Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses

PRACTICAL

PONICS & GREENHOUSES The Commercial Growers’ Magazine

2017

APRIL

ISSUE 178

www.hydroponics.com.au

BEES ON THEIR KNEES: is it too late to save them?

ISLAND HYDROPONICS

THINKING SMALL

Hydromasta’s latest installation on Nauru

How ‘tiny houses’ are growing hydroponically

FLOATING FARMS OF THE FUTURE

SULPHUR: DEFICIENCY & TOXICITY

Is this the future of growing?

Diagnosing nutritional disorders

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From The Editor

Keeping the buzz alive

W

elcome to this issue of Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses.

Our lead story this issue puts the spotlight on a critical subject – the unprecedented decline in bee numbers around the world. According to scientists working at the United Nations, the mysterious collapse of honeybee colonies is becoming a global phenomenon. Declines in managed bee colonies, seen increasingly in Europe and the US in the past decade, are also now being observed in China and Japan and there are the first signs of African collapses from Egypt, according to the report from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

The researchers, who include some of the world’s leading honeybee experts, have issued a stark warning about the disappearance of bees, which are increasingly important as crop pollinators around the globe. Without profound changes to the way human beings manage the planet, they say, declines in pollinators needed to feed a growing global population are likely to continue.

Scientists warn that a number of factors may now be coming together to impact bee colonies around the world, ranging from declines in flowering plants and the use of damaging insecticides, to the worldwide spread of pests and air pollution. They call for farmers and landowners to be offered incentives to restore pollinator-friendly habitats, including key flowering plants near crop-producing fields and stress that more care needs to be taken in the choice, timing and application of insecticides and other chemicals.

While managed hives can be moved out of harm’s way, “wild populations (of pollinators) are completely vulnerable”, says a recent report.

Turning to more positive themes we also look at how so-called tiny houses in the US are growing their own hydroponic food while our feature Island Hydroponics profiles Sydney company Hydro Masta’s recent hydroponics installation in Nauru, which is bringing new hope to the impoverished island’s population.

Our other stories have futuristic themes – one describing how floating farms of the future are set to sustain populations year-round while another looks at how researchers in Germany are developing technology that will allow astronauts to use their own urine to grow tomatoes in space.

Do you have a story for us? We welcome stories for publication with a focus on hydroponics, greenhouse, IPM, crop management and horticulture lighting technology. Let’s hear your ideas.

www.hydroponics.com.au ISSN 2202-1485

Enjoy this issue!

Christine Brown-Paul Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . April . 2017. 3

A Magazine for

PRACTICAL

PONICS

Commercial Growers

Advertising Inquiries Tel: +613 9432-5428 marklewis@hydroponics.com.au

TRADE DIRECTORY

& GREENHOUSES ISSUE 178 :: APRIL 2017 :: THE COMMERCIAL GROWERS’ MAGAZINE

Features Bees on their knees? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 What does a declining bee population mean for sustainable crop

Bluelab ...............................13

production across the globe?

Cravo ..................................15

Thinking small . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Peggy Bradley reports on how ‘tiny

Ecogrow................................7 Exfoliators.......................... 47

Bees on their knees

houses’ in the US are growing their own food hydroponically.

Floating farms of the future . . . . . . . . 42

Extrusion Technologies Int .....63

Combining aquaculture, hydroponics, and photovoltaics to produce food

GOTAFE ...............................21 GreenLife Structures ...............4 Growhard ............................61

365 days a year in any environment.

Island hydroponics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Australian company Hydro Masta is bringing hope to Nauru with its Thinking small

innovative hydroponics installation.

HHI.....................................19 HydroMasta .........................53

Putting the ‘P’ into space . . . . . . . . . . . 58 New technology to allow astronauts to use their own urine to grow

Pestech ................................9

tomatoes in space.

Powerplants ...................... IFC

Practical

Transplant Systems...............39

Sulphur: deficiency & toxicity . . . . . . . 54 Recognising deficiencies or excesses

Putting the’P’ into space

of mineral elements is key to Disclaimer The information contained in this magazine whether in editorial matter or in feature articles or in advertisements is not published on

diagnosing nutritional disorders.

Departments

the basis that the Publisher accepts or assumes liability or responsibility to any reader of the magazine

From the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

for any loss or damage resulting from the correctness

News & Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

of such information.

Reader Inquiries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

www.hydroponics.com.au

Cover: The world’s population of bees is on the decline.

Nauru - Island hydroponics Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . April . 2017. 5

$16.5M to Bolster AustrAliA’s exPort rePutAtion in AsiA The grower-owned research and development corporation, Horticulture Innovation Australia, has announced a $16.5 million strategy to take the nation’s reputation for delivering premium produce in Asia to new heights.

Being delivered in partnership with the Queensland Department of ExportingAgriculture and Fisheries (QLD DAF), the national four-year

project will explore a tightening of export operations along all stages of the supply chain – from the way produce is packed, to how it is stored, to shortening the time from picking to arriving on supermarket shelves.

Horticulture Innovation Australia chief executive John Lloyd said the initiative will ensure end-buyers are getting the best fruit, vegetables and nut products possible.

“This is an exciting time for Australia’s horticulture exporters.

It’s no secret Australian produce is

Exporting vegetables to Asia

6 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . April . 2017

popular in Asian markets because it is recognised as high-quality and safe with a strong aesthetic,” he said.

“We look forward to working with the QLD Government, and industry, to help propel the nation’s export offering to the next level.”

Mr Lloyd said the monitoring of conditions from farm to import customer is rarely done, so this project will help growers better understand the condition of their products on arrival and their products’ ability to withstand in-

country distribution to the retailer and consumer.

Over the past five years, exports to Asia – in particular, China, Hong Kong and Japan, have risen by almost 170 per cent.

Queensland DAF project leader, Dr Peter Hofman said Australian growers have a firm appetite to increase export trade and a number of leading producers had already shown their interest in participating in case studies that will be undertaken as part of the project.

“Project partner DEDJTR Victoria will work closely with temperate fruit export chains including stonefruit and table grapes.

Montague Fresh is a key industry collaborator working to optimise export chains for fresh stonefruit to new and existing Asian markets, particularly nectarines to China,” Dr Hofman said.

This project is being delivered as part of Horticulture Innovation Australia’s new co-investment initiative addressing key issues facing Australian horticulture industries. It will be guided by a steering committee including horticulture chain representatives, a Horticulture Innovation Australia representative, research and development specialists, a representative from the China Academy of Sciences, and horticulture agribusiness researchers from two Australian universities.

toMAto PotAto PsylliD outBreAK styMies $300K CAPsiCuM exPort PlAn An Australian horticultural company is abandoning plans to target export markets for capsicums following an outbreak of tomato potato psyllid in Western Australia.

The company, 4 Ways Fresh, was

Tomato potato psyllid

investigating growing capsicums, Lebanese cucumbers and potentially, zucchinis, at its Geraldton horticultural precinct for interstate and export markets to the Middle East and Asia.

General manager of 4 Ways Fresh, Kingsley Songer, said when news broke of the psyllid outbreak, he was concerned about the impact of it on their operation.

“That apprehension has been borne out now because of the quarantining of capsicum and the like coming out of Western Australia,” he said.

The company mainly grows continental cucumbers however this season, it had planned to grow 30 to 40 houses of capsicums — or 25 per cent of the company’s growing area — to target lucrative export markets.

Mr Songer said these plans, which would have generated about $300,000, had now been abandoned.

“We won’t be growing capsicum there this year at Geraldton. We’re not in a position to bring the product back into South Australia [and] we can’t sell that quantity of product in Western Australia,” he said.

“Without being able to move the product readily back into South

Australia or indeed export it without having to fumigate it at very high levels temperature-wise — which doesn’t do the product any good — we’ve decided that there’s not a lot point us putting any capsicum in at all this year.

“Once we heard what the department was going to do in relation to quarantining, it wasn’t a hard decision to make at all quite frankly.”

He said if the psyllid could not be eradicated in the areas where it had already been found, spread across the state and interstate was inevitable.

“You would suspect that it will eventually move to the other regions,” Mr Songer said.

He said the psyllid would not impact the company’s cucumber operation, which exports produce to South Australia. source: abc.net.au

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . April . 2017. 7

new r&D ProjeCt: enviroveg ProgrAM 2017-22 The EnviroVeg Program 2017- 22 is a levy-funded project jointly managed by AUSVEG, Growcom and Freshcare.

This revamped EnviroVeg program will align components from EnviroVeg, Hort360 and Freshcare Environmental to deliver a clear pathway to environmental assurance for Australian vegetable growers.

The EnviroVeg Program is the vegetable industry’s own environmental program and previous EnviroVeg projects have provided resources to growers to develop and quantify their environmental practices. This new version of the program will support and improve environmental management on-farm and develop recognition and a competitive advantage for growers.

EnviroVeg has three tiers of membership, with the new program structure to include alignment with Freshcare Environmental, as well as grower support and report delivery through Hort360 and updated program resources.

For further information on the new EnviroVeg program, contact EnviroVeg Program Coordinator Andrew Shaw on 03 9882 0277 or andrew.shaw@ausveg.com.au

itAliAn BAsil grower slAsHes energy usAge, Boosts ProDuCtion witH leDs Servizi Ambientali Bassa Reggiana in the Reggio province of Italy has reduced its basil production cycle by five days after transitioning from HPS lighting in its greenhouses to an SSL fixture that utilises a mix of blue, red, hyper-red, and far-red LEDs from Osram.

Osram Opto Semiconductors has released the details of a horticultural lighting project in Italy in which LED-based fixtures developed by Ambra Elettronica have been deployed in greenhouses used for basil production. Grower Servizi Ambientali Bassa Reggiana (S.A.BA.R.), located in the Reggio province between Parma and Bologna, has slashed energy usage by 56 per cent relative to the highpressure sodium (HPS) lighting used previously, and increased yield via a five-day-shorter production cycle enabled by the solid-state lighting (SSL).

Fixture manufacturer Ambra is a member of the Osram LED Light For you (LLFY) SSL-centric partnership program and offers a number of LED-based horticultural lighting products. The range includes the 42W AE32 fixture for vertical farming, a number of linear products intended for greenhouse applications, and the 200W AE200 rectangular fixtures that can provide the greatest intensity in a focused area.

The basil greenhouse relies on the AE80 linear fixture that measures 1200 mm in length. The 100W product can deliver

Basil production is being boosted due to LED technology.

8 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . April . 2017

PAR (photosynthetically active radiation)-spectrum photosynthetic photon flux (PPF) of 210–230 moles/sec depending on the mix of LEDs used in the product. Ambra offers configurations with different mixes of 450-nm blue, 620-nm red, 660-nm hyper-red, and 730-nm farred Osram Oslon LEDs. The efficiency of the fixture is 2.2 moles/J. S.A.BA.R. said the prior HPS lighting required 32 kW of power whereas the LED lighting reduced that load to 14 kW. Annual energy savings total 75,000 kWh or what Osram equates to 30 tons of carbon emissions. Still, what may be more important is the reduction in the production cycle by five days for each crop cycle.

“We are very satisfied with the AmbraLight solution. The production of basil utilising Oslon LEDs with red, hyper red, and blue in different proportions has increased the crop and did not cause any problems. We were worried about proliferation problems, because the peronospara fungus was previously eradicated by the heat generated by HPS lighting, but didn’t

experience any,” said Marco Boselli, CEO of S.A.BA.R. “We could also observe a better and faster growth of our basil due to the lower percentage of blue light — which is five per cent with the LED solution compared to 25 per cent with our former HPS solution.”

