Jordan Hascoet, independent producer based in Brittany

This young, Brittany-based tomato producer has chosen to produce great-tasting tomatoes by using suitable varieties and varieties with high levels of electrical conductivity (EC). For each of the varieties that he grows, he must define the best balance between the generative and vegetative parts of the plant. For him, monitoring crop data is essential.

In 2020, Jordan Hascoet decided to follow in his parents’ footsteps. They established their business in 1989 when they built the first greenhouses in Cléder in the Finistère department. They gradually started specialising in the production of tomatoes and strawberries which were then sold by the Prince de Bretagne cooperative. Jordan had always been by his parents’ side to offer a helping hand, or two! He started working at the business as a salaried employee in 2012 before officially taking over the reins 2 years ago. Today the company has 4.5 ha of greenhouse space, 3.3 ha of which are devoted to tomatoes. The rest is mainly used for strawberry production with a few other crops for diversification (raspberry, mini peppers, etc.). The amount of space taken up by strawberries has been reduced significantly in recent years as it is a very labour-intensive crop.

High levels of electrical conductivity

Hascoet has evolved his production choices during the last few years and has clearly moved towards producing flavourful products by growing suitable varieties and employing a crop management strategy that encourages high levels of conductivity (EC). These choices have also led him to change his commercial strategy. He has stopped being a member of a cooperative and has become an independent grower instead. “Working alone means that you are free to make strategic choices and obtain better prices as a result,” explains Hascoet. Since then, the marketing and sale of his produce has been taken care of by a consignor that sells the produce either under their own brand, Saveur du bout du monde, and/or under the producer’s brand, Le 13.

Hascoet has been using stone wool as a substrate for his tomato plants for many years now. “Growing crops on a coco substrate results in lots of irregularities and you have to deal with too many unknown factors. With stone wool substrates, you can be sure that you’re starting from the same base each year,” argues Hascoet, who has been using our 10 cm-high GT Master slabs for several years now. “From the very beginning my objective was to increase the EC, bearing in mind that I always get two types of plant from two different nurseries: Beekenkamp and Technosem. The first nursery uses subirrigation and offers plants with a high EC. The second irrigates plants traditionally and delivers blocks with a lower EC level. When they arrive at our site, everything has to be harmonised. We have to reduce watering and dry out the slabs to obtain the desired EC level but we are then faced with the challenge of rehumidifying the substrate correctly afterwards. By using GT Master slabs and implementing a rigorous monitoring with GroSens sensors, I am able to reach my objectives,” explains Hascoet.