International Soft Fruit Conference

ISFC – Thursday January 9, 2025
Fieldtrip – Friday January 10, 2025

International Softfruit Conference 2025

ISFC – Thursday January 9, 2025
Fieldtrip – Friday January 10, 2025

International Soft Fruit Conference Program 2025

The International Soft Fruit Conference gives an excellent opportunity to network and expand your knowledge. Our exhibition is open for visits all day and during the day, knowledge will be shared on stage by international presenters.

The speaker program of the International Soft Fruit Conference 2025 included the following topics and presenters:

The Dutch Strawberry day is an event for the Dutch strawberry industry. Presentations this day will be in Dutch. The Dutch Strawberry day give perfect possibility to visit and catch up with Exhibitors.

Times

08:15

Exhibition floor open

08:30

Welcome

Henny van Gurp | Network Coordinator Soft Fruit Glastuinbouw Nederland

Klaas Walraven | Manager Soft Fruit Team Delphy

08:30 – 08:50

Opening of Aardbeiendag

Adri Bom-Lemstra | Chair Glastuinbouw Nederland

08:50 – 09:10

Latest insights GfK 2024

Wilco van den Berg | Marketexpert GroentenFruit Huis

09:10 – 09:30

King, Emperor, Strawberry; a healthy perspective in a turbulent market

Cindy van Rijswick | Global Strategist at RaboResearch Food & Agribusiness

09:30 – 09:50

Sustainable European Berries

Mark de Jong | Specialist Public Relations ZLTO

11:00 – 11:20

Royal Berry’s vision on the sector

Jan van Genderen | Owner Royal Berry

11:20 – 11:40

Added value of Naktuinbouw

Peter van Nieuwkoop | Head of Quality Systems and Inspections

11:40 – 12:00

Cyber security: protection against hackers

Josephine van Luik | Community Manager, Cyber Resilience Center Greenport

12:00 – 12:20

Management and company structures

Mathijs Jasperse | Florpartners  –  Peter van Hulten | vd Avoird

14:00 – 14:20

100% GREEN Accelerators for Ornamental Horticulture

Wouter Mooij | Crop Protection Advisor for Greenhouse Crops

14:20 – 14:40

Strawberry cultivation in 2025: Being green where it’s possible!

Stefan van Heist | Crop Advisor Field Vegetables and Strawberries, Bayer

14:40 – 15:00

Control of Rhizopus in strawberries

Maarten Hofkes | Researcher, PC Hoogstraten

16:00 – 16:20

Sustainable continuous cultivation with fresh day-neutral varieties

Vera Theelen | Manager Delphy ISFC

16:20 – 16:40

Moving towards climate-neutral through dehumidification and energy saving

Frank Kempkes | Researcher in Energy and Greenhouse Climate, Wageningen University & Research

16:40 – 17:00

F1-Hybrid Strawberries – the year after!

Roland Sweijen | Product Lead Strawberry Limgroup

17:00 – 17:10

Highlights by the Chair of the National Strawberry Committee

Jeroen Schwering | Glastuinbouw Nederland

17:10

Closing remarks

Henny van Gurp | Glastuinbouw Nederland)  –  Klaas Walraven | Delphy

17:30

Strawberry Day Dinner

Buffet opens at 17:45

08:30-09:15 Arrival of Guests & Visit Exibition

09:15-10:30 Conference Session 1

09.15-09.30

Opening

Vera Theelen | Manager, Delphy Innovative Soft Fruit Centre

09.30-09.50

Adapting growing strategy by using high-pressure fogging

Rob Kwinten | Business Development Manager, MJ-Tech

09.50-10.10

New innovations for sustainable strawberry cultivation under glass

Stijn Jochems | Projectleader Research, Delphy

10.10-10.30

Building resilient soft fruit crops

Jantineke Hofland-Zijlstra | Researcher & Advisor, Weerbare Plant

10.30-11.30 Break & Visit Exhibition

11.30-12.30 Conference Session 2

11.30-11.50

Beat the heat: Promising strategies to reduce heat damage in raspberry

Lisa Wasko de Vetter | Associate Professor of Horticulture, Washington State University

11.50-12.10

Energy efficient blackberry cultivation: challenges and opportunities

Pim Kleeven | Researcher soft fruit, Delphy Innovative Soft Fruit Centre

12.10-12.30

Optimal use of sunlight

Paul van Gils | International consultant, Lumiforte

12.30-14.30 Lunch & Visit Exhibition

14.30-15.30 Conference Session 3

14.30-14.50

t.b.d.

..