Vegetables should be properly stored both before and after being chopped.

CHoPPing veggies Cuts FresHness exPeCtAtions Consumers’ convenience kick is affecting how shoppers perceive vegetable freshness, but proper storage still remains the best way to keep vegetables fresher for longer, according to leading vegetable industry body AUSVEG. New consumer research, undertaken as part of the Project Harvest tracking study commissioned by Horticulture Innovation Australia, suggests that the package formats developed for convenience and ease of use are also the formats which consumers expect to have the lowest shelf-life.

“We see these lesser expectations even for products which have had minimal processing, like pre-packed bags of carrots, which are expected to stop being fresh three days

sooner than carrots sold individually – despite both products being whole carrots,” said AUSVEG National Manager – Communications Shaun Lindhe.

“There may be an association in consumers’ minds that makes them think that because they’re buying these products for more or less immediate use, they’re only going to stay fresh for that period of time.

“It’s important to note that on the whole, storage practices have more of an impact on the freshness of vegetables than whether or not they’ve been pre-chopped. By following good storage habits both before and after their veggies have been chopped, consumers can make

sure they get the most out of their purchases,” he said.

“Some of these differences may also be linked to size – for example, there are huge gaps between how long consumers expect a whole pumpkin to last compared to smaller portions.

“That could suggest that it’s also a question of visual impact. The smaller the product is compared to the original vegetable, the more consumers might assume the processing affects its longevity,” Mr Lindhe said.

While consumers expect a whole pumpkin to stay fresh for two weeks after purchase, they only expect a half pumpkin to last for a little over

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . April . 2017. 9

seven days, and they believe prepacked pumpkin slices will only stay fresh for around five and a half days.

Other disparities identified by the research include a gap of two and a half days between freshness expectations for whole celery compared to pre-cut celery sticks, and a two-day difference in expectations for whole corn compared to cut corn.

new wAys to trACK PostHArvest teMPerAture AnD HuMiDity For veg Chinese company, Freshliance Electronics Co., Ltd is a professional manufacturer of sensors, instruments and measurement in the environmental testing and controlling, integrated with latest IOT technology.

According to Kevin Wu, market manager at Freshliance, the company’s tracking equipment allows easy control of the temperature and humidity level of harvested vegetables and their impact on quality and shelf time.

“Our tracking equipment traces the storage and transportation process and promptly records the temperature and humidity level inside a container. At the present time, a standard temperature is between 30 and 70 degrees, but based on the characteristics of different vegetables and fruits, the acceptable range might vary. This helps us to promptly assess whether or not the data of customers are according to standards,” he said.

“At the present stage, 70 per cent of our data sensors are sold abroad.

Among these, 50 per cent is exported to American countries, 30 per cent to European countries and 20 per cent to Middle-Eastern and Asian countries. Thirty per cent of our sensors are sold in the domestic

market, of which 60 per cent goes to Shandong province and 40 per cent goes to Fujian province.

“Our customer base within China and abroad mainly consists of three profiles: the first one is dealers and agents doing business in vegetables and fruits; another is manufacturers of vegetables and fruits; and another one is transportation companies,” Mr Wu said.

“The demand on the international market for using data sensor equipment during transport is comparatively strong, while domestically, customers require more solutions for storage and coolhouse issues.

“In the future we will continue sustaining the core of our business on the international market. This is largely because foreign consumers are more aware of food safety than Chinese consumers,” he said.

“In the coming years, we plan to vigorously look for more analyses for our tracking equipment, while we try to keep selling top notch products. By doing so we hope to deliver an integrated service for our customers.”

For more information contact Kevin Wu (market manager) Freshliance www.freshliance.com T: +86 371 5678 3799 E: sales@freshliance.com

r&D CorPorAtions to strengtHen PlAnt BioseCurity Australia’s plant biosecurity is set to strengthen after the nation’s seven plant Research and Development Corporations (RDC’s) announced a new partnership approach to protect and enhance timber, food and fibre production.

The group – comprising Wine Australia; Forest Wood Products

10 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . April . 2017

HIAL Chief Executive John Lloyd Australia; Cotton Research and Development Corporation; Grains Research and Development Corporation; Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation; Sugar Research Australia and Horticulture Innovation Australia – is streamlining funding efforts and plans to grow bio-security investment partners.

Headed up by Horticulture Innovation Australia (HIAL), the new partnership approach will see an increase in the research coordination, reduction in duplication and will fill gaps in plant biosecurity research and development.

The initiative will also create better linkages between industry research and the national biosecurity systems managed by the Australian and state and territory governments.

Horticulture Innovation Australia chief executive John Lloyd said this initiative has never been more vital for Australian producers.

“To date, Australia’s approach to managing research investment and delivery for our plant industries has been fragmented and lacking

coordination. This is simply because the biosecurity space is incredibly complicated, crossing more than 50 commodities, all states and territories, and countless stakeholder groups,” he said.

Mr Lloyd said the new approach was a step change for the RDCs in their ongoing efforts to improve management of cross-sectoral research for the benefit of producers.

“The role of the Rural RDCs is to prioritise, invest in, manage and evaluate research and other activities that deliver impacts for producers and the broader community. We have the skills, people and systems to effectively deliver the research management we need for better biosecurity,” he said.

“What has been missing for plant biosecurity is the link between the

research effort and the biosecurity community. Building this connection will increase our capacity to make sure our research investments are targeting national research priorities.”

The group has developed a list of principles for guiding plant biosecurity research to ensure the development of a successful crosssectoral approach. Those principles will be used to coordinate plant biosecurity research and development decisions across all RDCs. Mr Lloyd said identifying and funding national biosecurity research priorities with key investors, the Australian Government and Plant Health Australia would lead to a true ‘shared partnership’ approach to plant biosecurity RD&E. http://horticulture.com.au

PACKAging FresH ProDuCe in stores AnD suPerMArKets now Big Business A researcher interested in the field of food packaging, quality and shelf life is looking into how innovative packaging techniques can extend shelf-life and preserve quality.

Matthew Wilson, a postdoctoral research fellow with the ARC Training Centre for Innovative Horticultural Products at the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, said the field was one that was not being widely explored in Australia.

Dr Wilson said packaging was an under-acknowledged key player in keeping fruits and vegetables fresh and safe to eat for a long time.

He said keeping the balance between attractive presentation and long shelf life was a critical factor.

“The best packaging can do both,

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . April . 2017. 11

Matthew Wilson packaging in freshness

but there is a compromise between what looks the best and what actually will stay the best for longest,” he said.

“But part of the innovation in new packaging is products that do both.”

Australian market interesting to study Dr Wilson said there was a mutual interest between Australia and other countries such as Spain, Luxembourg and the United States in the field of packaging.

“We’re looking at their innovative options in packaging and they’re keen to look at the Australian market because it is such a diverse, broad and interesting market,” he said.

“Very few other places in the world grow the range of crops and have the sorts of options in the supermarkets that we do.”

Dr Wilson said the wide variety of produce grown and marketed in Australia had its challenges.

“Just the storage temperatures for example — you put a tropical fruit below about 12 degrees, you’ll have chilling injury,” he said.

“If you put a strawberry at 12 degrees it should go off in no time.”

According to Dr Wilson, new developments in packaging are emerging all the time.

“We’re looking at new packaging

that can change the gas composition within the package environment that can massively increase shelf life,” he said.

His research into innovations in packaging also looks at being environmentally sensitive.

“Plastic recycling systems are getting better all the time,” he said.

“We’re looking at different biodegradable products, and out of the US are coming edible packaging products, edible plastics for example.”

growing in troPiCAl CliMAtes The latest innovation from Dutch company Van der Hoeven is

ModulAIR greenhouse

12 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . April . 2017

Hygroscopic Adiabatic Cooling (HACo). According to a company spokesperson, HACo forms the first serious and practical step towards operating greenhouses in more tropical climates and facilitating a horticultural food industry across the globe.

“The problem with humid climates lies in the large energy consumption of the condensation of moisture, actually re-using this energy is what makes HACo such an innovation.

With HACo, a broader range of climates becomes available for ModulAIR (semi-closed) greenhouses across the world,” the spokesperson said.

“As the ModulAIR system is expanded with this concept, it can treat and control the inside climate despite more humid and challenging outside conditions. The system uses mainly heat as an energy source, allowing heat sources like biomass plants to be used with only a limited electrical consumption for the remaining components.

“No system like that has previously been built, designed or implemented in the world. The uniqueness of HACo within the ModulAIR system expresses itself by: • a suitable solution for growing in

24/7 Monitoring & wireless datalogging.

Our BluelabÂŽ Guardian Monitor Connect gives you the power to remotely view pH, conductivity and temperature. Fast, wireless data straight from the grow site to your PC, with the option for mobile device access.

Essential, accurate records of growing conditions help you achieve optimal results.

Data log to PC with connect stick™

Mobile data visualisation

facebook.com/getbluelab Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . April . 2017. 13

tropical climates • a better controlled greenhouse • optimised use of energy and CO2 • low energy consumption • increased yields • minimum use of pesticides • sustainable production.

For more information contact: Van der Hoeven Horticultural projects T: (+31) 88 - 262 66 66 E: info@vanderhoeven.nl.

CAn sMArt greenHouses sAve AustrAliAn FArMs FroM CliMAte CHAnge?

According to a recent ABC Landline report, Australian farmers are hoping that a smart house developed by Canadian company Cravo will be a game changer for Australian horticulture, giving growers control over the weather on a scale and at a cost they have never had before.

The idea is that the smart greenhouses will be used not just for nurseries, but also for entire paddocks, protecting them against

climate change. Featuring climatecontrolled retractable roof panels and walls, the house can shield vulnerable crops from volatile and destructive weather, or open them up to sun and rain.

Bundaberg agronomist Jack Millbank said crop protection could now be measured in hectares rather than square metres, with the houses providing glass house type protection at nearly half the price.

“I think this is going to be a watershed in the high-value horticultural market, in that suddenly this is not a cost, it’s a necessary investment,” he said.

The structures were originally for small high-value operations like nurseries, but recent advances made them cheaper, making it feasible for larger-scale growers to cover whole paddocks or orchards.

Mr Millbank said a Cravo house turned around the financial fortunes of one of his big Bundaberg clients who was preparing to quit the region after five years of crop-

Smart greenhouses could be used not just for nurseries but also for entire paddocks.

14 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . April . 2017

destroying weather.

While Queensland producers were the first to use the houses, growers as far south as Tasmania are now putting them up.

Tasmanian orchardist Tim Reid believes he is the first commercial cherry grower in the world to adopt the Cravo system.

The new $2.5 million house will protect four hectares of cherries from frost, hail rain and humidity.

“It could nearly pay for itself in a year, certainly in two years of poor crops we could get our money back, but year on year we are going to get improved pack outs so that’s going to contribute to repaying us every year,” he said.

“It takes the risk out of climate change and it will open the opportunity to produce some new crops in places where they have not been produced before.

“I think it will spread everywhere. In time it will be the only way to go in the future.”

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To learn more, contact Cravo at; Worldwide: sales@cravo.com Australia: Bedem@cravo.com or visit www.cravo.com

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . April . 2017. 15

tHree strAwBerry CroPs in one yeAr In the UK, retractable roof greenhouses, combined with advances in LED technology, is enabling a June-bearing strawberry re-think; resulting in three crops a year. Combining technological advances in horticultural production with rethinking an established working practice, is facilitating the growing of June-bearing short day strawberries as a triannual cropping system, as opposed to the standard single June harvest.

