Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses

PRACTICAL

PONICS & GREENHOUSES The Commercial Growers’ Magazine

2017

JUNE

ISSUE 180

www.hydroponics.com.au

WASTE NOT: good waste management pays GREENHOUSE STRAWBERRY TRIALS

UNDERCOVER FARMING

Latest strawberry varietal trials in NZ

Avoiding basic mistakes in South Africa

KEEPING IT SIMPLE

LIGHT IN THE GREENHOUSE

Adding freshness to diets everywhere

Benefits of diffused glass

Published by: Casper Publications Pty Ltd (A.B.N. 67 064 029 303)

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From The Editor

From waste to wealth

Managing Editor Christine Brown-Paul c.brown.paul@gmail.com

Contributing Authors Bruce Christie Rick Donnan Damian Duggan-Jones Dr Mike Nichols Professor Gert Venter John White

Advertising Sales Mark Lewis Tel: +613 9432-5428 Email: marklewis@hydroponics.com.au

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F

ruit and vegetable production can result in the creation of large amounts of unwanted materials or waste products. Waste can create problems for growers (related to disposal), the community and the environment.

While dealing with waste is often not of priority for an individual grower, there is concern at an industry level that waste products are not appropriately managed.

The fruit and vegetable processing industry includes both fresh and processing value-adding activities. The major waste streams are organic waste; including fruit and vegetable peel and other waste parts and other raw material wastes.

Washing processes and packaging activities also generate waste.

On a global scale, it is estimated that between 10 per cent to 75 per cent of the fruit and vegetables that are processed contribute to an estimated two lac tons of an underutilised energy resource. Some of this waste ends up as animal feed and some is returned to the land as a nutrient. It is an important fact, that waste of fruits and vegetables is waste of a potential energy source – methane – with up to 50 per cent of fruit and vegetable waste that could potentially be converted to this fuel. Most agricultural anaerobic digestion systems will use manure as a primary component and add materials such as vegetable waste.

With increasing raw material costs, climate change risks and pressure from investors, employees and customers to increase the sustainability of their operations, focusing on waste management is critical to fruit and vegetable processing businesses.

Improving waste management can financially benefit businesses as well as the environment by: reducing the cost of purchasing materials (e.g. through avoiding disposal of damaged products); minimising waste treatment and disposal costs (and possibly generating alternative income streams by finding secondary markets for ‘waste’ products); reducing environmental impacts due to waste disposal and consumption of resources; and improving a business’ reputation and employee satisfaction through promoting an environmentally responsible image and providing an improved work environment.

Currently, the Australian vegetable industry is looking at the feasibility of alternative use of vegetable waste on-farm, and processing and reuse of waste.

Our lead story, Waste not (and others) awaits your reading pleasure!

www.hydroponics.com.au ISSN 2202-1485

Enjoy this issue!

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

A Magazine for

PRACTICAL

PONICS

Commercial Growers

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

& GREENHOUSES ISSUE 180 :: JUNE 2017 :: THE COMMERCIAL GROWERS’ MAGAZINE

Features Waste not . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

TRADE DIRECTORY

Focusing on waste management is critical to fruit and vegetable

Ace Greenhouses ..................19

processing businesses.

Bioline ................................33

Greenhouse strawberry trials . . . . . . 36 The latest report on greenhouse

Bluelab ...............................13 Bom Greenhouses .................63 Cultilene .............................45

strawberry cultivation in NZ with

Waste not

six different varieties.

Undercover farming: avoiding basic mistakes . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Why some greenhouse projects in

David Gill Greenhouses ..........59 Exfoliators.......................... 57 Extrusion Technologies Int .....65

South Africa have failed and how to avoid these mistakes.

Practical Light in the greenhouse . . . . . . . . . . . 40

GOTAFE ...............................17 GreenLife Structures ...............4 Pacer Profiles ......................58 Pestech ................................9 Powerplants ...................... IFC

Greenhouse strawberry trials

Diffused glass gives better light distribution through the greenhouse, with deeper penetration into the crop.

The final word . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 A look at the arguments for including hydroponics and aquaponics in the certified organics system.

Keeping it simple . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Priva ..................................21

Very Very Simple Hydroponics

Light in the greenhouse

(VVSH) is ideal for those who want to Disclaimer The information contained in this magazine whether in editorial matter or in feature

grow fresh produce easily.

Departments

articles or in advertisements is not published on the basis that the Publisher accepts or assumes

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

liability or responsibility to any reader of the magazine

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

for any loss or damage resulting from the correctness of such information.

www.hydroponics.com.au

Reader Inquiries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Cover: Waste management is critical to the future of solving world hunger.

The final word Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017. 5

PLANT BODIES JOIN FORCES TO STRENGTHEN BIOSECURITY Horticulture bodies have committed to strengthening their biosecurity focus by establishing a management plan and appointing key positions.

A partnership between Australia’s plant Research and Development Corporations (RDCs) has elected

Plant Health Australia chief executive, Greg Fraser, as chair and implemented a management plan. It is also in the process of recruiting a program director to oversee operations of the new initiative.

The group is made up of Wine Australia; Forest Wood Products Australia; Cotton Research and Development Corporation; Grains

Plant Health Australia chair, Darral Ashton, with newly appointed chair of the plant industries biosecurity partnership, Greg Fraser.

6 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017

Research and Development Corporation; Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation; Sugar Research Australia and Horticulture Innovation Australia.

Chief executive of lead plant biosecurity RDC Horticulture Innovation Australia, John Lloyd, said the move marked the next step

in creating a more efficient and effective plant biosecurity network that addresses investment gaps.

“The new stronger plant biosecurity approach is taking shape. Our efforts have been shaped by the advice of an independent expert after an examination of our current biosecurity investment activities and how they are prioritised,” he said.

“The next step is to get on with the job of determining a list of key threats to Australian food and fibre products, based on industry and government advice and research conducted so far.”

As the newly appointed chair, Mr Fraser said the collaborative approach was a step change approach utilising a more contemporary investment model that would safeguard the future of the food and fibre industries.

“Plant biosecurity in Australia has become highly reactive and fragmented in recent years, largely because there are many unconnected players,” he said.

“Through this initiative, the seven plant RDCs will provide a much better environment for both coordination and action.”

“As chair of this cross-sectoral biosecurity partnership, my sole focus will be bringing all of these stakeholders together to ensure that they are applying their respective skills and resources as a team in the very best possible manner.

This initiative is a first in Australian biosecurity history.”

Mr Fraser and representatives from the seven plant agencies are compiling a list of funding priorities and developing their approach to attract additional research investment to bolster the nation’s biosecurity approach.

ONLINE TRAINING BRINGS BEEKEEPERS UP TO STANDARD A new online training course was recently launched by the Australian Honey Bee Industry Council (AHBIC) and Plant Health Australia, to make it easy for beekeepers to find out how to care for honeybees in accordance with the new Australian Honey Bee Industry Biosecurity Code of Practice.

The Biosecurity for Beekeepers course explains why biosecurity is important to beekeepers, describes the main pest threats to hives and shows how to check hives for any sign of pests that can reduce bee numbers.

It is designed for people with a basic understanding of beekeeping practices, and all beekeepers will find it helpful.

AHBIC chairman, Lindsay Bourke, said that the course coincides with the introduction of the new Australian Honey Bee Industry Biosecurity Code of Practice so that all beekeepers can learn about the Code’s requirements and make sure that their practices meet the Code.

“All commercial beekeepers are encouraged to complete the course,” said Mr Bourke.

“It’s free if you’re a commercial beekeeper – you just need to get

online and enter the token code provided by your state or territory government. Token codes will be rolled out over coming weeks.”

“Hobby beekeepers will benefit from Biosecurity for Beekeepers as well,” Mr Bourke added, “and for them the cost is $20 – a very worthwhile investment.”

Plant Health Australia honeybee biosecurity project officer Michael Holmes said that the course is straightforward and gives beekeepers all they need to know.

“It should take around 90 minutes to do the course, and it can be done in more than one sitting,” Dr Holmes said.

“Once completed, there’s a short test to fill in, and then you get a certificate to demonstrate that you are qualified in procedures under the new Code.”

The course can be accessed from the BeeAware website at beeaware.org.au/training and instructions are available on the site.

This key element in improving bee biosecurity in Australia has been funded by the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation and the Australian Honey Bee Industry Council.

