Hydroponics For Vegetable Produc6on. Jeff Werner Watanuska LLC

Transcription

1 Hydroponics For Vegetable Produc6on Jeff Werner Watanuska LLC

2 Light levels Leaf Temp Air Temp Rela6ve humidity Water stress CO 2 concentra6on Oxygen (O 2 ) Water Temp Labor Market Vaca6on

3 Requirements for a commercial hydroponics system Capital: Hydroponic systems are expensive. Loca6on and Si6ng is very important. Clima6c condi6ons in area. Water must be of good quality in chosen area. Must be tested prior before buying land and must be the perennial source. Chemical quality is vital. Choice of right crop and a poten6al market. Proximity to markets. Logis6cs involved. Good Agronomists selected prior with ground level experience. No theory masters. Topography of the land/ slope characteris6cs. Wind direc6on and speed, temperature range, frost frequency, rainfall, humidity are all important considera6ons.

4 Commercial Hydroponic opera6ons Small growers with a niche market close by. Family farms that are part of a larger coopera6ve. Corporate farms with investors who are not in day to day opera6ons but les to a central management.

5 A Commercially Successful Producer Ability to learn and rapidly expand opera6ons aser learning curve is completed and markets established. Willingness to seek and share informa6on on produc6on and markets to compliment each other s strengths. Take part in field trips to explore export markets.. A scale of produc6on that permits cost efficiencies and must be of interest to major corporates. Ability to supply year round. Maximum use of IPM. Constant R&D is a must to improve systems and processes and least wastages. Compe66ve pricing. Success must be focused up on market needs rather than just technological innova6on.

6 Risks & Reasons for Failure Venture not established in a realis6c economic framework like manageable loan repayments, cash flow etc. Selec6on of system/crop/markets/correct management not done. Crop produc6on management inadequate. Yield and quality did not meet budget projec6ons. Lack of diligence on part of the crew. Non adherence to growing protocols. Insufficient a\en6on to marke6ng. Lack of necessary labour. Incorrect pricing of produce. Product not tailored as per demand.

7 Benefits of Hydroponic Benefits Cul6va6on Field versus Soil- less grown Open field Farmer has no control on environment. Yields are not accurately predicted. Budge6ng is ineffec6ve. Cannot always ensure adequate aera6on of the root zone. Soil- less/hydroponics Gives grower effec6ve control over the environment. Yields are very predictable. Budge6ng is easier, Root zone aera6on as well as adequate porosity of medium is ensured.

8 Benefits of Hydroponic Cul6va6on Plant Hydroponic nutrient can be tailored to the plant s requirements, whereas in the field there is a tendency to over or under- fer6lise. Hydroponic produce has all the macro- micronutrients that are needed by the human body. Nutrients in the soil are osen fixed as insoluble compounds that are not available to plants and therefore a loss to the grower. Uneven nutri@on is ensured by virtue of leaching and sloping of land gradients.

9 Benefits of Hydroponic Cul6va6on Water Security and Savings water in field grown opera6ons cannot be effec6vely recycled. Hydroponics can reduce irriga6on water usage by 70% to 90% by recycling the run- off water. As water becomes scarce, and important as a resource, the use of hydroponics and other water saving technologies is needed now and is poised to increase in 6me.

10 Benefits of Hydroponic Cul6va6on Kinds of Hydroponics Simplified Hydroponics is a means for small and medium farmers to manage small facili6es, up to, say, 1 or 2 acres for commercial gain. This is a much cheaper system as it involves using cheap recyclable materials like old wooden boxes, PET bo\les, bamboo, etc to grow vegetables, herbs and certain fruits. Commercial Hydroponic Greenhouse systems are capital expensive in the beginning but pays off rich dividends depending upon the produce cul6vated, the markets these are sold to and the remunera6on thus achieved by sales of premium fresh produce in the right niche segments. When compared to Soil cul6va6on, Hydroponics reduces the need for farm equipment, reduced labor, reduc6on of crop losses, gives consistent and predictable yields. 3/13/15 Presenta6on is copyright of ISH, India

11 Viable produc6on Units one acre or more. 3/13/15 Presenta6on is copyright of ISH, India

12 General costs of sekng up Hydroponic Greenhouses Between USD per foot in developed countries. Presenta6on is copyright of ISH, India

13 Is it a magical produc6on system? No. Not Plug and Play. Needs diligence and devo6on. Is not forgiving. Needs skill but achievable. Over confidence can kill crops.