Sequential June-bearing shortday planting is not an unknown practice for strawberry growers, but getting two plantings a year to successfully fruit can be a challenge with the British climate. Due to economics, many growers rely on everbearing, day neutral varieties, to provide a steady production of fruit from May to October, this has seen the traditional June-bearing varieties decline in popularity, despite their historically superior flavour.

The Total WorldFresh research team, located at the Berry Research and Development Site in Langley Kent, UK have begun trials utilising the combined technologies of a

Cravo retractable roof greenhouse and supplementary light-emitting diodes (LED) lighting to investigate the possibility of extending the harvest period of locally grown British June-bearing strawberries from April to December.

The flexibility of movement and control of the retractable rafter house maximises internal climate conditions, while allowing any available external radiant heat to be utilised when conditions are favourable. Heat is retained by the retractable walls, stopping wind chill, while the roof can be independently retracted allowing access to natural radiant heat, light and ventilation. In winter, temperatures within the greenhouse can be 6°C higher than outside temperatures. The retractable roof and side walls also allow for greater humidity control and consequently, lowered disease pressure. This flexibility, in combination with supplementary LED lighting to extend day length early and late in the year, could be the key to production extensions in a non-glasshouse system.

“I’ve been amazed at the temperature increase achieved within the house. The 7°c increase achieved so far this season is a

16 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . April . 2017

really valuable tool. Coupled with the extra lighting, I’m excited to see the results” said Sarah Titmuss, Trials Officer for Total Worldfresh.

The LEDs are controlled by sensors that detect natural light.

The retractable roof maximises use of natural light, and the LEDs provide the light shortfall when conditions dictate. These LEDs enable plants to be given the amount of light needed for photosynthetic activity all year round rather than just in the summer months.

Different strength and recipes of lighting are being trialed using combinations of Red, Blue and Far red spectrum LEDs. This controlled environment also creates opportunities for the development towards further mechanisation. The irrigation is fully automated, the application of any overhead sprays is partially automated and the site is also investigating automated picking.

“We aim to demonstrate to growers that there is good economic reason to grow high quality June-bearing varieties in this intensive but sustainable production system,” said Total Worldfresh Technical Director, Dr Drew Reynolds.

PHiliPs ligHting AnD eCoBAin gArDens trAnsForM First CoMMerCiAl vertiCAl FArM oPerAtion in CAnADA Philips Lighting, a global leader in lighting, has announced the completed installation of Philips GreenPower LED Production Modules at Ecobain Gardens, the largest commercial vertical farm operation in Canada. By upgrading the fluorescent lighting previously used in the facility to LED, Philips Lighting is helping the vertical farming pioneer to produce at commercial scale, accelerate growing cycles and grow healthier, more consistent plants, while saving up to $30,000 Canadian in energy costs per year.

Producing both organic and nonorganic, nutrient-rich herbs and microgreens in a fully controlled indoor facility, Ecobain Gardens was established in 2013 and is the first commercial vertical farming operation in Saskatchewan, Canada.

The facility produces 18,000 pounds of produce each year in less than 1,400 square feet. Its farming method uses up to 98 percent less water, zero harmful chemicals or pesticides and the newest energy efficient LED lighting from Philips Lighting. The vertical growing technology and local distribution systems reduce energy use, travel time and proximity of the crop, spoilage rates and overall operating costs.

Ecobain Gardens has partnered with food distributor Star Produce to distribute its produce throughout Canada to retailers such as Loblaws, Federated Co-op, Safeway, Sobeys, and other local grocery stores.

“Our goal is to grow our operation to a scale where we can make a difference to the people of our community who need quality nutrition, no matter their economic standing or geographical location,” said Brian Bain, Cofounder and CEO of Ecobain Gardens.

“The innovative LED products provided by Philips Lighting are helping us build cost effective, smart, productive farms to safely service this massive void we have in our food system. Our passion for growing plants and providing the best possible product, in unique and alternative ways, has helped shape our business and perspective on farming.”

After evaluating several LED lighting suppliers, Ecobain Gardens selected Philips GreenPower LED Production Modules to replace its original fluorescent lights in order to improve plant growth and quality, as well as significantly reduce energy consumption. Once the more energy efficient system was installed, Ecobain achieved dramatic changes in its crops. Growing cycles are considerably shorter and it is now producing more than 10,000 basil plants a week, which is at commercial scale.

The low heat output of the Philips

LED lights produces healthier, more consistent plant growth by reducing the heat stress on the plant canopy and root zone and by providing more uniform lighting. Plants also have a better dry weight compared to fluorescent lighting or LED lighting systems from other manufacturers.

In addition, the LED lighting system helped to reduce Ecobain’s HVAC system costs by almost 50 percent while providing Ecobain with increased space efficiency due to the minimal heat radiated by the modules. These benefits enable tighter placement of crop rows and therefore more yield from the same growing area.

Paul Boers Ltd, the Philips Horticulture Partner supporting the Ecobain project, worked with Philips Lighting and the local power provider, SaskPower to define an electric rebate structure, which resulted in a rebate of more than $70,000 Canadian dollars for Ecobain Gardens.

“We collaborate closely with our partners and customers to achieve vertical farms that deliver superior produce quality as well as economic performance, resulting in an attractive return on investment.” said Udo van Slooten, Managing Director for Philips Lighting Horticulture LED Solutions.

“In partnership with Ecobain Gardens, we are taking vertical farming to the next level by demonstrating the potential of their investment as well as guiding them and their investors through the analysis and decision making process.” b For more information on Philips Horticulture products visit: www.usa.lighting.philips.com /products/horticulture

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . April . 2017. 17

BlueBerry ConCentrAte iMProves BrAin FunCtion in olDer PeoPle Drinking concentrated blueberry juice improves brain function in older people, according to research by the University of Exeter. In the study, healthy people aged 65-77 who drank concentrated blueberry juice every day showed improvements in cognitive function, blood flow to the brain and activation of the brain while carrying out cognitive tests. There was also evidence suggesting improvement in working memory.

Blueberries are rich in flavonoids, which possess antioxidant and antiinflammatory properties.

Dr Joanna Bowtell, head of Sport and Health Sciences at the University of Exeter, said: “Our cognitive function tends to decline as we get older, but previous research has shown that cognitive function is better preserved in healthy older adults with a diet rich in plant-based foods.

“In this study we have shown that with just 12 weeks of consuming 30ml of concentrated blueberry juice every day, brain blood flow, brain activation and some aspects of working memory were improved in this group of healthy older adults.”

Of the 26 healthy adults in the study, 12 were given concentrated blueberry juice — providing the equivalent of 230g of blueberries – once a day, while 14 received a placebo.

Before and after the 12-week period, participants took a range of cognitive tests while an MRI scanner

Blueberries: Nature’s brain booster

18 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . April . 2017

monitored their brain function and resting brain blood flow was measured.

Compared to the placebo group, those who took the blueberry supplement showed significant increases in brain activity in brain areas related to the tests.

The study excluded anyone who said they consumed more than five portions of fruit and vegetables per day, and all participants were told to stick to their normal diet throughout.

Previous research has shown that higher fruit and vegetable intake reduce risk of dementia, and cognitive function is better preserved in healthy older adults with a diet rich in plant-based foods.

Flavonoids, which are abundant in plants, are likely to be an important component in causing these effects.

Blueberries, get them into you for good health. b Source: Science News

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Hot toMAtoes Biologists at Radboud University in The Netherlands have found that the male reproduction organs of tomato plants cannot cope with high temperatures. When temperatures rise above 32 degrees Celsius for several consecutive days, their appearance changes and they produce less and less fertile pollen, leading to lower agricultural yields.

Rising temperatures on earth – and the increasing frequency of heat waves in particular – cause lower agricultural yields. To avoid possible problems in food supply, Ivo Rieu and his colleague biologists

at Radboud University study the mechanisms behind these processes. They wondered why flowers become sterile under high temperatures and how this disables their ability to produce seeds and fruits.

Radboud University’s molecular plant physiologists focused on the tomato plant (Solanum lycopersicum). In 2014, the world production of this crop was approximately 165 million tons; The Netherlands – a world leader in breeding, producing and selling tomato seeds – produce one million tons.

Male reproductive organs of tomatoes cannot cope with extreme heat.

20 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . April . 2017

The researchers showed that the male reproduction organs of tomato plants — the stamen, made up of a filament with an anther – became less virile under continuous high temperatures of 32 or 34 degrees Celsius. The anthers deformed, and the temperature reduced the pollen’s quality and quantity.

Through genetic analysis, the biologists discovered that these effects are caused by a lowered expression of the genes that define the floral organ identity. Ivo Rieu’s research group also studies genes that provide plants with an increased heat resistance. More knowledge about these processes is useful for the cultivation of heat resistant tomatoes and other crops.

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GOTAFE ŝƐ Ă ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ ŶĂŵĞ ŽĨ 'ŽƵůďƵƌŶ KǀĞŶƐ /ŶƐƟƚƵƚĞ ŽĨ d & ;ZdK ϯϬϵϰͿ͘ TŚŝƐ ƚƌĂŝŶŝŶŐ ŝƐ ĚĞůŝǀĞƌĞĚ ǁŝƚŚ sŝĐƚŽƌŝĂŶ ĂŶĚ ŽŵŵŽŶǁĞĂůƚŚ 'ŽǀĞƌŶŵĞŶƚ ĨƵŶĚŝŶŐ͘

Thanks for your letters

Rick Donnan

I have a few suggestions to help us better identify your problems, and hence give the most appropriate answers: • Some of your letters are very long. This is not a problem, but they will have to be edited down before publishing.

• Please keep your actual questions short, and limit yourself to one, or at most two, questions.

• Please comment as to whether you are a hobbyist or a commercial grower, and what crop you are growing.

• Please describe at least the basics of your system, especially whether you recirculate or not.

This is vital information, but often overlooked. Other useful information, if known, would be: media type, container size and depth, channel size, length and slope, solution volume per plant.

• For irrigation and nutrient questions, please describe your typical irrigation pattern over a day, plus how and when your solutions are made up. If you have had any analysis done, such as your raw water, please attach a copy.

• Include any extra information you wish.

Address your inquiry to: PH&G PO Box 225, Narrabeen, NSW 2101 AUSTRALIA Int: +612 9905 9030 Email: info@hydroponics.com.au

Q. How Do you ColleCt A sAMPle oF tHe root zone solution? in my answers i frequently refer to the root zone solution. that is, the solution around the plant roots from which the plant takes up water and nutrients, as explained in my previous two columns. i stress that it is this root zone solution, which is the basis for good hydroponic management. Many growers obsess about their feed solution, but this is only a means to managing the root zone.

I am often asked how to collect a root zone solution sample from a dripper fed container of medium, so this is my practical answer to that question.

A. ConDitions witHin A ContAiner oF A growing MeDiuM the sun is the major driver for transpiration, which is the evaporation of water from the plant leaves in order to keep them cool. transpiration accounts for about 90% of the water uptake by the plant. Because of high radiation levels during the day there will be more uptake of water than nutrient ions. this will result in a rise in the strength of the solution within the medium as it makes its way from dripper to outlet (which typically takes 1 to 2 days for mature plants).