More information at: www.planthealthaustralia.com.au

Source: Good Fruit & Vegetables Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017. 7

WOULD YOU DRIVE A CAR MADE FROM PLANTS? On 17 May this year students from Eindhoven University of Technology (the Netherlands) presented a car made of bio-composite. The car, ‘Lina’, has been designed and built by a student team of Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e). The special thing about this car is that

the chassis, bodywork and the interior of the car are all made of natural and plant materials.

The team wants to show that the car is not only energy-efficient but has also been produced with a view to sustainability. The super-efficient consumption of the city car is down to its low weight of just 300 kilograms. The car is certified by the Netherlands Vehicle Authority as roadworthy and is suitable to carry four people.

TU/ecomotive has used a combination of bio-composite and bio-plastic for the chassis. The honeycomb structure bio-plastic, or PLA, is used as the core material and is manufactured entirely from sugar beet. It is enveloped in biocomposite sheets that have been composed on the basis of flax, a plant that is also grown in the Netherlands. In terms of its strength-weight ratio, the biocomposite is comparable with the familiar fiberglass but manufactured in a sustainable way. The bodywork is also flax-based.

The TU/e team will be present at the Shell Eco marathon in London from 25 till 28 May. Finally, the team will be touring the Netherlands.

Inventors say that this is the first car in the world that can be fully recycled.

8 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017

BETTER USE OF THE SUN’S ENERGY BY CROPS According to Mark Aarts, personal professor at the Laboratory of Genetics of Wageningen University & Research in The Netherlands, there is a great deal we can do to improve plant photosynthesis. This seems counterintuitive: after all, most crops appear to be very efficient in this regard. For decades, they have been selected for increased production – they use nutrients efficiently, they capture the sunlight in an optimal fashion, and largely apportion assimilates to their harvestable parts, such as fruits, tubers or grains. However, a blind spot has become apparent in recent years: many crops do not utilise the collected solar energy as efficiently as they could for photosynthesis.

The efficiency of photosynthesis was already broadly investigated in the 1980s. While the idea was to improve it, this was found to be unfeasible.

“The consensus was that

photosynthesis was already very efficient and that did not seem to be much genetic variation suitable for selection,” said professor Aarts.

“Today, we have a better understanding of the genes involved and more precise measuring tools.

We know that many genes play a role in photosynthesis and that there is considerable variation in the

efficiency of sub-processes.

Although the variation is often in the order of a few percent, once the various small contributions of selection and breeding are added up the difference may well be 10 to 20 per cent.”

The Wageningen University & Research chair groups Genetics and Horticulture & Product Physiology

together investigate the opportunities. Breeding companies are very interested in this type of research and support it financially.

“Currently, photosynthesis by plants is probably optimal for a wild, natural situation, but may be optimised for a crop cultivation setting,” Prof Aarts said.

Under optimal conditions, the

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017. 9

differences in the efficiency of photosynthesis are small. However, stress such as excessive cold, heat or drought can bring out substantial differences in efficiency, and this allows for selection. The current research is carried out on the model plant Arabidopsis, or thale cress, because all its genes have been mapped and their DNA sequences are exactly known.

“To discover the comparatively tiny differences, it is necessary to repeatedly carry out simultaneous measurements in controlled conditions. This is very challenging to do in the field,” Prof Aarts said.

“And even if you would temporarily move the plants into a climate cell you will have trouble identifying heritable differences. Plants must first acclimatise before the variation is detectable. And those small differences are relevant: if we can boost 10 different characteristics with this method, the ultimate improvement will be 10 to 20 per cent. Moreover, there is not necessarily a linear relationship between photosynthesis efficiency and production. A higher efficiency can lead to larger yields, but also, for example, to increased production of substances that protect the plants from predators. This means that the result of selection may not be obvious at first sight.”

LARGE GREENHOUSE COMPLEX FOR RUSSIA Acting Governor of the Yaroslavl region in Russia, Dmitriy Mironov and business representatives recently signed several important agreements. One of the agreements was related to the construction of a big greenhouse complex in Rostov district.

It is expected that the new complex would be equipped with

modern fixtures for year-round cultivation of vegetables.

Investments are estimated at 5 billion RUB. The new facility will provide 300 workplaces.

Next year, it is expected that supply volumes to the other regions of Russia will be also increased.

Among the partners – large fruit and vegetable facilities in Moscow, Novosibirsk, Arkhangelsk, wholesale markets of the Kostroma and Ivanovo regions. This year 162 million RUB were allocated to the combine. A facility, which was built in 2010, occupies the territory of more than 1 ha and employs 127 people.

AUSTRALIAN VEGGIES INCREASINGLY POPULAR OVERSEAS The Australian vegetable body, AUSVEG, says demand for Australian products continues to grow each year.

In the 2015-16 financial year, Australia exported 209,871 tonnes of fresh vegetables, valued at $226.5 million, with key markets including Singapore ($36M), the United Arab Emirates ($33M) and Japan ($25M).

“Australian vegetable exports to Singapore and the United Arab

10 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017

Emirates have increased by 29 per cent and 24 per cent respectively since 2013-14,” said Shaun Lindhe, AUSVEG National Communications Manager.

The representative group says it is continuing to make ground in Japan, through new varieties of produce.

“Japan granted market access for Australian cucurbits in late 2016, which includes melons and pumpkins,” Mr Lindhe said.

“We are confident that demand for our produce will continue to increase so that potential trade partners will seek out

Australian vegetables.”

AUSVEG is continuing to monitor vegetable growing regions in Queensland, after last month’s tropical cyclone.

“At this stage it is too early to predict the full extent of the damage on affected crops, as the magnitude of damage caused by Cyclone Debbie is still being assessed,” Mr Lindhe said.

The category four cyclone struck off the Queensland coast near Bowen late last month. The horticulture industry in the region is worth $450 million a year, employing 3,200 workers and it is expected that every property was affected in some way.

“Prices for vegetables are naturally affected by supply and demand, including supply gaps like those that occur after severe weather Events damage crops and farm infrastructure,” Mr Lindhe said.

“However, given that there are a number of other factors affecting price – including the ability of growers in other regions to meet supply gaps – it’s difficult to say what price variations may be.”

More information at: www.ausveg.com.au

AUSTRALIA’S NEXT OIL BOOM MIGHT JUST COME FROM PLANTS Research by CSIRO now makes it possible to produce oil in the leaves and stems of plants as well as the seeds, which promises to be a game changer in the global production of renewable oils.

US-based company Amfora and CSIRO recently signed an agreement that will advance development and commercialisation of the technology to produce energy-rich feed for livestock.

Innovation Leader with CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Allan Green, said that this was the first of many applications of the technology, which could also be used for human food, biofuels and industrial uses.

“Previously it has only been possible to extract oil from the oilrich seeds and fruits of some specialised plants, such as canola, soybean, sunflower, coconut and oil palm,” Dr Green said.

“What we have been able to do is switch on this high-level oil production in vegetative tissue, such as in stems and leaves, as well.”

In some plants, the research team has been able to get around 35 per cent oil content into vegetative tissue; the same amount as in many

oil seed crops.

“If the technology were applied to existing oil crops it could potentially treble oil productivity and greatly expand renewable oil production worldwide,” Dr Green said.

“We are using solar energy captured by the plant to convert the leaf’s starch reserves into more energy-dense oil molecules, which significantly increases the energy value of the vegetative tissue where the oil accumulates.”

CSIRO Chief Executive Larry Marshall said the work demonstrates the capacity of Australian researchers to develop innovative solutions for global industries.

“It is estimated that in 20 years’ time we will need 50 per cent more plant-based oils just to meet the nutritional needs of a global population, and there is also a growing demand for renewable biofuels,” Dr Marshall said.

“CSIRO’s relationship with Amfora, under which CSIRO will become a significant shareholder, is an excellent demonstration of our Strategy 2020 in action.

“We are driving profound global impact from this breakthrough innovation, benefiting Australian farmers and securing a revenue

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017. 11

stream back to Australia to support further research that will keep Australia at the leading edge of competition.”

Amfora will use the technology to develop oil content in the vegetative tissue of corn and sorghum, meaning they can market a feed for dairy farmers that does not require them to purchase additional oils, such as tallow or cotton seed, to supplement feeds.

Future applications, such as the production of industrial oils and biobased diesel, will require further industrial supply chain development to customise techniques for extracting the oil and converting it to suitable products.

CLEARWATER ORGANIC FARMS TO BUILD A HYDROPONIC GREENHOUSE IN NEW YORK On May 10, New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced the nation’s largest hydroponic commercial greenhouse would locate its operations in Monroe County in upstate New York.

Clearwater Organic Farms, LLC, will build a 15-acre, 650,000 squarefoot facility at Eastman Business Park. The company will produce fresh, locally grown, organic baby leaf greens year round.