14.50-15.10

Lighted sustainable year-round strawberry cultivation with fresh everbearers

Gondy Heijerman | Senior Researcher soft fruit, Delphy Innovative Soft Fruit Centre

15.10-15.30

Nutritional uptake optimisation

Willem Jan de Kort | Agronomist & Global Teamleader Soft Fruit, Haifa

15.30-16.30 Break & Visit Exhibition

16.30-17.45 Conference Session 4

16.30-16.50

Strategies to increase calcium in caneberry and blueberry

Lisa Wasko de Vetter | Associate Professor of Horticulture, Washington State University

16.50-17.10

Highlights ISHS XIII International Vaccinium Symposium

Bertus Meijer | Senior consultant soft fruit, Delphy

17.10-17.30

Unlocking your superpower with data-driven cultivation

Pieterjan Oomen | Managing partner, Yield Computer

17.30-17.45

Announcements & closing

Vera Theelen | Manager, Delphy Innovative Soft Fruit Centre

17.45 End of Program

Dinning & networking

Complementing the International Soft Fruit Conference is the Conference Dinner, a unique opportunity for visitors, exhibitors and speakers to be together in an informal way. Eating together with others from the international soft fruit community provides an opportunity to share knowledge, discuss business or network.

The Conference Dinner is exclusive and complimentary for visitors to the International Soft Fruit Conference. Registration is required.

Location:  Van der Valk hotel in Vught
Start time: 19:30

The Van der Valk hotel in Vught is also the preferred hotel for visitors to the International Soft Fruit Conference. Look for more details at ‘where to stay’.

Excursion: Together on the road to innovation: from research to practice.

The day after the International Soft Fruit Conference we are organizing a Field Trip. Start at 7.30 am from the Van der Valk Hotel in Vught. End or program about 2:30 pm. Bus will be back in Vught around 4:00 pm.
The trip will take us to different innovative companies in the soft fruit sector. Finally, we will visit our own soft fruit research center: Delphy ISFC. There we look at different soft fruit trials with an explanation by the researchers.

Field Trip:

  • Innovation in research and practice
  • Visit growers and related companies
  • Experience Delphy ISFC, the international research site for soft fruit

Please note

  • Participation in the Field Trip is only for visitors of the International Soft Fruit Conference
  • Lunch and travel by bus are included
  • For more information about our research center Delphy ISFC: Bart Jongenelen
Dutch Strawberry Day | January 8, 2025

The Dutch Strawberry day is an event for the Dutch strawberry industry. Presentations this day will be in Dutch. The Dutch Strawberry day give perfect possibility to visit and catch up with Exhibitors.

Times

08:15

Exhibition floor open

08:30

Welcome

Henny van Gurp | Network Coordinator Soft Fruit Glastuinbouw Nederland

Klaas Walraven | Manager Soft Fruit Team Delphy

08:30 – 08:50

Opening of Aardbeiendag

Adri Bom-Lemstra | Chair Glastuinbouw Nederland

08:50 – 09:10

Latest insights GfK 2024

Wilco van den Berg | Marketexpert GroentenFruit Huis

09:10 – 09:30

King, Emperor, Strawberry; a healthy perspective in a turbulent market

Cindy van Rijswick | Global Strategist at RaboResearch Food & Agribusiness

09:30 – 09:50

Sustainable European Berries

Mark de Jong | Specialist Public Relations ZLTO

11:00 – 11:20

Royal Berry’s vision on the sector

Jan van Genderen | Owner Royal Berry

11:20 – 11:40

Added value of Naktuinbouw

Peter van Nieuwkoop | Head of Quality Systems and Inspections

11:40 – 12:00

Cyber security: protection against hackers

Josephine van Luik | Community Manager, Cyber Resilience Center Greenport

12:00 – 12:20

Management and company structures

Mathijs Jasperse | Florpartners  –  Peter van Hulten | vd Avoird

14:00 – 14:20

100% GREEN Accelerators for Ornamental Horticulture

Wouter Mooij | Crop Protection Advisor for Greenhouse Crops

14:20 – 14:40

Strawberry cultivation in 2025: Being green where it’s possible!

Stefan van Heist | Crop Advisor Field Vegetables and Strawberries, Bayer

14:40 – 15:00

Control of Rhizopus in strawberries

Maarten Hofkes | Researcher, PC Hoogstraten

16:00 – 16:20

Sustainable continuous cultivation with fresh day-neutral varieties

Vera Theelen | Manager Delphy ISFC

16:20 – 16:40

Moving towards climate-neutral through dehumidification and energy saving

Frank Kempkes | Researcher in Energy and Greenhouse Climate, Wageningen University & Research

16:40 – 17:00

F1-Hybrid Strawberries – the year after!