Solution strength is measured by electrical conductivity (EC). For a mature crop of tomatoes on an average summer day, with a run-off of 30%, I would expect a dripper input EC of 2.6 mS/cm to rise about 3.7mS/cm in the run-off. If not kept under control and the percentage run-off falls, its EC 22 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . April . 2017

can rise much higher leading to a loss of yield from problems such as blossom end rot.

Good hydroponic management is based around measuring daily what goes in from the dripper and out as the run-off by collecting samples of both.

sucking a solution sample direct from a medium I have often mentioned that basically the only medium, which it is possible to syringe a sample, is rockwool. When trying to suck a sample from other media the syringe invariably gets clogged. Even with rockwool there will be a distribution pattern within the rockwool slab, so that the analysis of the syringed sample will vary significantly from place to place.

Consequently to get a good composite sample you would need to collect samples from twenty different places in a slab, which is unworkable.

For that reason the most practical sample to take is that of the run-off solution from the medium. While biased, this is the most consistent sample that can be taken. It has other advantages in that it can be done for all media. It is also the basis behind the root zone solution recommendations published by the Dutch research stations, as used by many growers and laboratories around the world.

Analysing a sample of solid medium Whatever medium is used in whatever type of container, if fed by a dripper and with an outlet at or near the bottom, there will be a distribution pattern within the medium. The pattern is not really predictable other than in general terms.

It is influenced by the medium characteristics, the height,

width and depth of the medium, the location of the dripper/s and outlet/s, the flow rate of the drippers, the amount of feed solution given in an irrigation cycle, etc. It will also vary from bag to bag.

It would be possible to get a good sample by taking a whole bag. Even for a research project this is difficult, but for the daily analysis of EC and pH it would be totally unworkable. Squeezing a small sample of medium While in India recently with a colleague, I met a different method of sampling the medium. This was to take a handful of cocopeat from a bag and squeeze out some solution to measure pH and EC. This would only be feasible with a medium with high water holding capacity like cocopeat. I have serious misgivings about this technique.

As described above there will always be a distribution pattern within a bag of medium. The most obvious place to take a sample without causing too much damage to the plant roots is from the upper part of the medium. Also, if there is drying towards the outside edge of the bag, which is common, then the most ‘squeezable’ sample is that under the dripper. Any sample taken from near the dripper can be expected to have the same analysis as the feed from the dripper.

As an example, while in India we visited a farm and in the early afternoon inspected a mature tomato crop in cocopeat.

There was no sign of run off yet (normally first run off occurs about 11am) and the plants looked stressed. We arranged to have a run off sample collected, expecting a substantial EC rise, but the manager reported that its EC was the same as the dripper feed, which was quite surprising. With later questioning we were told that because there had been no run off yet, he had ‘squeezed’ a sample from the medium.

This example is evidence of the common misconception that the solution in the medium and the run-off will always be the same as the feed solution coming from the dripper. In fact what is in medium, as indicated by the run-off solution, will always have a different nutrient balance, usually a different EC and possibly a different pH compared to the feed.

enough to hold the full day’s feed. Other points to watch: the dripper should be at the same level as those into the bags, especially if it is micro-tube (less important for pressure compensated drippers – the best type to have); it needs to be placed out of direct sunlight.

sampling the run-off (drain) solution Collecting from a single bag is OK, but from a number of bags is better. Collecting from an entire row or the total greenhouse is better still, but requires the use of meters to measure flow volumes and sub-sampling equipment.

Your sampling container also must be large enough to hold the total volume of run-off for the day, and must be protected from direct sunlight. Avoid having a large surface area of exposed sample because of the resultant evaporation, especially if exposed to direct sunlight. Often growers place their bags in hanging gutters or on supports such as polystyrene boxes, enabling a collecting tray to drain the run-off solution into a bottle underneath. Otherwise, if bags are directly on the ground, you may benefit from digging a small recess to hold the sample bottle.

There are many types of commercial sample collecting systems available, usually giving direct measurements of volume, pH and EC, and often linked into the irrigation control computer. However, manual sampling is quite OK and often growers with automated systems will also have a manual station they use to check the computer and to give them the basis for setting the irrigation parameters in the computer.

sampling schedule It is important that collecting and measuring the samples be done daily and at the same time each day. What time that is done is up to the grower, however there are advantages in doing it relatively late in the day when the bulk of the run-off has been collected.

For both feed and drain samples the pH and EC are measured and recorded and then the volume. From the volumes the percentage run-off can be calculated. Both

setting up a sampling station

bottles are emptied and put back to be ready for the next 24-

It is best to set up more than one test station per greenhouse and they need to be located in an unbiased typical position within the crop. That is, not under a gutter or at the end of a row or in a side row.

The collecting of a sample of the feed input is easy. All that is needed is an extra dripper and a collecting bottle large

hour cycle. Check that the bottles are clean.

Measurements records should be kept in a diary along with relevant comments, such as weather conditions, any changes in irrigation strategy, etc. The records are not only a history, which can be useful later, but form the basis for your irrigation and fertiliser strategies. b RD

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . April . 2017. 23

BEES ON THEIR KNEES HAs tHe DeCline oF tHe gloBAl Bee PoPulAtion gone too FAr? wHAt MeAsures, iF Any, CAn HelP to Prevent tHeir rAPiDly DeClining nuMBers?

By CHristine Brown-PAul

The varroa parasite has spread around the world, causing Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) and threatening agricultural industries that rely on bees for pollination.

the world’s greatest modern scientist, Albert einstein once prophetically remarked, “Mankind will not survive the honeybees’ disappearance for more than five years.”

Although stark, Einstein’s prediction would seem to be fast becoming a reality in the face of rapidly declining bee populations.

Globally, more than two-thirds of the most important crops either benefit from or require pollinators, including coffee, cacao, and many fruits and vegetables.

However, beset by threats including pesticides, climate change and diseases, bee numbers around the world are falling alarmingly. A major cause of this has been attributed to the varroa parasite, which has spread around the world, causing Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) and threatening agricultural industries that rely on bees for pollination.

DoMestiC AnD wilD Bees in trouBle Globally, more than two-thirds of the most important crops either benefit from or require pollinators, including coffee, cacao, and many fruits and vegetables.

26 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . April . 2017

In the last half decade alone 30 per cent of the national bee population in the US has disappeared and nearly a third of all bee colonies have perished. Though the rate of bee depopulation is growing each year, 42 per cent more last year than the year before, even at the current annual rate the estimated monetary loss is around 30 billion dollars a year.

With so much at stake, efforts to investigate and

uncover reasons for this sudden global pandemic have been robust. A new US Government study blames a combination of factors for the mysterious and dramatic loss of honeybees, including increased use of pesticides, shrinking habitats, multiple viruses, poor nutrition and genetics, and even cell phone towers.

However, according to last year’s joint study between the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the biggest cause is the varroa destructor. Additionally, new virus species have been found in the US and several of these have been associated with Colony Collapse Disorder.

Honeybee Colony Collapse Disorder is currently recognised as such an urgent crisis that a month ago Newsweek ran an article outlining USDA’s announcement that it will provide a US$3 million subsidy to try to address the dire situation.

According to the latest USDA industry survey, this emergency plan assistance comes after nearly a third of commercial honeybees died last winter, an increase of 42 per cent from the previous year. The incentive program is designed to entice both Midwest dairy farmers and cattle ranchers to reseed their fields this spring with eco-friendly crops such as alfalfa and clover to develop healthier habitats for increasing the national bee population.

In 2016, a US study found 35 pesticides and fungicides, some at lethal doses, in the pollen collected from bees that were used to pollinate food crops in five U.S. states.

In other research, it was found bees that contacted pollen contaminated with fungicides ended up three times more likely to get infected by a parasite closely associated with Colony Collapse Disorder.

The results of a new study conducted by Mark Brown of Royal Halloway University in London found that wild bumblebee populations are also disappearing at a similar rate to the domestic honeybee. In its sample one in five wild bees were afflicted by the Deformed Wing Virus believed to be caused by the parasitic varroa mite.

Eighty-eight per cent of the honeybees at the 26 field sites were affected by this virus.

The research study also concluded that while honeybees are important and obviously responsible for the multi-million dollar global honey industry, wild bees are believed to be just as important in pollination of plants throughout the world.

More recently, the first-ever study to map wild bees in

the United States suggests they are disappearing in the country’s most important farmlands – from California’s Central Valley to the Midwest’s corn belt and the Mississippi River valley.

A team of seven researchers, from UVM, Franklin and Marshall College, University of California at Davis, and Michigan State University, created the maps by first identifying 45 land-use types from two federal land databases, including croplands and natural habitats.

Then they gathered detailed input from national and state bee experts about the suitability of each land-use type for providing wild bees with nesting and food resources.

The scientists built a bee habitat model that predicts the relative abundance of wild bees for every area of the contiguous United States, based on their quality for nesting and feeding from flowers. Finally, the team checked and validated their model against bee collections and field observations in many actual landscapes The study shows that the decline in bee numbers may be caused by the conversion of bee habitat into cropland.

In 11 key states where the map shows bees in decline, the amount of land tilled to grow corn spiked by 200 per cent in five years – replacing grasslands and pastures that once supported bee populations.

Industry experts are worried that if wild bee declines continue, it could hurt U.S. crop production and farmers’ costs.

“This study provides the first national picture of wild bees and their impacts on pollination,” said Taylor Ricketts, Director of UVM’s Gund Institute for Ecological Economics, noting that each year $3 billion of the U.S. economy depends on pollination from native pollinators like wild bees.

At the recent American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual meeting panel, ‘Plan Bee: Pollinators, Food Production and U.S. Policy’, Mr Ricketts briefed scholars, policymakers, and journalists on how the national bee map, first published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in late 2015, can help to protect wild bees and pinpoint habitat restoration efforts.

At the event, Mr Ricketts also introduced a new mobile app that he is co-developing to help farmers upgrade their farms to better support wild bees.

“Wild bees are a precious natural resource we should Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . April . 2017. 27

The first-ever study to map wild bees in the United States suggests they are disappearing in the country’s most important farmlands. celebrate and protect. If managed with care, they can help us continue to produce billions of dollars in agricultural income and a wonderful diversity of nutritious food.”

The map identifies 139 counties in key agricultural regions of California, the Pacific Northwest, the upper Midwest and Great Plains, west Texas, and Mississippi River valley, which appear to have most worrisome mismatch between falling wild bee supply and rising crop pollination demand.

These counties tend to be places that grow specialty crops – like almonds, blueberries and apples – that are highly dependent on pollinators. Or they are counties that grow less dependent crops such as like soybeans, canola and cotton, in very large quantities.

Of particular concern, some crops most dependent on pollinators, including pumpkins, watermelons, pears, peaches, plums, apples and blueberries, appeared to have the strongest pollination mismatch, growing in areas with dropping wild bee supply and increasing in pollination demand.

no neeD to ‘Bee’ worrieD: lAtest reseArCH According to an entomology expert from Kansas State University in the US, although the rusty patched bumblebee, Bombus affinis recently became the first 28 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . April . 2017

species from the US to be placed on the endangered species list, bumblebee endangerment is not a cause for concern.

Jeff Whitworth, associate professor of entomology believes that bumblebees are not headed for extinction.

However, their populations have decreased in some states, so inclusion in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Federal Register may help keep them and other bee species at healthy population levels.

“Being on the endangered species list is not bad,” Professor Whitworth said.

“It helps people have more awareness and information about bees, and it leads to regulations and programs that help keep bees alive.”