The project will create 137 new full-time jobs, many of which are

reserved for veterans or those who are underemployed to support the region’s anti-poverty agenda.

Phillip Theodore, Organic Farms’ chief executive officer said: “We are very pleased with the level of support that we’ve received from the State of New York the County of Monroe and COMIDA to bring innovative and leading technology to the Finger Lakes Region. Furthermore we’ll be providing pesticide-free, fresh, locally grown and organic produce on a year round basis to the consumers in a 400 mile radius of the city of Rochester.”

“When we set out to plan and design Clearwater Organic Farms, Rochester, our goal was to build a world class baby leaf production facility using ‘state-of-the- art’ process technology and grow science that would both be environmentally and socially responsible,” said Peter Ciriello, Clearwater Organic Farms partner.

“We recognised that we could create real value in growing and providing fresh, local and safe baby leaf vegetables and herbs to the local markets and still have a project that would be energy efficient and one that would provide job and career opportunities for workers that might not otherwise be able to work in food production.”

12 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017

THE IDEAL TRAP FOR PEST INSECTS Trap systems for catching insects in greenhouses and in the field are not as effective as they should be. The probable cause is that insects cannot see the current designs very well and do not land directly on these traps. Basic research is underway to pave the way for more effective trap systems and less use of chemical pesticides.

“There is currently very little fundamental research being conducted into the effectiveness of trap systems in greenhouses and in the field,” said entomologist Rob van Tol of Wageningen University & Research.

“What we do know mainly stems from comparative research: we see that a given system captures more bugs than another due to different circumstances. But if we look at the effectiveness, usually only 10 to 15 per cent or even fewer of the insects present actually land in a trap. Many insects do get lured to the trap with scents, but change course at the last minute. This can be compared to a runway without proper markings, where the pilot cannot perceive depth and takes off again.”

The international research project ‘Are more visible traps more effective?’ will, over the coming few years, answer the question of how

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017. 13

insects detect objects. The fact that trap systems only partly work seems to be due to the exact way in which insects see colours, patterns and objects, as Van Tol explains: “An insect eye is composed of many separate tiny lenses, each of which has its own limited scope. We want to assess how bugs see and what they see. Next we can look at how they use their visual ability to orient themselves and decide whether or not to land on an object.”

The research focuses specifically on two notorious pest insects: the European tarnished plant bug and Western flower thrips. Van Tol expects that the project may provide a breakthrough: “If we know how an insect perceives differences as it approaches an object, we can develop models for effective trap systems. We are, as it were, looking to design the perfect runway to capture harmful insects.”

Better traps leading to fewer chemicals. If Van Tol and his colleagues succeed it will offer

major opportunities for producers of trap systems.

“Better traps on the market would ensure better monitoring but also more insects will get contaminated with insecticidal fungi in a so-called ‘Lure & Infect’ strategy. We can also simply trap insects en masse and render them harmless, effectively culling them and leaving much smaller numbers to affect the crop.

This means far fewer chemicals would be needed to combat the pests and, in that sense, the project would contribute to a more sustainable agriculture.”

ALGAE: OUR ORIGINAL OMEGA-3 SOURCE Omega-3 fatty acids play an important role in our diets in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and for normal vision and brain functions. We eat (oily) fish products or use pharmaceuticals, dietary supplements based on fish oil for this purpose. However, fish cannot produce omega-3 by itself,

14 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017

but obtain them from algae.

PUFAs are poly unsaturated fatty acids or omega-3 fatty acids. These PUFAs, in particular DHA and EPA, play an important role in our health.

EPA and DHA are found in fish and shellfish. High levels can be found in fatty fish, such as anchovy, mackerel, herring and salmon. However, fish cannot make their own DHA and EPA, they obtain them from algae.

Wageningen University & Research in The Netherlands works together with other research institutes and companies to in the EU project PUFAChain, to develop a robust scientific and technological basis for the industrial development of high-value products from microalgae.

“DHA/EPA health claim approvals, improvement in standard of living and increasing health awareness made the DHA/EPA world market grow significantly. The same applies to the global fish production and consumption. At present, more than half of the fish consumption is from

farmed fish instead of captured, but the fish feed for several farmed fish species also consists of fishmeal and oil,” said a spokesperson.

“To meet this growing demand and to prevent overfishing and to avoid dependence on fluctuating catches

by El Niño, other sources of omega3 than fish or fish oil should be sought. In baby food for example DHA from algae is used. Not only for the DHA/EPA consumer market, but also for the fish feed market, for example for salmon farming, algae could be an interesting option.

Reduction of production costs for DHA/EPA rich algae oil is needed to be able to compete with fish oil in these price-sensitive markets.”

CHINESE GREENHOUSE BUSINESS “BOOMING” In April this year, the Dutch embassy trade mission visited Qingdao and Yantai in Shandong province, the third economic power and leading vegetable grower and exporter in China. As part of the mission, a Sino-Dutch Modern Agriculture (Greenhouse) Technology Seminar was organised in Qingdao and Yantai respectively. Approximately 150 people from local growers,

researchers, and government officials participated in these two events.

The trade mission was organised

by The Netherlands embassy in Beijing and The Netherlands Business Support Office (NBSO) in Qingdao and Jinan. NBSO Qingdao and Jinan, as the regional office of Dutch Government trade organisations, maintains strong relations with the local Chinese government and companies.

Together with the participation of Mr. Andre Driessen, the chargé d’affaires of the embassy, an intensive program was carried out which attracted many Chinese companies interested in using advanced Dutch technology, seeds and knowledge offered by companies such as Ridder HortiMaX, Rijk Zwaan, Wageningen UR, Metazet, Hoogendoorn, Van Iperen, and Dalsem.

According to Fulco Wijdooge, general manager of Ridder HortiMaX China, “it was one of the best trade missions I have participated in; well organised by the Chinese authorities of Qingdao and Yantai, NBSO and the Dutch embassy, featuring interesting meetings with Chinese

growers and investors who had straightforward requests, such as building a 50 ha greenhouse project, as well as how to upgrade blueberry production facilities.”

Also the China office and testing area of renowned Dutch seed company Rijk Zwaan was visited. Mr Sun Zhongkui, the general manager, gave a presentation, which showed the development of their activities in the last 18 years. Rijk Zwaan has built up a very good brand reputation in the Chinese market and is one of the pearls of Dutch horticulture in China. Business is booming and they will relocate their activities to a new location in Qingdao and set up an even larger company with a bigger testing base.

“There is tremendous activity now in the horticulture sector with largescale projects planned, whereas the growth in other sectors has slowed down in China.

After Chinese New Year, it is usually quiet for some months, but at this moment we already received many orders and are working on a number of new large scale projects such as the 7 ha Dongying greenhouse project,” said Mr Zhongkui. b

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017. 15

HYDROPONIC BLUEBERRY CULTIVATION ON THE INCREASE Blueberry production and consumption has been increasing rapidly in recent years.

Greenhouses and mainly tunnels are being used to extend the growing season and harvesting period. Blueberries are traditionally grown in the ground. The soil should be well drained, yet with sufficient moisture holding capacity.

Leading international company, Pelemix specialises in the coircocopeat substrate markets for hydroponics growers and nurseries.

“Optimising blueberry production requires a high level of control, a balanced air-to-water ratio in the ground of growing media, proper micro-irrigation and fertilisation.

All these can be achieved when using soilless technology in general and coco-coir in particular,” said Eli Shalmon, Pelemix International marketing manager.

“To meet increasing demand in blueberry growth and production, Pelemix developed the 3B: BlueBerryBlend.

“We are active daily in more than 30 territories, over the past five to six years we have been tracing

closely the increase in blueberries and raspberries crop development in most of them. Most of the planting were made in soil but more and more growers were facing problems with their crops, thus looking for soilless solutions,” Mr Shalmon said.

“Part of our main sales strategy is working close with the growers. Our local presence in most of the key countries which leads the BB crop actually requested to develop a ready-to-use solution that will have a professional and economical advantage, compared to the traditional concept of growing in soil, or ‘local’ alternatives for soilless solutions.

“Our 3B – BlueBerryBlend coirbased solution was developed by our R&D team, in close collaboration with crop specialists and key blueberry growers,” he said.

Pelemix developed two of its coir production facilities in Sri Lanka and one in India, using special equipment to produce the 3B series in large scale, in order to meet the increasing demand and keep the quality requested.

“The 3B Multi-Drain OT [open top] System for blueberries has been created by combining an ideal

volume with special coco-coir blend, an innovated form of Pelemix OT products category,” Mr Shalmon said.

