and behavioural aspects of pests such as TRIPS and aphids, in order to combat them in the best way possible, avoiding the use of insecticides
  • Types of openings and porosities in agricultural nets. Crossing the biological part of the pests with the physical characteristics of the meshes we can achieve a correct barrier selection obtaining more organic crops

    •  

    Edison Torrado-Leon, Director, ENTOMA Institute, Colombia

     

    Moderator: Jesús Arévalo, General Manager, Intagri

     

    12:45 - 13:45 hrs

    Aim for Performance

    Learn about the digital, automation and mechanisation tools needed to produce high performance seedlings. Talk for growers interested in learning more about the factors and details that determine:

    • The best seed performance. The management, environment and equipment available to enhance their genetic expression
    • Tools to control the propagation process, with a special focus on data management
    • The details that influence the success or disaster of the propagation activity

    Ad Kranendonk, Head of Sales and Business Development, Flier Systems BV
    Sander Paternotte, Chief Operating Officer of Mprise Agriware BV

    Moderator: Pharis Rico, Managing Director, HortiConnect NL

    13:45 - 14:45 hrs

    Tomato brown rugose fruit virus

    Jasper Verhoeven, Product-specialist Disinfection & hygiene, Royal Brinkman

  • Advice on hygiene management in horticulture
  • Practical advice on hygiene management based on experience gained with horticulturists
  • Studies for product advice and different application techniques, the latest innovations for our sector
  • Five pillars of hygiene management, from crop rotation to access hygiene

    •  

    Carlos Herrerias, Tomato Product Manager West Europe, Enza Zaden

  • New varieties of seeds resistant variants to the Rugoso Virus

    •  

    Moderator: Jesús Arévalo, General Manager, Intagri

     

    Theme Pillars

    Plan your day to maximise your time at GreenTech Americas. The trade show focusses on four main themes in horticulture, that are grouped together for your convenience. You will find presentations, products, services, innovations and solutions as follows:

    The changing weather conditions but also the rapidly evolving Technology and R&D solutions have a huge impact on the growing and further developed of crops.

    The Crops theme at GreenTech Americas offers innovative tools and gives you insides in the solutions as well as inspiration for new crops and is a must-stop for every grower.

    In the agricultural industry energy constitutes a large part of the operating expenses, especially in the horticultural business. Additionally, energy production and supply form an important source of income, and more and more initiatives around this theme are being launched.

    GreenTech Americas strongly focuses on the theme 'Energy', providing ample opportunity to share and gain knowledge and make new business contacts.

    Water is the source of everything. Without water there is no life and growth. Unfortunately, the scarcity of water means soil salinity is increasing. Water is the primary requirement for plant growth.

    GreenTech Americas aims to assist your organisation in successfully marketing your innovations and promoting your new solutions in the field of water. 

    Like in many industries people are the driving force in horticulture. At GreenTech Americas we focus on human capital development and how new technologies can drive the industry forward.

    These technologies include robotics, internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI). Other topics under this umbrella are education and bringing new and young talent into the industry.