“Bees are beneficial because they pollinate flowers, citrus crops and vegetables, and they serve as food sources for other insects, birds and fish. If bees go away, other organisms go away, too. It’s a domino effect,” he said.

Professor Whitworth said bee populations could be protected by areas of native plants and grasses, conservation-focused farming and gardening methods, and the hobby of beekeeping, which is growing in both rural and urban areas. These protective practices help turn any backyard into a natural ecosystem.

To boost a backyard’s “natural factor,” Whitworth advises less frequent mowing and tree trimming. Less

mowing means less soil disturbance, which is critical for bumblebees because they nest in the ground in mouse and gopher holes. Less tree trimming provides pollinators with more of a natural habitat, which is especially helpful for honeybees because they create colonies in trees.

Professor Whitworth predicts bee populations will continue to experience cycles of increase and decrease because of fluctuations in agriculture prices and yearround temperatures.

“Bee populations change every year because when crops are more valuable, farmers will use more land for growing crops, but when crops are less valuable, farmers will leave more land to its natural state,” Professor Whitworth said.

“Similarly, when temperatures are colder for several years, bee populations decrease, but they increase again in hotter periods.

“Weather and prices vary from year to year, which is simply part of the way systems work. I foresee bee populations staying fairly steady for the foreseeable future,” he said.

‘PlAn B’ For survivAl oF AustrAliAn Bees In Australia, scientist Dr Emily Remnant, a research scientist based at the University of Sydney is working to immunise Australian honeybees against killer viruses, to prepare them for any future incursion of the deadly varroa mite.

Dr Remnant has received the Agriculture Minister’s science and innovation award in recognition of her work.

She said the viruses spread by varroa mites are just as big a problem as the parasites themselves and hopes to use the same bacteria that are currently being used to combat dengue fever in Cairns mosquitoes, to tackle bee viruses.

“Current research has identified that [while] varroa mites are a parasite, it is actually the viruses that they spread which cause colony loss and death in the bees,” she said.

“So in isolation the viruses and the mite aren’t problematic, but once you unite the two, that’s when the problems start.”

Currently, Dr Remnant is spending time at the University of Otago in New Zealand, learning how to inject honeybee eggs with the bacteria.

“As you may imagine, they’re quite small. We use these tiny glass capillary needles that have very small tips, and we have the embryos under a microscope and we

basically use a pressurised micro-injector to inject the bacteria into the eggs,” she said.

The Agriculture Minister’s award comes with a $22,000 grant, which Dr Remnant says will allow her to buy the equipment she needs to continue her work back home in Sydney.

Preliminary tests will begin over the next few months, ramping up in spring when honeybee queens are laying most of their eggs.

Dr Remnant says the goal is to make bees more resilient to viruses, so they can survive if - or when - the varroa mite finally makes it to Australian shores.

“We’ve got a unique opportunity to prevent the losses that the rest of the world are experiencing, and I feel like we have the chance to immunise our bees before they suffer the same fate.

“Australia’s pretty lucky, and I’d like to help us stay the lucky country.”

Elsewhere, in Townsville, Queensland, the fight to eradicate any varroa mites from the Townsville area is taking to the skies with the use of ‘balloon bee traps’.

Using techniques developed by the University of Sydney, the Townsville varroa mite response team has attached bee traps to helium filled balloons. The traps are baited with Asian honeybee sex pheromone which male Asian honeybees find irresistible.

Varroa mite response director Dr Ashley Bunce said the balloons would be flown at a height of 15 metres at key sites in the Townsville surveillance zone between 1.30 and 2.15PM in the afternoon, which was the peak flying time for male Asian honey bees.

“The balloon technique has been successfully used in the southern states to trap European honey bees and also adapted by the University of Sydney for trapping Asian honey bees around Cairns,” he said.

“We are confident that the balloon technique will be a successful addition to our surveillance tools.”

Varroa mites were recently found on Asian honeybees at Townsville Port and Annandale. Varroa mites have the potential to significantly damage the Australian bee industry, disrupting honey production and pollination services.

“We are urging people living in the areas of South Townsville, Railway Estate, West End, Hermit Park, Mysterton, Hyde Park, Pimlico, Mundingburra, Idalia, Rosslea or Oonoonba, to be on the lookout for feral bees and if they see anything to contact Biosecurity Queensland on 13 25 23 immediately.”

For more information visit www.daf.qld.gov.au or call 13 25 23.

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . April . 2017. 29

Free APP to HelP ProteCt PollinAtors Australian farmers and beekeepers now have access to a world-first smart-phone application to help ensure the safety of bees during normal farming practices.

CropLife Australia has launched BeeConnected, a first of its kind geomap based, user-driven communication and coordination tool to help protect Australia’s honey bee population.

Chief Executive Officer of CropLife Australia, Matthew Cossey, said: “Australia has one of the healthiest honey bee colonies in the world, responsible for the pollination of many of Australia’s food crops and it’s therefore essential we all assist in keeping it that way.

“CropLife Australia’s consultation on new and world leading stewardship programs with both farmers and beekeepers identified an opportunity to enable easy and effective communication between the parties.

“For this reason, CropLife Australia, in partnership with the Australian Honey Bee Industry Council, has launched BeeConnected, a world-first innovative communication tool to enable collaboration between farmers and beekeepers,” Mr Cossey said.

Executive Director of the Australian Honey Bee Industry Council, Mr Trevor Weatherhead, said BeeConnected enables two-way communication between farmers and beekeepers that will help protect pollinators while ensuring personal privacy.

“The Australian Honey Bee Industry Council is proud to partner with CropLife Australia in promoting the use of 30 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . April . 2017

such an innovative tool that will help beekeepers and farmers work together to keep bees healthy,” said Mr Weatherhead.

“It’s easy to take for granted the importance of honey bees and pollination however, the financial value to agricultural and horticultural crops is estimated at approximately $4 to $6 billion annually. Beekeepers and the cropping community working together will help to limit any potential damage to bees.”

Mr Cossey said improved communication between users of crop protection products and beekeepers using BeeConnected can further reduce the risk of unintended exposure of bees to any products that may have the potential to negatively impact bee health.

BeeConnected uses latest technology to provide a convenient, efficient medium for The rusty patched this communication to bumblebee, take place.

Bombus affinis “BeeConnected allows recently became farmers to easily log the first species the location of their from the US to be properties through a placed on the Google Maps-based endangered platform with GPS species list. capability. Beekeepers can use the same functions to log the present or future locations of their beehives. When a beehive is logged nearby to a farmer’s property, both users are sent automated notifications and are able to chat further about their activities via a secure internal messaging service.

“Farmers and agricultural service contractors can also use BeeConnected to log the time and location of a specific crop protection product application activity. They are then connected with beekeepers in the specific geographical area by the same alert and

messaging system.

“CropLife Australia and our members have invested significant time, money and resources into the development of the app and are very proud to again be implementing and facilitating world-leading industry stewardship initiatives,” said Mr Cossey.

“CropLife is very pleased that all of Australia’s state farmer organisations and a number of key agricultural producer groups have joined the initiative as official supporters and will be promoting use of the app amongst their members. “ BeeConnected is officially supported by the Aerial Agricultural Association of Australia, AgForce Queensland, Australian Seed Federation, AUSVEG, Grain Producers Australia, Grain Producers SA, NSW Farmers, Northern Territory Farmers Association, Queensland Farmers’ Federation, Tasmanian Farmers & Graziers Association, Victorian Farmers Federation, and WAFarmers.

“A 2013 report by Deloitte Access Economics calculated that 76 per cent of Australian agricultural production can be attributed to the use of chemical crop protection

products. At the same time, 65 percent of the species of crops grown in Australia since European settlement are dependent on honeybee pollination. When used responsibly and in accordance with approved label instructions, crop protection products do not pose a risk to honey bees,” Mr Cossey said.

“BeeConnected is a part of CropLife’s Pollinator Protection Initiative (PPI), which also includes the recently released Seed Treatment Stewardship Strategy.

The PPI is one component of CropLife Australia’s Stewardship First program, which aims to foster the responsible and sustainable use of crop protection products throughout their lifecycle, helping to extend the life of these vital farming tools, and ensuring the protection of human and environmental health,” Mr Cossey said.

BeeConnected can be downloaded for free as an iPhone or Android App, or accessed on a desktop computer via a web browser.

For more information, and to download, visit the CropLife website at: www.croplife.org.au

CropLife Australia’s BeeConnected is a first of its kind geomap based, user-driven communication and coordination tool to help protect Australia’s honeybee population.

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . April . 2017. 31

THINKING SMALL: HYDROPONICS FOR A TINY HOUSE in tHe us, tHe institute oF siMPliFieD HyDroPoniCs HAs A DeMonstrAtion ProjeCt involving tHe use oF HyDroPoniCs witHin A tiny House. tHe “tiny House tHAt grows FooD” in FAir PlAy, Missouri is A CooPerAtive ProjeCt witH tHe internAtionAl union oF ArCHiteCts (uiA).

By Peggy BrADley The Institute of Simplified Hydroponics (ISH) is a USbased, non-profit organisation with the mission of bringing hydroponic technology to those in need.

Since its inception in 1995, ISH has been a part of the global effort to end hunger, developing simplified hydroponics to provide food production systems.

In 2014, the Institute developed its demonstration project, ‘The Tiny House that Grows Food’ in cooperation with the International Union of Architects (UIA).

The tiny house structure was built as a two-storey house with a 10’ by 11’ floor space on each floor. It is an example of energy conservation so each floor is insulated and has small windows. The bottom floor is living space with living room, dining room and indoor kitchen. The top floor is a studio for producing videos, with a sleeping space. The home is representative of a tiny house in the US or common size for homes of people in poverty worldwide.

32 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . April . 2017

Front view of “the tiny house that grows food” in Fairplay, Missouri.

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . April . 2017. 33

The experimental house has added growing areas to grow food. The growing areas are the upstairs balcony (13’ by 4’), an attached lean-to greenhouse (6’ by 8’), and an outdoor patio (12’ by 16’). This makes a total of 292 ft2 of growing space or about 27 m2. When walkways are accounted for it is about 20 m2 for plants.

The house had its first trial of growing plants in 2015.

This trial year did not have a greenhouse space, so seedlings were started after freezing, or on 20 March.

This meant that plants did not mature and bear food until May, and plants were frozen out by 30 November.

The shortened growing time was a key reason the house only produced 25 per cent of the required foods for the year. The objective of the house project is to grow all foods needed through the year, so 25 per cent was both a good beginning and illustrative of need for rethinking the original design.

seConD yeAr 2016 In the second year, a small 8’ x 6’ lean-to greenhouse was attached to the structure. The lean-to was designed to be a passive solar greenhouse, to gather sunshine warmth during the day and release it at night.

The lean-to greenhouse was built with an insulated floor, with six inches of sand and concrete block, and a wall attached to the tiny house of six inches of concrete block. This heat sink was meant to gather and retain heat during the day, then release the heat over the cooler night. In theory this would mean the temperature would remain between 50 and 90 degrees through the day and night.

The lean-to did not perform as expected in the beginning. The empty greenhouse would reach 120 degrees during a sunny day of 80 degrees outside. With the addition of two 30-gallon barrels of water painted black, the top temperature reached 110 degrees.

The need for more heat sink materials was obvious in this small system. The hydroponics to place in the greenhouse could be used to help keep it cooler during the day. Concrete and water are considered the best materials for heat sink. The crop chosen for the lean-to is sweet potato, for both roots and vines. To help keep the greenhouse cool, sand was used as a substrate.