“With 3B growers can achieve higher field density, improved drainage in the OT resulting in better root development and health, higher yield per plant, earlier harvest, premium quality fruits and faster return on investment, while also saving on labour.”

Pelemix also offers different alternatives for blueberries and other soft fruit growers that can match specific container dimensions and shapes.

“The ‘DuoSla’ - compressed coir based on naked slab that matches different pots and containers with different container dimensions and shapes for blueberry and raspberry production as well,” Mr Shalmon said.

Coir & Peat based substrate in 5M3 ‘big bales’ [BB5 Blueberry mix] – is produced and shipped from Pelemix SL, the company's substrate factory in Spain. There are several formulas available for different climates and growing conditions.

“Pelemix is planning five years ahead with all the soft fruit sectors.

This planning includes new investments in production facilities to meet the increasing demand and in order to improve the ‘just in time and local stock-in-hand’ concept for growers’ convenience,” Mr Shalmon said.

“Pelemix's new production site in Thailand is the first stage of the above strategy. We are also developing their agronomy support team worldwide and strengthening the abilities to give this support in all places in real time.”

More information at: www.pelemix.com

16 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017

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LET THE SUN MANAGE YOUR LIGHTS WITH LUMIGROW GROW LIGHT SENSOR LumiGrow, a smart horticultural lighting company, has announced that it has begun a pilot program for the industry’s first dynamic horticultural grow light sensor. The grow light sensor works in tandem with LumiGrow LEDs to target the precise amount of light that a plant receives. By specifying precise light levels, greenhouse crops can experience perfect lighting conditions regardless of changes in weather or other lightlimiting factors.

Dr. Melanie Yelton, VP of Research at LumiGrow stated, “Our Plant Research Group has been working directly with major commercial growers and research institutions to discover new ways that light can be used to improve crop quality and production. It’s through these partnerships that we’ve come to understand how controlling light levels dynamically and specifying the length of time that crops receive illumination (known as photoperiod),

can improve quality and biomass.”

The LumiGrow Grow Light Sensor works in conjunction with the LumiGrow SmartPARTM Wireless Control System, a cloud-based software that empowers growers to schedule changes in light intensity and spectrum by zone. The sensor measures how much of the sun’s light enters the greenhouse, then feeds this information into the SmartPARTM System to automatically adjust LumiGrow LEDs and manage precise light levels inside the greenhouse.

“Greenhouse lighting that adjusts with the sun’s intensity has potentially huge benefits towards increasing electrical efficiency and cost savings,” said LumiGrow CEO, Shami Patel.

“The LumiGrow Grow Light Sensor is really the next logical step in smart horticultural lighting.

The sensor makes our lighting even more dynamic and easier to use, because there’s really nothing easier than having the sun manage your lights.”

By having lights that ramp up or

down due to outside conditions, LumiGrow is taking grow light technology further away from static full-power settings, a potentially wasteful and expensive strategy.

Traditionally, High Pressure Sodium (HPS) lamps were an industry standard, but as with many older technologies there have been limitations. When creating a lighting strategy that optimises growth while maximising growers’ profits, HPS technology cannot adjust to changes in crop production requirements.

The LumiGrow Grow Light Sensor is a pilot product aimed at redefining how growers use and think about light.

“LumiGrow was the first horticultural LED lighting company to introduce adjustable spectrum technology to the global market a decade ago,” said Shami Patel.

“As pioneers of smart greenhouse lighting we continue to explore the ways that light can be used to improve growth strategies from a comprehensive perspective.

We really do see ourselves as more than a lighting company”.

ABOUT LUMIGROW INC. LumiGrow, Inc., the leader in smart horticultural lighting, empowers growers and scientists with the ability to improve plant growth, boost crop yields, and achieve cost-saving operational efficiencies. LumiGrow offers a range of proven grow light solutions for use in greenhouses, controlled environment agriculture and research chambers. LumiGrow solutions are eligible for energyefficiency subsidies from utilities across North America.

For more information, call (800) 5140487 or visit www.lumigrow.com.

In Australia/New Zealand contact Bioline Global 02 46660010 or www.biolineglobal.com.au 18 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017

MOVING HYDROPONIC GULLY SYSTEM EXCELS FOR CLIENT Recently, Pacer Profiles were given the task of supplying 54,000 metres of hydroponic gully for a new growing operation in Griffith, NSW. The client, Grow Systems Australia headed up by Mark Lines, was focused on the quality and consistency of the moving gully. The moving gully system is heavily reliant on very consistent gully lengths, as well as the profile being geometrically sound to enable the mechanics of the system to work faultlessly. The system keeps the gullies close together when the plants are small and moves them apart as they grow and work their way through the growing system.

Inconsistent hole positions compromise this effect if plant spacing becomes irregular.

“Pacer Profiles were able to demonstrate that using their new

triple-head CNC router and other specific production equipment, the tight tolerances demanded by the client were able to be achieved,” said a company spokesperson.

“We also showed that the high impact material we use is ideal for the durability required for a moving system. Combined with the high level of UV stabilisers, these gullies will perform for many years into the future.”

There are one-piece and two-piece

gullies available for fixed bench systems and also a smaller gully that will be released at the PCA Conference in July, specifically for use in smaller plants such as Bok Choi, chives etc, which will enable much more output from a given area.

This small gully can be used in a fixed or moving system.

Further information: call Pacer Profiles on 61 8 8252 3333 or go the website at www.pacerprofiles.com.au/products/nftchannel-hydroponics/

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017. 19

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

Question: What is hydronic greenhouse heating?

I am a commercial grower of hydroponic tomatoes in basic unheated plastic tunnel houses. My yields are reasonable, but far lower than I am told growers achieve in good heated greenhouses.

I am considering upgrading to a better heated greenhouse.

I often see references to hydronic heating as a common method for heating greenhouses. Would you please explain what hydronic heating is?

AnsWer: Hydronic heating In its most basic form hydroponic heating is the use of hot water to heat a space. In domestic use water is pumped from some type of heater and recirculated through metal heating panels in rooms. In greenhouses the water is typically heated in a boiler and recirculated through steel pipes usually just above the floor of the greenhouse.

Pipe systems Hydronic heating water is recirculated through steel pipes usually about 5 cm (2 inches) outside diameter. Particularly for vine vegetable crops they are laid to form trolley rails about 50 cm (20 inches) apart and on supports making them about 10 cm (4 inches) above the floor. (Different countries 20 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017

and manufacturers have different specifications.) The pair of rails is looped, usually at the aisle end of each row.

Hot water is pumped in through a manifold at the wall end of the row, feeding into one side of every pair of rails. The cooler water returns through the other rail into a cool water manifold. The simple way to set up these manifolds is to have them both start and finish at the same end, near the boiler. If done in this way the pipes nearest the boiler have a much shorter flow path than the pipes at the far end of the manifold. Consequently the temperatures in the pairs of pipes will be significantly different, which gives irregular heating.

The way around this is to use the ‘Tickelmann’ layout.

Here an extra pipe is installed to start the cool manifold at the opposite end to the boiler. Now the total path through every pair of rails is identical and hence the temperature drop between the inlet and outlet of every pair of pipes should be the same. This also results in the average temperature between the incoming and outgoing pipes being the same at any point along the row. All of this results in giving a uniform spread of heat input across the greenhouse floor.

trolleys The pipes can also be used as trolley rails, especially useful for vine crops. They have flanged steel wheels for running on

the rails together with rubber tyred wheels for running on concrete. There are several types of trolley used, but the main ones are trolley bins for harvesting and scissor lift trolleys for working the crop. Crop working includes functions such as removing laterals, deleafing, and layering, which is mainly used with tomatoes. Here a reel of string hangs from a wire and is clipped to or wound around a single stem then unwound and moved along the wire as the stem grows. A single tomato plant grown for a year can reach as much as 15 metres (50 feet) long when layered.

Boiler Boilers can produce either hot water or steam. For greenhouse use it is sensible to use hot water rather than steam because steam is too hot and hence a danger to plants and people. In simple terms a boiler is a large drum with a combustion chamber and tubes running through the drum. Most greenhouses use a fire tube boiler, that is, the water is in the drum and the hot combustion gases flow through the tubes to heat the water. There is also another type called a water tube boiler where the format is reversed.