14 Types of disposal of nutrient waste Run to waste (OPEN) Recycled.(RECIRCULATING)

15 Media Types Water Based for short term crops like le\uce, leafy vegetables, herbs. Media Based like Perlite, vermiculite, peat moss, coir peat, gravel, sawdust etc for long term crops.

16 Seasonality of produc6on Hydroponic Greenhouses are capable of producing year round which includes off season vegetables and herbs due to controlled condi6ons.

17 Strengths.. Makes any land with good water source useful for produc6on. Nutrient and ph controls very accurate and effec6ve. High Yields from lesser spaces. Facilitates the easy adop6on of IPM. Climate certainty. Root zone temperature is maintained. Effec6ve drainage and availability of root level Oxygen. Produc6on possible in difficult environments. Some crops need closed environments. Cross Pollina6on avoided. Needs less land to grow more. Conserves water by lower usage..

18 Strengths.. Produce can get premium prices. Produce appeals to discerning customers. Can target niche markets. Can be set up in urban areas without disturbing the ecology. Less labor means lesser costs. As hydroponic growers increase, dedicated supply chains will be established. There is a market poten6al for hydroponic produce. Growers can specialize in just one product.

19 The advantages of hydroponics: -Superior taste, quality, appearance, uniformity, and extended shelf life of hydroponic vegetables. -No sterilization of growing media required and plant nutrition is easily and completely controlled within the nutrient reservoir. -No weeding, no cultivation, no soil borne diseases or insects. Allows uniform water availability to plants. -Closer plant spacing is possible and movable plant channels allow greater production from equal areas. -Less water required and less fertilizer needed, and root zone heating and cooling is made possible.

20 Types of Systems Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) Ebb and Flow Flood and Drain Media Based such as grow bags using drip method.

21 N)utrient (F)ilm (T)echnique The nutrient solu6on is pumped into the growing tray (usually a tube) and flows over the roots of the plants, and then drains back into the reservoir. There is usually no growing medium used other than air, which saves the expense of replacing the growing medium after every crop. Normally the plant is supported in a small plastic basket with the roots dangling into the nutrient solution. N.F.T. systems are very susceptible to power outages and pump failures. The roots dry out very rapidly when the flow of nutrient solution is interrupted.

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23 Humidity

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25 CO 2 Photosynthesis uses light energy to convert CO 2 and water into sugars used during respira6on. CO 2 increases produc6vity through improved plant growth and vigor CO 2 is a plant nutrient.

26 Light levels Leaf Temp Air Temp Rela6ve humidity Water stress CO 2 concentra6on Oxygen (O 2 ) Water Temp

27 CO 2 Carbon dioxide enters into the plant through the stomatal openings located on the underside of the leaves in the epidermal layer. Stomata are specialized cells located on the underside of the leaves in the epidermal layer that open and close allowing gas exchange to occur through the process of diffusion. The CO 2 outside the leaf strongly influences the rate of CO 2 uptake by the plant. The higher the CO 2 concentra6on the the greater the uptake of CO 2 by the plant. Light levels, leaf temperatures, air temperatures, rela6ve humidity, water stress and the CO 2 and oxygen (O 2 ) concentra6on in the air and the leaf, are many of the key factors that determine the func6on of the stomata.

28 Carbon dioxide levels may fall below 340 ppm in greenhouses. Ven6ng can raise the CO 2 levels but never back to 340 ppm. Adding CO2 is used to correct the deficiency CO 2 Increasing CO2above 340 ppm is beneficial The level to raise CO 2 depends light intensity, temperature, ven6la6on, stage of the crop growth and the economics of the crop. Most crops will be 1,000 1,300 ppm 800 1,000 ppm. Increased CO 2 levels will shorten the growing period (5% 10%) improving crop quality and yield, increasing leaf size thickness. The increase in crop yield is a result of increased numbers and faster flowering.

29 CO 2 Plant Damage from CO 2 Supplementa@on Do not allow excessive CO 2 levels in greenhouses. Levels of 5,000 ppm can cause dizziness or lack of co- ordina6on to humans. Higher than recommended levels can cause necrosis of old tomato and cucumber leaves. Carbon monoxide is osen used as the indicator for incomplete combus6on. Levels exceeding 50 ppm CO in the flue gases are an indica6on of the presence of ethylene at levels capable of causing crop damage. Sulphur dioxide can cause acute necrosis, hea6ng fuel No. 2 oil is not suitable for CO 2 supplementa6on. Ethylene at 0.05 ppm and propylene at higher levels can cause premature senescence on tomato and cucumber plants.