Using sand instead of a material such as perlite increased the heat holding capacity of the lean-to system.

Sweet potatoes appeared to grow best in substrate depths of 12”. A trough around the inner lean-to provided 32 cubic feet of sand. This addition to the lean-to brought temperatures down to 100 degrees as a maximum during the day, when sweet potatoes were also in the greenhouse.

Actively growing plants added to the complexity of the greenhouse system and made engineering a bit of a complex problem. A plant transpires water into the air, partly as a method of keeping the leaves cool.

If the plant does not “see” enough water at its roots, it can close its stomata and no longer emit so much water into the air. In hydroponics, our plants usually see all the water they need, so they emit more water than soilbased crops.

Our sweet potato crop quickly overtook the greenhouse area with rapidly growing tops. The vine type sweet

tABle 1. ProjeCteD urBAn Dwelling 2017 DAily vegetABle ProDuCtion Vegetable

Space m/2

yield Production g/m2 day g/day

Ounces

Calories

Protein g

Fats g

Carbohydrate g

Bell Pepper

1

82

82

2.93

25

0.81

0.25

4.94

Garlic

1

20

20

0.71

30

1.27

0.10

6.61

Salad Greens

1

100

100

3.57

17

1.23

0.30

3.29

Scallions

1

20

20

0.71

6

0.37

0.04

1.47

Peanuts

6

20

120

4.23

684

31.38

59.5

19.0

Sweet Potato

4

200

800

28.57

608

10.96

1.20

146.00

Tomato

1

120

120

4.29

22

1.14

0.13

4.81

Green beans

1

50

50

1.43

14

0.76

0.11

3.15

Peapods

1

50

50

1.79

21

1.40

0.10

7,05

Herbs

2

100

200

7.14

140

7.50

1.88

29.78

Strawberries

1

100

100

3.57

32

0.67

0.30

7.68

20

862

1612

58.94

1599

57.49

63.9

226.73

Annual Daily Production

34 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . April . 2017

potato crawled up the wall, and the front containers became packed with vines.

Of course, all that vine meant more water transpired, and we had two issues. One was that the humidity in the little greenhouse became very intense and the plants suffered, and the second was a more diseaseprone environment.

The balcony garden was planted in tomato, bell pepper and salad greens.

retroFit oF leAn-to For 2017 This year the lean-to will have a solar powered vent system with a vent near the bottom next to the door, and a solar powered vent at the top of the opposite side. This system will work on solar power, so it will only be on when the solar cell sees sun. This may not work on cloudy days, and if the humidity gets too high, we will change to a battery powered solar system that goes on with humidity and heat sensors.

BAlCony gArDen The tiny house balcony garden gets very good sun, with the front of the balcony getting sun from 10am until 2pm and the balcony wall next to the tiny house getting sun from 10am until noon, as it is shaded by the house in the afternoon.

Bell pepper and tomato grow well on the outside of the balcony but not next to the house. Most plants have a necessary amount of light they need in a day and that is often those precious hours of 10am until 2pm. After that, many plants have received enough sun energy for the day.

Lettuce is one crop that requires less light during the day for survival, so lettuce greens can be grown on the house side of the balcony. This wall area, planted in lettuce produced all necessary greens during the day.

The upstairs balcony garden started with tomatoes placed on the wall.

A vertical grower was placed on the back patio.

PAtio gArDen The patio garden is 12’ by 16’ is on the western side of the dwelling. The western wall of the patio garden is again shaded by the dwelling but the rest of the space receives full sun.

The patio garden was used as an experimental space, trying several vegetables in several types of containers and systems. Some crops did very well and others had problems.

FloAting BeDs In Simplified Hydroponics, one of our most productive systems is the floating beds. In these systems, a bed of nutrient water is created and plants are grown on a piece of foam floating on the water. These have been adopted

A floating bed of lettuce on the back patio growing area was very productive.

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . April . 2017. 35

The wall unit folds out into the dining table.

Tiny house dining table folds up into the wall unit.

in many small gardens and commercial systems.

We had two floating beds of salad greens and basil about one square metre each. Both were very successful.

The salad greens grew ¼ pound (100 grams) of greens a day throughout the summer and the basil did the same.

Unfortunately, the salad greens grower had a healthy crop of mosquitoes as well. The basil grower had no mosquitoes below, but that might have been because of the frog found living in the grower water.

This problem with mosquitoes is quite serious and brings us to the general recommendation that no floating bed growers be used on outside gardens. Even though this is a worldwide practice of Simplified Hydroponics, and commercial growing, there are issues to resolve.

We have options for growing lettuces and basil. The basil in substrate on balcony was more than sufficient for daily needs, and nearly as productive as the floating bed.

The salad greens will be grown on the balcony wall upstairs,

vertiCAl grower There is a lot of interest worldwide in using a vertical growing space for outdoor hydroponics.

We have designed and built a vertical grower for the patio garden that is a space 4’ by 4’ and 6’ tall.

MixeD results Tiny house bottom floor has a cosy seating area.

Tiny house kitchen uses bottled water and an induction cooker as a stove.

The top shelf of the vertical grower included 1m2 of tomato and one of bell pepper. Both plants did very well on this sundrenched top shelf, with the space producing the ¼ pound (120 grams) of tomato day and three ounces (82 grams) of bell pepper every day.

The other three shelves were not as successful.

A sweet potato grower on the bottom shelf did well, even though limited in sunspace. This was due to the sweet potato using vines to take over the sun side of thegrower.

Other growers on the shaded shelves did very poorly, again due to lack of sunshine. Cabbages, squashes, strawberry did poorly with little or no food production. This year we will plant lettuces and salad greens on these shaded shelves to see if they can produce. Also shelves will be planted in beans and snow peas that can vine and find the sun.

neeD For PeAnut The foods grown in 2016 were able to supply daily carbohydrates, but were very low in protein and fats. So this year, the garden will include six square metres of 36 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . April . 2017

peanut to offer a healthy diet. The peanut is experimental and so each of the six growers will grow different peanuts in different substrates with different nutrient plans.

The area for peanuts is 6 m2 in the outside garden. We do not yet know, which depth of grower, nutrient and substrate will perform best. From literature, a good crop of peanuts will produce about 1.34 kg/m2. At this rate, our space would only provide enough for 100 days of food requirement.

It is hoped that using a modified Gericke grower, and using a nutrient for flowering we can increase the hydroponic production to three times that found in soil.

The objective is to produce 1500 calories a day, with 60 grams of protein, 60 grams of fat and about 150 grams of carbohydrate. Daily calorie requirements are often listed as closer to 2000 calories a day, but the lower calories are likely a healthier diet.

The projected daily produce from the dwelling is based in actual production in the past with the exception of peanut.

The peanut is projected to be about .7 of an ounce of peanut or about 10 peanuts a day per square metre.

For this garden to work, the peanut and sweet potato are the crucial crops for daily food. This follows a recommendation of George Washington Carver who claimed a person could live on those two items alone.

Looking at the garden for edibility, slightly under an ounce of scallion and garlic are consumed daily. These two root vegetables add flavour to daily foods and could be very important for immunity and resistance to disease.

One-and-three-quarter pounds of sweet potato a day is the basic carbohydrate. This is a lot of sweet potato and requires new recipes and diet change. For 2016, the sweet potato diet of one pound a day was relatively easy with sweet potato substituted for rice, pasta, potato, carrot and squash. Sun dried sweet potato chips make a good snack that can make it easier to eat so many sweet potatoes.

The peanut, at 80 grams a day (2.76 ounces), can be used for meat substitute, peanut butter and sauces for curries. They can also be eaten raw as a snack. It is easier to eat the few ounces of peanut a day than all those sweet potatoes.

AnotHer greenHouse reQuireD The gardens planted in 2017 are expected to reach 75 per cent of the required daily diet. The primary limitation is that the outdoor spaces are not year-round and can only be used eight months of the year.

To reach 100 per cent of daily requirements will require that the back patio be converted to a greenhouse space. The space required to reach 100 per cent is estimated to be 12 foot by 16 foot, the footprint of the current patio garden. The design concept of this additional greenhouse space is being designed now, and should be constructed later this year, perhaps in time for winter.

tABle 2. exPeCteD AnnuAl resourCes reQuireD For DAily FooD ProDuCtion oF 1500 CAlories.

Resources Space Water Nutrients Labour set-up Labour operation Cost of set up

Required annual input 20m2 13,322 gallons 13.32 pounds 200 hours 720 hours $5,000 US (so far)

environMentAl iMPACt This concept of a hydroponic house could be the answer to our future needs as a species. We have two major issues facing the human race, over population and the degradation of land due to agriculture.

For a citizen of California, the average water use is 1500 gallons a day, with half that used for agriculture.

Compare our estimated 13, 322 gallons to their 273, 750 gallons used for food, and we use only 1/20th of the water currently used.

There are many impacts from this change in technology, including reduced need for refrigeration, Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . April . 2017. 37

less need for food transportation, reduced need for seasonal land use to name a few. There is also a likely health change in a plant-based diet that is nutritionally balanced.

tHe Future oF our FooD growing HoMes It is unlikely that everyone in the future would like to live on a diet of sweet potatoes and peanut. As we progress as a science and an industry we can offer real hope to a gloomy future. Hydroponics researchers of the future will find new methods of growing more and more foods.

But in a world with lots of environmental problems we can find in our technology a real promise for better days to come.

ACKnowleDgeMents The work on using hydroponics to end hunger has been supported by the hydroponics industry through the Hydro for Hunger Initiative supported by several philanthropic hydroponic manufacturers and distributors. The total donations from total over $350,000 and have been used by ISH to support projects around the world. The objective is to offer hydroponics as a technology to end human hunger. b

ABout tHe AutHor Peggy Bradley is the CEO of the Institute of Simplified Hydroponics, a non-profit organisation based in Fair Play, Missouri, USA. She has a Masters in Civil Engineering and has been active in hydroponics for over 50 years. Her work has been primarily in the field of simplified hydroponics and has visited over 16 countries working to establish the technology.

Contact: peggybradley1@hotmail.com, see website for more info at www.carbon.org REFERENCES Gericke, W.F, 1940. The Complete Guide to Soilless Gardening, Prentice-Hall, New York.

Kafkafi, U andTarchitzky, J. Fertigation A Tool for Efficient Fertilizer and Water Management International, Fertilizer Industry Association (IFA) International Potash Institute (IPI) Paris, France, 2011http://www.haifagroup.com/files/Articles/ifa_fertigation-Kafkafi-511.pdf FAO: The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2015, http://www.fao.org/3/a4ef2d16-70a7-460a-a9ac2a65a533269a/i4646e.pdf Mazria, Edward, 1979. The Passive Solar Energy Book, Rodale Press, Emmaus, Pa. Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . April . 2017. 39

Water: dive in and drink deeply

FLOATING FARMS OF THE FUTURE

Smart Floating Farms allow for the protected year-round growing of a diverse array of plant types.

Photo credit: Forward Thinking Architecture.

42 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . April . 2017

CoMBining AQuACulture, HyDroPoniCs, AnD PHotovoltAiCs, sMArt FloAting FArMs Are set to ProDuCe FooD 365 DAys A yeAr in tHe FACe oF wAter sCArCity, DrougHt, AnD nAturAl DisAsters.