A range of fuels can be used. The cleanest is gas, but it is possible to use waste oil, coal or biofuels, although these require boiler modifications and often require frequent cleaning. In all cases the combustion products are discharged from the boiler are hot, but it is possible to cool the discharge gases by installing a condenser (also known as an economiser), which also increases the boiler efficiency.

dioxide (CO2) and water vapour (H2O). Carbon dioxide is the major plant food because it is vital for photosynthesis, hence the CO2 produced could be used as food for the crop rather than just discharged to the atmosphere. For the CO2 to be used this way it must be cooled (by a condenser) and clean.

The gases from burning coal and waste oil are not clean enough to use in the greenhouse. Where combustion gases are used as a source of CO2 there should be a NOx (noxious gas) detector installed. The possible dangerous gases are ethylene (to plants) and carbon monoxide (to humans).

Heat storage buffer tank A major problem with potential use of boiler gas for CO2 enrichment is that most is produced through the night for heating when there is no demand for photosynthesis and little produced through the day when it could be used.

This can be overcome by the installation of a heat storage buffer tank. This is a large heavily insulated tank always full of water and linked to the boiler. The boiler is then run through the day to produce CO2 for enrichment (and hence increased yield). Apart from any small amount needed for heating the greenhouse, the heat is used to heat the water in the buffer tank. Then during the following night the hot water is recirculated through the pipes to maintain the temperature of the greenhouse.

The use of the buffer tank has the twin benefits of providing CO2 enrichment to increase yield, and also reducing the CO2 emissions from the boiler discharged into

Carbon dioxide

the atmosphere. b rD

Whatever fuel is used in the boiler it burns to form carbon

Got a question for Rick? Email him: info@hydroponics.com.au

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017. 21

W

WASTE NOT As Australians discard up to 20 per cent of the food they purchase – mostly consisting of fruit and vegetables – industry experts say that food waste in industrialised countries can be reduced by raising awareness among food industries, retailers and consumers.

By Christine Brown-Paul

in a recent study – Global Food Losses and Food Waste – conducted by the Food and Agriculture organization of the united nations (FAo), it was revealed that roughly one-third of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted globally, which amounts to about 1.3 billion tons per year. this inevitably also means that huge amounts of the resources used in food production are used in vain, and that the greenhouse gas emissions caused by production of food that gets lost or wasted are also emissions in vain.

The study – by authors Jenny Gustavsson, Christel Cederberg and Ulf Sonesson from the Swedish Institute for Food and Biotechnology (SIK) Gothenburg, Sweden – highlights the losses occurring along the entire food chain, and makes assessments of their magnitude.

Further, it identifies causes of food losses and possible ways of preventing them.

In the US, thanks to a “cult of perfection” almost as much food as is consumed is thrown away, deepening hunger and poverty, and inflicting a heavy toll on the environment.

Additionally, huge quantities of fresh produce grown in the US are left in the field to rot, fed to livestock or hauled directly from the field to landfill, because of unrealistic and unyielding cosmetic standards, according to official data and interviews with dozens of farmers, packers, truckers, researchers, campaigners and government officials.

“It’s all about blemish-free produce,” said Jay Johnson,

Sydney Market has implemented new strategies to sustainably manage waste.

Photo: Steven Siewert

24 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017

who ships fresh fruit and vegetables from North Carolina and central Florida.

“What happens in our business today is that it is either perfect, or it gets rejected. It is perfect to them, or they turn it down. And then you are stuck.”

Frequently described as a “farm-to-fork” problem, food waste happens across a number of areas – produce is lost in fields, warehouses, packaging, distribution, supermarkets, restaurants and fridges.

“Food is lost or wasted throughout the supply chain, from initial agricultural production down to final household consumption. In medium- and high-income countries food is to a significant extent wasted at the consumption stage, meaning that it is discarded even if it is still suitable for human consumption. Significant losses also occur early in the food supply chains in the industrialised regions. In low-income countries food is lost mostly during the early and middle stages of the food supply chain; much less food is wasted at the consumer level,” said the authors of the FAO study.

“Overall, on a per-capita basis, much more food is wasted in the industrialised world than in developing countries. We estimate that the per capita food waste by consumers in Europe and North America is 95-115 kg/year, while this figure in sub-Saharan Africa and South/Southeast Asia is only 6-11 kg/year.

“The causes of food losses and waste in low-income countries are mainly connected to financial, managerial and technical limitations in harvesting techniques,

Edible food dumped by vendors in a New York market.

There is a demand for ‘blemish-free produce’ in the industry.

Photo: LA Times/Getty

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017. 25

storage and cooling facilities in difficult climatic conditions, infrastructure, packaging and marketing systems. Given that many smallholder farmers in developing countries live on the margins of food insecurity, a reduction in food losses could have an immediate and significant impact on their livelihoods,” they said.

“The food supply chains in developing countries need to be strengthened by, inter alia, encouraging small farmers to organise and to diversify and upscale their production and marketing. Investments in infrastructure, transportation, food industries and packaging industries are also required. Both the public and private sectors have a role to play in achieving this.

“The causes of food losses and waste in medium/highincome countries mainly relate to consumer behaviour as well as to a lack of coordination between different actors in the supply chain. Farmer-buyer sales agreements may contribute to quantities of farm crops being wasted. Food can be wasted due to quality standards, which reject food items not perfect in shape or appearance. At the consumer level, insufficient purchase planning and expiring ‘best-before-dates’ also cause large amounts of waste, in combination with the careless attitude of those consumers who can afford to waste food,” the authors stated.

“Food waste in industrialised countries can be reduced by raising awareness among food industries, retailers and consumers. There is a need to find good and beneficial use for safe food that is presently thrown away.

The study revealed that there are major data gaps in the knowledge of global food loss and waste. Further research in the area is urgent.”

tyPes oF FooD Losses AnD WAste In the study, five system boundaries were distinguished in the food supply chains (FSC) of vegetable and animal commodities. Food loss/ waste was estimated for each of these segments of the FSC. The following aspects were considered:

VeGetABLe CommoDities AnD ProDuCts: Agricultural production: losses due to mechanical damage and/or spillage during harvest operation (e.g. threshing or fruit picking), crops sorted out postharvest, etc.

Post-harvest handling and storage: including losses due to spillage and degradation during handling, storage and transportation between farm and distribution.

Processing: including losses due to spillage and 26 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017

degradation during industrial or domestic processing, e.g. juice production, canning and bread baking. Losses may occur when crops are sorted out if not suitable to process or during washing, peeling, slicing and boiling or during process interruptions and accidental spillage.

Distribution: including losses and waste in the market system, at e.g. wholesale markets, supermarkets, retailers and wet markets.

Consumption: including losses and waste during consumption at the household level.

Australia: fruit and vegetable consumption and waste It is estimated that Australians discard up to 20 per cent of the food they purchase, which equates to around one out of every five bags of groceries they buy. For the average Australian household, $1,036 of food is thrown away every year.

In terms of fruit and vegetable consumption it is estimated that between 20-40 per cent of fruit and vegetables are rejected by consumers even before they reach the shops mostly because the produce does not match consumers’ and supermarket’ high cosmetic standards.

In her report, “Fruit and Vegetable Consumption and Waste in Australia”, Emily Morgan, Fulbright Scholar at VicHealth and Deakin University, Melbourne, writes that one of the fundamental failures of the current food system is the low consumption / high waste paradigm for fruit and vegetables.

“Despite their exceptional nutritional qualities and preferential environmental profiles compared to animalbased products, fruit and vegetables are consistently undervalued. Only a small fraction of Australians eat the recommended five serves of vegetables and two serves of fruit per day,” Ms Morgan said.

“At the same time, wastage is high all along the food system, with consumers alone throwing away up to a third of the fresh produce that they purchase.

“Food losses are frequently divided into three broad categories: avoidable food losses, unavoidable food losses and possibly avoidable food losses. Avoidable food losses are comprised of truly edible food items, in contrast to unavoidable food waste, which is comprised of inedible parts of food products, such as eggshells, bones and banana peels. Possibly avoidable food waste represents items that are frequently discarded as inedible, but can actually be eaten by humans. Some examples of possibly avoidable food waste include potato peels and beetroot greens,” she said.

“A product is considered a ‘food loss’ when it is not consumed by a human, but this does not imply that the

Compost collection at Union Square Greenmarket in New York.

Photo: Alamy

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017. 27

food does not stay within the food system or is not fully utilised for another purpose. For example, food, which is turned into compost or digested into biogas would be considered a food loss even though it is utilised in another way. Food losses are typically referred to as food waste, but they are not truly wasted unless they are not utilised for another purpose.

Ms Morgan states that a recent Senate report on Australia’s waste streams highlighted the lack of reliable, comprehensive and contemporary waste information at the Commonwealth level as a theme throughout its investigation.