Roland Sweijen | Product Lead Strawberry Limgroup

17:00 – 17:10

Highlights by the Chair of the National Strawberry Committee

Jeroen Schwering | Glastuinbouw Nederland

17:10

Closing remarks

Henny van Gurp | Glastuinbouw Nederland)  –  Klaas Walraven | Delphy

17:30

Strawberry Day Dinner

Buffet opens at 17:45

ISFC | January 9, 2025

08:30-09:15 Arrival of Guests & Visit Exibition

09:15-10:30 Conference Session 1

09.15-09.30

Opening

Vera Theelen | Manager, Delphy Innovative Soft Fruit Centre

09.30-09.50

Adapting growing strategy by using high-pressure fogging

Rob Kwinten | Business Development Manager, MJ-Tech

09.50-10.10

New innovations for sustainable strawberry cultivation under glass

Stijn Jochems | Projectleader Research, Delphy

10.10-10.30

Building resilient soft fruit crops

Jantineke Hofland-Zijlstra | Researcher & Advisor, Weerbare Plant

10.30-11.30 Break & Visit Exhibition

11.30-12.30 Conference Session 2

11.30-11.50

Beat the heat: Promising strategies to reduce heat damage in raspberry

Lisa Wasko de Vetter | Associate Professor of Horticulture, Washington State University

11.50-12.10

Energy efficient blackberry cultivation: challenges and opportunities

Pim Kleeven | Researcher soft fruit, Delphy Innovative Soft Fruit Centre

12.10-12.30

Optimal use of sunlight

Paul van Gils | International consultant, Lumiforte

12.30-14.30 Lunch & Visit Exhibition

14.30-15.30 Conference Session 3

14.30-14.50

t.b.d.

..

14.50-15.10

Lighted sustainable year-round strawberry cultivation with fresh everbearers

Gondy Heijerman | Senior Researcher soft fruit, Delphy Innovative Soft Fruit Centre

15.10-15.30

Nutritional uptake optimisation

Willem Jan de Kort | Agronomist & Global Teamleader Soft Fruit, Haifa

15.30-16.30 Break & Visit Exhibition

16.30-17.45 Conference Session 4

16.30-16.50

Strategies to increase calcium in caneberry and blueberry

Lisa Wasko de Vetter | Associate Professor of Horticulture, Washington State University

16.50-17.10

Highlights ISHS XIII International Vaccinium Symposium

Bertus Meijer | Senior consultant soft fruit, Delphy

17.10-17.30

Unlocking your superpower with data-driven cultivation

Pieterjan Oomen | Managing partner, Yield Computer

17.30-17.45

Announcements & closing

Vera Theelen | Manager, Delphy Innovative Soft Fruit Centre

17.45 End of Program

ISFC Dinner | January 9, 2025

Dinning & networking

Complementing the International Soft Fruit Conference is the Conference Dinner, a unique opportunity for visitors, exhibitors and speakers to be together in an informal way. Eating together with others from the international soft fruit community provides an opportunity to share knowledge, discuss business or network.

The Conference Dinner is exclusive and complimentary for visitors to the International Soft Fruit Conference. Registration is required.

Location:  Van der Valk hotel in Vught
Start time: 19:30

The Van der Valk hotel in Vught is also the preferred hotel for visitors to the International Soft Fruit Conference. Look for more details at ‘where to stay’.

Field Trip | January 10, 2025

Excursion: Together on the road to innovation: from research to practice.

The day after the International Soft Fruit Conference we are organizing a Field Trip. Start at 7.30 am from the Van der Valk Hotel in Vught. End or program about 2:30 pm. Bus will be back in Vught around 4:00 pm.
The trip will take us to different innovative companies in the soft fruit sector. Finally, we will visit our own soft fruit research center: Delphy ISFC. There we look at different soft fruit trials with an explanation by the researchers.

Field Trip:

  • Innovation in research and practice
  • Visit growers and related companies
  • Experience Delphy ISFC, the international research site for soft fruit

Please note

  • Participation in the Field Trip is only for visitors of the International Soft Fruit Conference
  • Lunch and travel by bus are included
  • For more information about our research center Delphy ISFC: Bart Jongenelen

Worldwide leading conference in soft fruit

International Soft Fruit Conference

Previous editions of ISFC

An impression of earlier editions. Would you like to attend the 2025 International Soft Fruit Conference? Sign up!

Our sponsors of 2025

Gold sponsor

Octiva
Mechatronix

Silver sponsor

Genson Plants
MJ-Tech Fogsystems BV
Biobest
Koppert
Kekkila-BVB

Bronze sponsor

Limgroup
Advanced Berry Breeding
Agrolux
PlantoSys
Plant Sciences