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . April . 2017. 43

Floating cities & gardens of the future. marketbusinessnews.com

44 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . April . 2017

As the world’s population continues to grow at an unprecedented rate, and with food supply unable to keep pace, the future looks bleak in terms of food sustainability. By 2030, number of people on the planet is expected to reach 8.3 billion and by 2050, demand for food will likely have increased by 70 per cent.

Clearly, there is an urgent need for innovative ideas to meet this challenge.

Headed up by architect Javier F. Ponce, in collaboration with Jakub Dycha, the Forward Thinking Architecture organisation believes it has the solution with the development of its Smart Floating Farm (SFF).

A desire to use clean, sustainable energy to produce healthy food, which can be sold directly to consumers, eliminating the need for both storage and delivery, gave birth to the idea of the Smart Floating Farm. The concept has already become popular on a smaller scale in the form of vertical hydroponic farms, however, the Smart Floating Farm takes the idea to a whole new level.

Smart Floating Farms (SFF) are “automated offshore multi-layer food and energy production platforms.”

Forward Thinking Architecture describes floating farms as “a new initiative which can be complementary and compatible with other existing production methods in order to help reduce food risk associated problems in different areas of the globe.”

The Smart Floating Farm, for which Forward Thinking Architecture won a Sustainable Entrepreneurship Award (SEA) in 2016, produces upwards of 8,000 tons of vegetables each year. Smaller floating farms can be anchored to land in locations all over the world.

“After doing some research and watching documentaries about humanity’s future, I became interested in using my architectural knowledge and design in order to help improve the world,” Mr Ponce said.

“One subject which caught my attention was food risk and the current trend of importing massive amounts of food from one place to another, causing huge environmental problems.”

How Does it worK? Similar to the Chinampas used in 14th century Aztec agriculture, each farm floats on a body of water and consists of three tiers.

The three-story system is made up of a range of farming facilities. The lower level, or basement level, is closed off from the outside environment and primarily used for fishing operations. There are also boat docks, shipping and storage areas, and a processing plant.

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . April . 2017. 45

On the second floor is the automated hydroponics, which uses nutrient-rich water and a soil-like base of rock wool, coconut wool, or clay to feed plants and crops.

No rain is required, nor fertile land—just treated water.

On the top floor is the solar plant, a hub of fans, microclimate controls, and irrigation tools. This is where waste and energy management takes place, including bio-digesters, water recycling, and organic energy creation.

With its combination of aquaculture, hydroponics and photovoltaics, the SFF is said to be able to produce food 365 days a year regardless of water scarcity, drought, and even natural disasters. The design offers a continuous food supply and an estimated annual yield of 8,152 tons of vegetables and 1,703 tons of fish.

A major benefit of the SFF include reduced need for chemical pesticides or fertilisers. Also the multi-level strategy results in a higher yield per metre, freeing up land space for other purposes. Water consumption is also greatly reduced, since the water used in the process is what is floating under the platform already.

Smart Floating Farms also allow for the protected

In the 14th century the Aztecs developed their system of floating gardens called chinampas.

46 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . April . 2017

year-round growing of a diverse array of plant types.

Crops will also not be in danger from droughts, floods or other natural disasters. Agricultural runoff will be a thing of the past, and new employment opportunities will become available for locals. The direct nature of the farm-to-table way of selling the produce will eliminate the need for machinery, shipping and storage, while dramatically reducing fuel emissions.

Boasting all these advantages, floating farms may well be the future of agriculture, but it may be a while yet before they come to market.

“This is not science fiction. It is a serious and viable solution,” Mr Ponce said.

“It is not meant to ‘solve’ all of humanity’s hunger problems or to replace existing traditional agriculture; this is not the idea at all. The driver behind the project is to open a new initiative which can be complementary and compatible with other existing production methods in order to help reduce food risk associated problems in different areas of the globe.” b More information at: www.smartfloatingfarms.com

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48 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . April . 2017

NAURU Indonesia Papau New Guinea

Australia

ISLAND HYDROPONICS syDney-BAseD CoMPAny, HyDro MAstA HAs trAnsForMeD An olD tennis Court into tHe islAnD oF nAuru’s First CoMMerCiAl sCAle HyDroPoniCs FArM witH 2,000 PlAnts Per CAPACity.

By CHristoPHer Dunne

Local hydroponics expert Bashir (L) and Hydro Masta’s Trevor Holt.

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . April . 2017. 49

Week 2 on Nauru and getting closer to running the system.

the republic of nauru is a tiny speck in the Pacific ocean. A phosphate rock island with rich deposits near the surface, easy strip mining operations flourished there in the past. However, today the phosphate reserves are exhausted and the island's environment has been seriously harmed by mining.

Nauru is where Sydney-based company Hydro Masta Pty Ltd has landed one 20ft shipping container onto a double tennis court to construct a hydroponic farm – the first commercial scale venture of its type in this Pacific Republic of just 10,000 people, (plus some refugees), and a few thousand expats.

But the real story begins much further away in Afghanistan, and it involves a refugee who found himself on Nauru; a place where there’s virtually no agriculture, and fresh food is almost impossible to find on a plate. So he decided to build a hydroponic farm, and, with scrounged components and a little advice, as well as teaching himself from the Internet, he eventually got the attention of many people, even drawing school groups to his small farm for lessons in hydroponics. All the while 50 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . April . 2017

he gave away fresh vegetables, which on Nauru, were really quite a novelty, and soon the word spread around.

Eventually, even the President of Nauru and the Australian High Commissioner visited his farm. A decision to build a larger scale farm was the next step, and so the Nauruan Government turned to Hydro Masta, and the rest, as they say, is happening now!

With extensive experience in hydroponics, Hydro Masta Pty Ltd has completed projects for commercial growers, schools and home growers. The company website features a banner saying “Growing food without soil” which perfectly describes the needs of Nauru, as it’s truly a place without either soil or food. In fact, every week, 10 tonnes of perishable food is flown in from market gardens as far away as Victoria in Southern Australia. Fresh is not a word you can associate with food on Nauru, and what little land that can be used for agriculture suffers from a list of difficulties, including salt and high levels of the metal cadmium. Fresh water is also in very short supply, so soil-based farming in this very hot equatorial climate has more than a few

challenges. As a result, food is neither fresh, nor cheap as everything perishable is air freighted in.

Hydroponic technology can overcome these obstacles perfectly with its highly efficient use of water, and of course, there is no need to use soil. Using long plastic channels or gullies to hold the plants and guide a thin film of nutrient rich water at ideal levels of acidity over their roots, hydroponic technology is utilised everywhere on earth from Antarctica to Alaska, and even in space!

It’s ideal for overcoming the obstacles of poor soils, shortage of fresh water and produces crops more quickly, with no nutrient deficiencies and very little water loss compared to soil-based agriculture.

How it stArteD: tHe set-uP In mid-2016, Hydro Masta’s managing director Trevor Holt made presentations on Nauru of an earlier project the company had delivered in Papua New Guinea, which was extensively documented in an article, From Seed to Supermarket on its website. The company provided a complete turnkey solution to building a hydroponic farm and getting the produce onto supermarket shelves. This was for salad greens and herbs, picked and packed and delivered fresh each day to the local supermarket; and the whole chain was established from digging the pipes into the ground right through to the labels on the supermarket packaging. A new brand “Eigigu Fresh” is the eponymous label for the Eigigu Corporation’s new

venture at Menen Hotel’s old tennis court.

The business case was made, and the numbers for Nauru were compelling. The first item to drop off the bottom line was $6 per kilogram airfreight! A farm with capacity for 6.5 tonnes of leafy greens per year was designed for a disused double tennis court and immediately a saving of almost $40,000 per year was achieved. And that was before removing the rest of the supply chain’s cost of buying produce in Australia. What could be produced for a few cents on Nauru could now be sold profitably for far less than anything that had travelled thousands of kilometres. This was really the “locavore” (buy and eat locally grown food) philosophy in action, and all achievable with well designed and managed hydroponics.

The population of Nauru, like that of many Pacific Island countries, suffers from high levels of diabetes and nutrition-based problems because the cheapest food – which is shipped in, mostly frozen – has the highest levels of fat and sugar. Obesity is endemic and even malnutrition not unknown. The average income does not stretch to luxuries like fresh vegetables, so nearly every meal is served with potato chips! A race of people who had traditionally lived from the ocean and coconuts and some indigenous plants were never farmers, and apart from some market gardens that imported Taiwanese and Indian labourers established during the heyday of phosphate mining, there has never been a history of

Obesity and diabetes are major health issues for Nauru’s population, not helped by the lack of freshly grown produce.

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . April . 2017. 51

agriculture on Nauru. What we call “fast food” is pretty much the staple diet of most Nauruans, and it is ravaging their health.

Imagine a tennis court, now double it, now imagine how many plants a week it can produce on a continuous basis, which means both harvesting that many, and replanting mature seedlings to replace them. The first stage, (just for leafy greens, like varieties of lettuce and a range of herbs) built by Hydro Masta will produce 2,000 mature plants a week. Space for a second stage to grow fruiting plants like tomatoes and eggplants has been reserved at one end of the courts.

Stage 1 consists of 24 benches of eight channels per bench; nearly 500 plants per bench. The nutrient film technique (NFT) system has a 3,000-litre dosed tank and a 3,000-litre backup tank, both housed in air-conditioned shipping containers. When it’s typically near 40 degrees Celsius in summer, the first big technical problem is water temperature, and even though the entire tennis court area is now under shade-cloth, the nutrient solution will be exposed to very high ambient temperatures and that can be fatal for plants. Timber walkways were constructed to keep the feed and drain lines protected (as this is all on a concrete area) and help provide more protection from the sun. Everything was pre-fabricated at Hydro Masta’s warehouse in Sydney

First harvest of hydroponic lettuce in early March 2017.

52 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . April . 2017

and meticulously packed into the 20-foot shipping container, which they called a “Farm in a Box.” It arrived in Nauru mid November 2016.

What happened next seems like an improbable script, but standing on the hot tarmac on Nauru’s airstrip, a casual conversation brought Australian, Afghanistan and hydroponic food production together on a tennis court on Nauru. It turned out that an Afghan refugee named Bashir had already built a small demonstration hydroponic farm on the island, and it was discovered later that he had originally suggested the idea of using the old tennis court for a larger system.

Bashir joined the Hydro Masta team on day one, and finding someone on the island who not only knew a lot about hydroponics, but who was also competent (and a hard working force of nature!), was more than a bonus. It was literally a good omen for the whole project, which needed someone local to run it, and deal with the difficult conditions on Nauru, from procuring equipment to navigating the local culture.

On a second trip, the system was almost completed and the propagation started so to be able to commence planting out in mid-January on the third visit. Bashir has taken the role as operations manager and oversees every step of the production and will be training local staff as the farm expands into full production.

First HArvest The first planting was in late January 2017, with just six benches, and then every week another four benches were established to begin the rotating process of planting and harvesting.

By the first week in March, the first benches were ready to pick, wash, and pack into the salad mix with some in bulk boxes for restaurants on the island. The response was immediate everywhere “we will buy whatever you produce” and in the Eigigu Corporation’s supermarket, the salad packs jumped off the shelf.

Not only is the heat a challenge, but also the ocean breeze brings salt with it and the farm needs to be shielded from that source of salt. But more seriously, the aged desalination plant, which provides the hotel with non-potable water still has a high salt level that really makes establishing nutrient levels a problem. There is a plan to upgrade with a new unit, but in the meantime, it is another thing the farm must deal with.