“Although waste audits are done regularly across the country, gaps in geographical coverage occur, the quality and consistency of the data varies between regions and definitions of waste are sometimes conflicting. As a result, comparing the success of waste management

Spoiled produce at Sydney Market is sent to the nearby Earthpower facility to be converted into energy, Photo: Steven Siewert

28 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017

schemes between different areas is problematic,” she said.

“Processing also results in substantial food losses.

Rather than terming lost food as ‘waste’, the processing sector prefers the term ‘process by-product’. This discourse shift may seem subtle, but it underlies a fundamental philosophy of waste avoidance throughout the industry. Any inputs that cannot be fully utilised represent a lost profit and, in the case of food waste, may actually represent an additional cost.

“Nonetheless, in terms of total volume, food processing remains a major area of food losses along the supply chain. Research undertaken by the UK Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) estimated that 33 per cent of total food lost after leaving the farm is lost at the manufacturing level (DEFRA, 2007; Johnson & Parry, 2008),” she said.

Squash left to rot in a field in Florida.

Globally, about one-third of food is wasted: a total of 1.6 bn tonnes a year.

Photo: Alamy

“Supermarket chains and retail industry peak bodies in Australia recommend that stores should not have wastage in excess of four per cent of their produce turnover. In the UK, research has demonstrated that 13 per cent of total food lost from the food system after the farm gate is lost by supermarkets during retail. This discrepancy between Australia and the UK could be the result of actual differences in wastage between countries or a difference between what the retailing sector aspires to and what actually takes place. Much of the wastage that occurs in food retailing can be attributed to deterioration and neglect (DEFRA, 2007).”

According to Ms Morgan, industry experts note that the mechanisation of food supply system logistics has supported a general down-skilling of the personnel working in retail outlets. These experts say that today’s retail personnel have less knowledge of the products that they are managing and fewer food-handling skills than previous generations of retailers.

“Food losses in the food service sector (restaurants, pubs, caterers, hospitals, etc) are also frequently attributed to a skill loss in the industry. For the past 30 years Australia has had a shortage of trained food service personnel. This shortage has prompted the former Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs to fund a working group to investigate the situation in 2001 (Working Group for the Food Trade Skill Shortages Project, 2001). Chefs note that today rapid training schemes and inexperience in food management and portion control result in food waste,” Ms Morgan said.

“However, they also point out that it is becoming increasingly common for restaurants to use preportioned or frozen items to try to combat this waste production. Most food losses [over 50 per cent], however, occur at the consumer level (DEFRA, 2007). In the UK, 6.7 million tonnes of food is discarded by consumers each year, compared to 4.1 million tonnes by manufacturers and 1.6 million tonnes by retailers. This equates to

consumers throwing away a third of food purchased.

(DEFRA, 2007; Johnson & Parry, 2008).

“Furthermore, their research revealed that most of the food discarded at the consumer level can be eaten: 61 per cent of food wasted is classified as avoidable food losses, 20 per cent as possibly avoidable losses and 19 per cent as unavoidable losses. By cost, 35 per cent of this wasted food is comprised of fruit and vegetables and by weight, 40 per cent is fruit and vegetables,” she said.

“Consumer research by the UK’s Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) revealed that most food waste is the result of food being left uneaten on plates, passing its ‘best before’ or ‘use by’ date, looking, smelling or tasting bad, or going mouldy. Cooking and preparing too much food was also highlighted as a major cause of wastage (Ventour, 2008). “ In 2005, the Australia Institute put a dollar figure on national household food wastage. Its ‘Wasteful Consumption in Australia’ report examined Australia’s consumption patterns by identifying the immense quantity of goods and services that are never or hardly ever used. The report found that food accounts for most of this wasteful consumption. It revealed that Australian consumers threw away $5.3 billion worth of food in 2004, over half of which was fresh food, such as fruit and vegetables. This sum represents over thirteen times the amount donated by Australian households to oversees aid agencies in 2003 (Hamilton, Denniss, & Baker, 2005).

rePurPosinG DisCArDeD Fruit AnD VeGetABLes Sydney Markets is the largest fresh fruit and vegetable wholesale market in Australia and one of the largest in the world. It caters primarily to professional buyers from supermarkets, restaurants and greengrocers but its also open to the public.

However, of the 2.5 million tonnes of produce to pass through the markets each year, there are 25,000 tonnes, Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017. 29

In 2004, Australia’s first perishable food rescue organisation, OzHarvest began its operations.

which will never make it to the plate. Mould on just one strawberry can spread throughout multiple punnets, watermelons smash during transportation, and a rotten tomato can infect an entire pallet.

In 2005, in a bid to become “the greenest market in Australia”, Sydney Markets teamed with environmental solution organisation Veolia, collaborating on new ways to handle delivery and collection, recycling and daily site clean-ups.

The markets sends waste to the Veolia Earthpower facility, where discarded fruits and vegetables are processed to generate power to be put back into the grid.

Earthpower general manager David Clark said the process still gives him “a buzz”.

“The thought that the raw energy of the food can be converted to biogas, which microbes eat...and that goes to the wires...and that generate and create electricity,” he said.

The $50 million facility also takes waste from various cafes and restaurants, Coles and Woolworths; often accepting drops of recalled food products as well as spoiled produce.

In 2004, Australia’s first perishable food rescue 30 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017

organisation, OzHarvest began its operations and since that time has delivered more than 46 million meals to people in need, the equivalent of 16 million kilos of food rescued from supermarkets, restaurants, hotels, catering companies and farms, as well as Sydney Markets.

OzHarvest spokeswoman Louise Tran said more needed to be done to make consumers aware of the “startling statistics”.

“Approximately $1,036 of food is wasted on average in each household per year, when you add it all up that’s $8 billion dollars of food waste in Australia – going straight to landfill. It’s the equivalent of four million tonnes of food wasted each year in Australia alone.”

She said legislation in 2005 allowing food donors to donate surplus food “without fear of liability” was a huge step forward in changing behaviour.

“There is nothing wrong with a wiggly carrot, an odd shaped pear, a blemished apple or even a bruised banana. There is still a lot of education to be done...but we are trying to arm people with tools and tips to help them reduce food waste at home, to make a real impact.” b

Ronni Kahn, CEO and Founder of OzHarvest, which has rescued more than 16 million kilos of food.

Since its inception, OzHarvest has delivered more than 46 million meals to people in need.

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017. 31

HiGH QuALity PACkAGinG reDuCes WAste oF Fruit AnD VeGetABLes According to Wang Xiaoli from China Shandong Laizhou Guoliang Packing, because the high amount of water in fruit and vegetables, they are very easily damaged when purchased, stored and shipped.

“Also, fruit and vegetables rot easily, which makes them lose value. A high quality packaging can effectively reduce these risks,” she said.

Cutting back on food waste is big news lately and many working in the fresh produce industry are jumping on the bandwagon with their own creative

methods to do their part. SA producer Joy White, for example, experiments with using ‘ugly’ food that noone wants, and turning it into food powder.

Living in the South Australian town of Mannum, Ms White dehydrates a variety of produce for hours, before powdering and packaging the end result and selling it online and at markets.

From pickles, peaches, raspberries and even brussel sprouts, the powder is seeing a growing demand in barbeque rubs, or a substitute in smoothies or desserts. She says even if the fruits and vegetables are ugly she can find a use for them.

“When we are drying foods and powdering foods, seconds are brilliant because people do not want them, and I can turn them into something,” Ms White said.

“Waste potatoes … I could turn them into potato flour, also known as instant mashed potato.”

Ms White said she believed the powders and dehydrated products retained most of their nutritional value. source: http://www.abc.net.au/ourfocus/waronwaste /?WT.tsrc=Leaderboard&WT.ac=Leaderboard| TV_WOW_LEADERBOARD_20170515

ProDuCe to rot AmiD LABour sHortAGe Labour challenges are causing huge problems for producers in Australia as a quarter of growers have reported that some produce is being left to rot as they cannot find enough workers to pick them.

The study’s project leader, Associate Professor Joanna Howe, from the University of Adelaide Law School, said the challenge in finding labour had become unsustainable and the amount of waste was a significant loss to the Australian economy.

“We are seen as the food bowl of Asia, but if we don’t have the workers to get the produce out from the farms and into the supermarkets and out for export, it is a real concern about the sustainability of that industry,” she said.

“It means that growers are finding it hard to expand because they are not sure they have enough workers to meet that expansion.

The new study by researchers from the University of Adelaide and University of Sydney, calls for major

32 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017

reform to the working holidaymakers and Pacific seasonal worker visa programs to address labour supply challenges and the exploitation of vulnerable workers. source: http://www.smh.com.au/business/workplacerelations/unsustainable-labour-challenges-leave-australiasvegetable-supplies-to-rot-20170512-gw3bjt.html

Fruit Box GrouP DeLiVers FresH to DisADVAntAGeD AustrALiAn FAmiLies One thousand disadvantaged Australian families will receive a weekly box of fresh food basics, under a new Fruit Box Group CSR initiative launching this year.

Called ‘The One Box’, this initiative aims to provide ongoing, sustainable support to help families live better. Around 5% of Australians experience food

insecurity and healthy food habits are especially financially challenging for low-income families who need to spend a third of their income to eat well (Australian Institute of Family Studies). Under the initiative, The Fruit Box Group will donate 25,000 boxes of fresh fruit, vegetables, milk and bread over the course of 2017. The group is investing up to $400,000 in the pilot program in Melbourne and will assess its impact as it is rolled out, with a view to a national program and a public charity in the future.

From humble beginnings in 2000 as a fresh-fruit home-delivery service with around 300 customers in Melbourne, The Fruit Box Group has grown to become Australia’s leading, premium quality, workplace fruit and milk delivery company.

The organisation now has a national footprint; delivering around 30,000 orders per week of fruit, milk, bread and perishable consumables to workplaces across Australia; and has a current turnover in excess of $50m. www.thefruitbox.com.au/the-fruit-box-group

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017. 33

34 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017

Spoiled produce at Sydney Markets is sent to the nearby Earthpower facility to be converted into energy, Photo: Steven Siewert

Of the 2.5 million tonnes of produce to pass through the markets each year, there are 25,000 tonnes, which will never make it to the plate.

Discarded fruits and vegetables are processed to generate power to be put back into the grid.

GREENHOUSE STRAWBERRY TRIALS mike niCHoLs, DAmiAn DuGGAn-Jones AnD BruCe CHristie rePort on tHe LAtest GreenHouse triALs oF tWo Best ProDuCinG strAWBerry VArieties in neW ZeALAnD.

36 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017. 37

Start of experiment, showing coir slabs flat or on their sides.

1st harvest mid-September.

in new Zealand, there is a continuing interest in growing strawberries (and other berryfruit) under protected cultivation, not only because of the improved yield and quality, but also because of the potential for producing the crop at an easy to harvest height, using a table top system, and through adverse weather conditions.

Following our earlier study with six different varieties (three-short day, and three-day neutral) in 2014-15 (see nichols, et al., 2015), we selected the two best producing varieties to examine the effect of plant density, and orientation of the coir modules on productivity.

The experimental design was fully factorial, and the treatments were: Albion and Aromas varieties.

Plant density: 3, 5, and 7 plants per metre coir module.

(This equates to 4.0, 6.5 & 9.0 plants/m2, due to the need to have space between the rows for harvesting.

Coir sLABs FLAt or on tHeir siDes

Mid-October.

Mid-November.

The trauma of a severe mite infection.

The trial area was in a greenhouse at Massey University’s Plant Growth Unit, and comprised three replications (blocks). Plants were grown on a pipe-framed bench 1 m above the ground. They were irrigated and fed using a drip irrigation system. Drainage was into gutters and then run to waste. Irrigation was controlled by time clock, and the nutrient solution was at a pH of 5.5-6.0 and the conductivity at approximately 1.5. Each irrigation was for a fixed time (five minutes), and as the season progressed the number of irrigations per day was increased, up to a maximum of five in the middle of the summer when temperatures reached their maximum.

The runners were received in early June 2015 from a berryfruit nursery in Kati Kati, and were dipped in a copper/white oil solution and then immediately planted directly into the coir slabs (purchased from Galuku). Prior to this the slabs had been fully hydrated, and then treated with excess calcium nitrate solution (to leach out sodium or potassium from the coir), and then leached with water, to remove any excess calcium nitrate.

There were three replications (blocks) and harvesting was twice weekly commencing in early September. At each harvest fruit weights and fruit numbers were recorded. As in the previous trial a missing pack of P. persimilis in February caused a major upsurge of two spotted mites in March, and ultimately, reduced the final yields.

All flowers were removed up to the end of July to ensure 38 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017

sufficient foliage development occurred prior to when harvesting began.

There were no disease problems, and no fungicides were applied for the duration of the experiment.

We controlled pests mainly by biological control, using regular monthly inputs of Phytoselious to control spider mite, and a single spray (with BT) to control a small caterpillar infestation. The only pest to prove troublesome was cyclamen mite, which was particularly severe on the variety Albion, (see Nichols, et al., 2015) although it may also have had some effect on the productivity of the other varieties.

resuLts AnD DisCussion: The results are very similar to those from the first experiment for the two varieties, except that the effect of cyclamen mite was even more obvious on the productivity of the variety Albion. There was no significant effect of having the coir slabs flat, or on their sides.

The pattern of yield was similar to that of the same two varieties in Experiment 1, with peak productivity occurring in mid-summer, and yield falling off with later harvests (Fig 1).

Plant density played a major role, with the highest yield being obtained with the higher densities (Figs 3 and 4).

Mean fruit size are shown in Fig 4. In spite of a major yield reduction due to spider mite in the late summer the yield from Aromas (at 9 plants/m2) was close to 120t/ha, very similar to the yield from Aromas yield the previous year. The productivity from Albion was about 50 per cent lower, and clearly, (Fig 3) there was only minimal competition between the plants (as demonstrated by the linear shape of the yield density curves, compared with the asymptotic shape of the Aromas yield density curves). Whether that is a genetic characteristic of the variety, or was due to the debilitating effect of cyclamen mite (in spite of our efforts to control it using the predator Neoseiulus cucumeris) is uncertain. Certainly, when Albion is grown using pesticides to control pathogens the plants appear to be more vigorous from our observations at grower properties. b

Fig 1. Harvest date on yield of strawberries

Fig 2. Plant density on cumulative yield of strawberries cv Aromas

Fig 3. Plant density on cumulative yield of strawberries cv Albion

Fig 4. Harvest date on mean weight/fruit

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We acknowledge the assistance of Galuku (who provided some materials) to help us undertake this research project.

REFERENCE: 2015 M A Nichols, D Duggan Jones & C B Christie “Greenhouse strawberry variety trial� Grower, 70 (10), 74-8 Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017. 39

Light in the greenhouse: quality or quantity?

Choosing the right glass needs a customised approach.

40 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017

Growers like both Cultilene’s diffused Albarino glass with anti-reflection coating and its extra clear float glass with double AR coating.

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017. 41

in recent years, much attention has been focused on diffused glass. Diffused glass is said to provide better light distribution through the greenhouse, with deeper penetration into the crop.

According to Erik Runkle, professor and floriculture extension specialist in the Department of Horticulture at Michigan State University USA, diffused glass is usually created by treating the surface of low-iron glass to create patterns that scatter the light.

“A challenge is to ‘scratch’ the glass without creating a surface that allows dust to accumulate. Several companies have been working on this technology with apparently good outcomes,” Professor Runkle said.

“Until recently, the diffusion process reduced the transmission of photosynthetic light, but today reported transmissions are essentially as good as non-treated, clear glass. Anti-reflection coatings to one or both sides of the diffused glass can further increase light

Professor Erik Runkle is professor and floriculture extension specialist in the Department of Horticulture at Michigan State University USA.

42 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017

transmission to crops below.”

Researchers at Wageningen University in The Netherlands have performed several projects with diffused glass including improvements to the environment and growth of greenhouse crops. Compared with clear glass, diffused glass can: • Increase the uniformity of the greenhouse climate, especially temperature and light conditions • Increase fruit production (by five to 10 per cent) of highwire tomato and cucumber crops • Increase flowering and reduce production time of potted crops such as chrysanthemum and anthurium.

“Diffused glass is more expensive than regular glass, but in some situations the benefits are apparently worth the cost; a Dutch academic recently estimated that 90 per cent of new greenhouses being built in the Netherlands (many of which are used to grow vegetable crops) have diffused glass,” Professor Runkle said.

“Glass is a much more common glazing material in the Netherlands for several reasons, including their more northern latitude, the abundant production of high-light requiring crops such as tomato and rose, their comparatively mild winters, and typical yearround production.

“The benefits of diffused glass could be more pronounced in regions with abundant sunny weather because clouds already scatter sunlight. Benefits could also be more pronounced for tall-growing crops or those with a dense canopy. High-wire crops such as tomato and pepper would especially benefit, since more light would reach leaves deeper into the tall canopies. In the United States, growers need to weigh the advantages of diffused glass with its cost considering their location, production periods, and types of crops grown,” he said.