As a demonstration of viability, this farm is proving already that the demand is there, and as it overcomes various challenges Hydro Masta is confident that hydroponics is now proven technology in a difficult environment that until now hasn’t grown food on this scale.

Finally, a locally grown fresh supply of greens that can be continually produced on a commercial basis has been demonstrated.

This small farm is just the beginning for hydroponics on Nauru, as the demand is many times what this farm

alone can supply. But with a gross weekly revenue approaching about $4,000 when the farm is in full rotation and output, it’s not hard to envisage expansion of this technology.

One Australian company and one Afghan refugee have shown the population of Nauru that with hydroponics, a better future is at their fingertips.

Let’s hope they can make that future a reality. b Check out the video of Hydro Masta’s Nauru project at: www.hydromasta.com.au

In the Eigigu Corporation supermarket on Nauru, the first hydroponic salad packs jumped off the shelf.

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . April . 2017. 53

SULPHUR: DEFICIENCY & TOXICITY DeFiCienCies or exCesses oF MinerAl eleMents sHow in A nuMBer oF wAys: in Colour, Density, size AnD sHAPe oF leAves; in tHe tHiCKness AnD Colour oF steMs AnD tHe lengtH oF internoDes; in tHe Colour, FiBrousness AnD tHiCKness oF roots; in tHe ABunDAnCe AnD tiMing oF Flowers; AnD in tHe size, Colour, HArDness AnD FlAvour oF Fruit. reCognising tHose PArtiCulAr eFFeCts is tHe Key to DiAgnosing nutritionAl DisorDers.

By steven CArrutHers

Sulphur deficiency in corn.

(Image smartfertilizer.com)

54 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . April . 2017

sulphur (chemical symbol s) is a secondary macronutrient and used in small amounts in the hydroponic nutrient solution compared to the major elements. in the hydroponic nutrient solution, it is mainly supplied in the form of magnesium sulphate (Mnso4), usually added to the ‘Part B’ nutrient concentrate to avoid precipitation - this is because calcium ions (positively charged when dissolved) in the ‘Part A’ concentrate react with sulphate ions (negatively charged when dissolved) to form insoluble calcium sulphate. it is only in the concentrated form that this precipitation becomes a problem – it remains soluble in a working solution. sulphur can also be supplied in smaller quantities in micronutrients such as copper sulphate, manganese sulphate and zinc sulphate, also added to the Part B concentrate.

The plant requirement for sulphur equals or exceeds the requirement for phosphorus for most plants. In legumes, forages and some vegetable crops, sulphur is required in considerable amounts.

The ideal pH range for sulphur availability to plants is from pH 6 (slightly acidic) to strongly alkaline conditions. It becomes unavailable in very acid solutions.

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . April . 2017. 55

FunCtions oF sulPHur Sulphur has various functions in plants. It is found in some amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. In fact, most of the sulphur absorbed by plants, about 90%, is used for that purpose.

Sulphur plays an important role in chlorophyll formation - it is a major constituent of one of the enzymes required for the formation of the chlorophyll molecule.

Sulphur is necessary to maintain dark green colour, stimulate seed production, and promote root and general plant growth. It is important in respiration. Sulphur is also essential in the synthesis of oils, especially in oil crops, and is active in the metabolism of nitrogen.

sulPHur DeFiCienCy Sulphur deficiency is similar in appearance to nitrogen deficiency. It begins in younger leaves because sulphur is not as mobile as nitrogen within the plant. Leaves are light green to yellowish in colour, but unlike nitrogen deficiency, the yellowing is much more uniform over the entire plant including young leaves. Sulphur deficient plants do not lose the lower leaves as in the case of nitrogen deficiency.

Sulphur deficiency in tobacco.

(Image smartfertilizer.com)

Sulphur deficiency results in spindly and stunted plants, but they are not as dark-coloured as in phosphorus or potassium deficiency. Stems turn hard and are woody. Deficiency can lead to delayed plant development and maturity, and if deficiency occurs at vegetative stage, it can affect yield.

Advanced sulphur deficiency can be recognised by brown lesions and/or necrotic spots along the petiole, and the leaves become more erect and are often twisted and brittle.

Symptoms may vary between plant species.

For example, in corn, sulphur deficiency shows up as interveinal chlorosis; in wheat, the whole plant becomes pale while the younger leaves are more chlorotic; in potatoes, spotting of leaves may occur.

In tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants and chilli, the veins and petioles exhibit a very reddish colour, more distinct than in nitrogen deficiency – the underside veins and petioles appear pinkish. A useful distinguishing character is the red pigmentation of veins of young leaves in nitrogen-deficient plants, but no pigmentation on the oldest leaves. While sulphur deficiency may increase pigmentation of young leaf margins and petiole, a strong veinal pattern is not typical; and the oldest leaves are usually also pigmented.

In strawberry plants, middle to upper leaves develop a light green colouration. Over time the leaves become more uniformly yellow in colouration. With severe deficiencies the pale yellow leaves can develop necrotic spotting due to sunburning. The fruit can also be smaller in size, but have normal colour.

sulPHur toxiCity

Comparing a complete fertilised plant with sulphur deficiency (right).

(Image Brian E. Whipker)

56 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . April . 2017

Sulphur toxicity usually occurs as a result of air pollution, which is difficult to control in open air cultivation areas close to industrial and volcanic activity, when rain will take the sulphur from the air to form what is commonly known as acid rain. Sea spray may also be a significant source of sulphur in coastal areas - toxicity has been reported on small islands. Sulphur toxicity usually occurs in saline conditions, especially in soil cultivation, resulting in plants wilting.

MAnAgeMent PrACtiCes It’s rare to experience sulphur deficiency in hydroponic/greenhouse crops. If you suspect a deficiency,

tissue analysis is the best way to identify the nutritional problem. Alternatively, a nitrogen test kit or tissue tests will determine if it is N or S. Sulphur deficiency is usually corrected by the addition of a sulphur-containing fertiliser. Sulphur deficiencies can be corrected using foliar sprays containing sulphur, usually potassium sulphate.

As for most nutrient deficiency problems, growers are generally unconcerned about leaf symptoms because they do not directly influence the market value of the crop. However, this ignores the fact that the same problems that cause the leaf symptoms can also reduce fruit production and quality. This is because leaves manufacture the food needed by the plant to produce fruit, so if they are not healthy, then yield and quality can be reduced, and the cropping season can be shortened.

An important fact is that plants produce leaf symptoms only when a nutritional problem has become serious.

Often yield or quality has been significantly reduced before symptoms appear. Therefore, at the first sign of a problem growers should identify and treat the disorder. Although growers will not prevent production losses (and hence profit losses) they can minimise the extent and severity of fruit losses. b

REFERENCES Bromley, B.J., Nutrient deficie ncy symptoms. http://mgofmc.org/docs/nutri entdeficiency.pdf retrieved 20 Mar 2017.

Donnan, R., What are hydrop onic fertilisers, Practical Hydroponics & Gre enhouses, March 2014.

Farm.com, Sulphur Deficiency in Plants, http://www.farms.com/field-g uide/crop-diseases /sulfur-deficiency-in-plants .aspx retrieved 20 March 2017 retr ieved 20 Mar 2017.

Haifa Group, Crop Guides, http ://www.haifa-group.com /knowledge_center/crop_gu ides/tomato/plant_nutrition /nutrient_deficiency_symptom s/#{62EFEBD2-0308-46D3A77F-6A94EB008C78} retrieve d 20 Mar 2017.

Hydroponics BC, Nutrients are an essential part of healthy plant growth. http://www.hydroponicsbc.com /nutrients.html retrieved 20 Mar 2017 Sela, G., Sulphur in plants and soil, Smart Fertilizer Management, http://www.sm artfertilizer.com/articles/sulfur retrieved 20 Mar 2017 Ward, G.M., Sulphur deficiency and toxicity symptoms in greenhouse tomatoes and cuc umbers (1975). http://www.nrcresearchpres s.com/doi/pdfplus/10.4141/c j ps76-020 retrieved 20 Mar 201 7.

Whipker, B.E., NC State Univer sity, Cooperative Extension Resources. Strawberry sulfur (S) deficiency. https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/ strawberry-sulfur-sdeficiency retrieved 20 Mar 2017

In tomatoes, chlorosis starts from the younger leaves and proceeds to the older leaves with ongoing deficiency. Leaves are uniformly light green or yellow.

(Image Yara)

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . April . 2017. 57

PUTTING THE â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Pâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; INTO SPACE german researchers are working on technology that will allow astronauts to use their own urine for growing food such as tomatoes in space.

Astronaut Chris Hadfield juggles tomatoes in space.

Jens Hauslage believes that future astronauts could easily use their own supply of urine to grow food such as tomatoes.

long-haul space travel has long been a goal of humankind but a major challenge lies in providing sustainable food sources to nourish space travellers.

Currently, almost all the food on the international space station (iss) is ferried up in cargo ships from earth. the only exception is a few lettuce and cabbage leaves astronauts have managed to grow in a hydroponics solution.

A solution might be at hand with news that a group of plant physiologists in Germany are attempting to solve this problem by experimenting with new ways to grow tomatoes, using materials that one would easily have access to in outer space… such as urine.

Jens Hauslage, who works for the German space agency DLR near Cologne is a plant physiologist who believes that future astronauts could easily use their own supply of urine to grow food such as tomatoes to sustain themselves on long-haul space trips.

60 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . April . 2017

“You will need more than protein bars,” Mr Hauslage said.

“The Earth is a closed biological system with plants producing oxygen and food, then you have the animals and the microbes to produce all the degradation processes in the soil.

“Without these systems, no sustainable long-term lifesupport system will be viable,” he said.

in tHe lAB For Hauslage’s experimental purposes, most of the urine being used is artificial so that the scientists can control its contents to determine exactly what works best.

However, eventually, the plan is to test this using the real thing in space.

In the laboratory, grey plastic drainpipes line the walls, attached to plastic boxes full of artificial urine. At the centre of the room, larger terracotta-coloured pipes rise

from plastic barrels of urine.

“The smaller columns can handle the urine of one person for a day,” Mr Hauslage said.

“The big columns can handle the urine of four to six people.”

Each of these columns is packed with pumice stone that is home to rich colonies of bacteria. These microbes feed on the urine pumped through the pipes, some bacteria convert ammonia into nitrites and others convert this into nitrate salts – fertiliser.

This controlled laboratory is a version of the nitrogen cycle that takes place naturally in soils and watercourses on Earth. As well as urine, this closed-loop biological system could be used to process leftover food or leaves that drop from a plant.

After developing the technology in the laboratory, the DLR science team will take it into orbit – later this year, the space agency will launch its Eu:cropis mission (Euglena and Combined Regenerative Organic Food

62 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . April . 2017

Production in Space), which consists of a metre-wide cylindrical satellite containing two miniature greenhouses.

Launched on a Falcon 9 rocket, the satellite will orbit the Earth carrying tomato seeds, a tank of synthetic urine and bacterial colonies.

“After launch we’ll spin the satellite and water the system,” Mr Hauslage said.

After six months the spin rate will be increased to simulate Martian gravity when the second greenhouse is brought online.

“The tomatoes will germinate and we’ll feed the system with urine to produce tomatoes,” he said.

The plants will be carefully monitored with an array of 16 cameras, with data sent back to Earth four times a day. Although this isn’t the first time tomatoes have flown in space, it is the first satellite dedicated to growing plants in a closed system. b https://www.nasa.gov/vision/space/travelinginspace/taking_food.

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