Dutch company, Cultilene focuses on providing innovative solutions that contribute to the optimisation of water management and energy consumption so as to enable growers to improve the quality of their processes and to save on fertilisers, water and energy, and to contribute to sustainable horticulture.

Cultilene is part of the group Saint Gobain, a global organisation with over 170,000 employees. The group is

known as a major producer of flat glass, container glass (bottles), insulation, abrasives, plastics, plaster and other building materials.

DiFFuseD AnD CLeAr GLAss Cultilene said that growers like both its diffused Albarino glass with AR (anti-reflection) coating and its extra clear float glass with double AR coating. Under wet conditions, the company’s special hydrophilic AR coating increases light transmission by several per cent.

“Besides the growing interest in diffused glass, Cultilene has also noticed an increasing demand for our extra clear glass, low percentage iron oxide float glass with a double AR coating that gives a considerable increase in light transmission. This glass admits very high rates of PAR and UV light,” said Ralf Derksen, Product Manager for Glass at Saint-Gobain Cultilene.

“Whether a grower favours diffusion or light transmission depends on various factors, including cultivation strategy, location and marketing period, among others.

“Most growers are familiar with the advantages of diffused glass: more light dispersion and a more uniform horizontal light distribution. This decreases the shadow

effect in the greenhouse and gives a more even climate.

The light also penetrates deeper into the crop to give more photosynthesis,” he said.

“Ten per cent more haze [light dispersion] usually increases yield by one per cent.

“At the same time, however, a rule of thumb is that one per cent more light will increase yield by one per cent.

This means that, in the greenhouse, both the quality and quantity of light play a role,” Mr Derksen said.

“With UV light, you easily increase your yield by 10 per cent as compared to diffused glass with a double AR coating An increasing number of growers are becoming aware of this added value: we have now realised projects for crops such as lettuce, tomatoes and strawberries, to name but a few.”

CustomiseD soLutions According to Cultilene, for the best possible light conditions, a grower should opt for the highest percentage of diffusion combined with the highest possible light transmission.

“The problem is, however, that these two factors cancel each other out: the higher the haze factor (diffusion) of glass, the higher the reflection and the lower the light transmission. Particularly during winter months, when the sun is low in the sky, the light transmission of

44 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017

diffused glass is inferior to that of clear glass. Growers therefore need to choose between diffusion and light transmission,” Mr Derksen explained.

“Naturally, it’s also possible to opt for a middle ground: the best of both worlds. There is no single answer to the question of which strategy is best. Various factors go into choosing a certain type of glass: a grower’s growing method, greenhouse location, whether or not assimilation lighting is used, desired harvesting period, etc. The right choice will always be based on a customised solution.”

Mr Derksen emphasises that it’s equally important for growers to consider the durability of the glass they select.

“Saint-Gobain can guarantee this durability because of the unique anti-reflection treatment it provides. During the hardening process, the chemical reaction, which happens between the AR coating and the glass fuses both into a single, uniform substance. Dirt collects on the glass slower, so ensuring that light transmission is safeguarded for a good number of years,” he said.

“High light transmission when buying your glass is great, but this quality should be maintained for at least another ten years. In short: choosing Saint-Gobain glass is not only a durable, but also a sustainable choice.”

Ultimately, the choice isn’t always clear. b More information at: www.cultilene.com

Reduce waste for your children and your children’s children.

48 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017

THE FINAL WORD: an opinion piece Dr mike niCHoLs Looks At tHe ArGuments For inCLuDinG HyDroPoniCs AnD AQuAPoniCs in tHe CertiFieD orGAniCs system.

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017. 49

the world of organic horticulture is a very complex scene. in new Zealand, anyone can sell fruit and vegetables produce as organically grown, provided that they do not state that its production has been “certified” as organically grown by one of the organisations approved to give such certification under the Demeter or Biogro label.

On the world scene the situation is even more complex, with many countries having their own “organic standards”, and over the whole scene is IFOAM (International Federation Organic Agricultural Members), which appears to have little power to make any country do exactly as it wishes.

In the United States the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) has recently deferred a vote for six months on whether hydroponics and aquaponics can be certified as organic under the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) certification system.

The argument (simplistically) in favour is that aquaponics /hydroponics can use volcanic rock (for example) as the growing medium, and supply all the plant nutrients from organic sources, and use acceptable organic methods for pest and disease control, so how is this not an organic system?

Certainly, volcanic rock is eventually one of the sources of soil, and peat (another possible growing medium) is actually defined as a soil. Even cocopeat (coir) is a plant-derived medium, and certainly is organic.

Provided that the growers use organically derived nutrients, it is difficult to see why such a system should not be acceptable, except to the dyed in the wool traditionalists. In fact, sustainability is one of the key planks of organics, and both aquaponics and hydroponics are significantly more sustainable than simply putting organic matter in the soil for the unused nutrients to be leached through the soil profile into the water table, to drain away and eventually pollute the 50 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017

Aquaponic basil in Canada – note fish tanks in background.

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017. 51

Organic soil-grown cucumbers, The Netherlands.

52 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017

river systems. Both are re-circulating systems, in which the nutrients are retained.

Some years ago I did some work for an Australian company that wished to grow greenhouse vegetables hydroponically. We determined that getting a USDA organic certificate in Australia was no real problem, provided that we followed the USDA guidelines, however, we would not be able to market the product as organically certified in Australia (funny old world!).

In the USA, cancelling the organic certification of those hydroponic/aquaponic farms already certified could have huge financial implications, and in addition, damage the faith of consumers who buy organic.

One suggestion has been to establish an organic certification sub-set, and call all hydroponic/aquaponic produced crops as bioponic, ie grown under organic principles but not in the soil.

Whatever the final decision there will certainly be some very unhappy producers in the USA, as no decision can satisfy the two extreme points of view.

Of course, if the consumer had the final say, it is almost certain that the majority would favour including hydroponics and aquaponics in the certified organics system. After all, in surveys, freedom from potentially toxic chemicals is usually ranked as being a major factor in paying a premium to purchase organically certified fruit and vegetables. b

ABout tHe AutHor Dr Mike Nichols is a retired lecturer from Massey University and a regular contributor to Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses magazine. He has travelled around the world consulting on horticulture and is one of only 25 honorary members of the International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS).

Email: oxbridge@inspire.net.nz

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017. 53

Remains of the governmentbacked agricultural project that was to help reduce unemployment and poverty in the economically depressed town of Karoo, South Africa.

Photographer John Yeld.

54 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017

unDerCoVer FArminG: AVoiDinG BAsiC mistAkes international hydroponics consultant Professor Gert Venter D. eng; m. eng (Agric) Cum LAuDe looks at some case studies, which illustrate why some greenhouse businesses in south Africa thrive while others fail.

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017. 55

Poor management and low commitment of all parties involved led to the deterioration of infrastucture.

South Africa’s relatively young greenhouse industry is characterised by some spectacular successes but there are just too many projects that become total failures very soon after kick-off.

Analysing the reasons for such failures shows in hindsight that the focus of these projects was on job creation and improvement of living conditions amongst the poor and previously disadvantaged members of society, and not on overall viability and sustainability of the projects that collapsed.

reAsons For unDerCoVer ProJeCt FAiLures The 10 main reasons behind these failures can be found in the following aspects, i.e.: 1. Focusing on job creation and other issues instead of viability and sustainability 2. Lack of proper planning before start-up 3. Lack of a proper business plan 4. Lack of proper training in all aspects of the project 5. Lack of commitment of participants 6. Lack of funding 7. Lack of water 8. Poor management 9. Absence of a proper marketing strategy 10. Ignoring the benefits of adding value on the farm.

Photo 1 shows the condition of a 0.36 hectare production 56 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017

facility, consisting of 12 plastic tunnels just a few months after commissioning. This is a glaring example of what can happen when improper planning is combined with poor management and low commitment of all parties involved in such a project.

Let us AnALyse some oF tHe FACts. 1. Labour: (Focusing on job creation instead of viability): This tomato project was planned to create jobs for 12 young participants involved in production, plus administrative and other personnel. This is equivalent to a labour force of about 40 people per hectare, which is at least five times more than the norm for similar successful projects in South Africa. There were also about eight times more labourers involved in this project than the international norm of five labourers per hectare for highly mechanised production systems. The yields in such modern, fully mechanised systems is also more than four times higher than the yield that could have been expected from the failed project, even with three boilers to heat up the structures for winter production.

2. Lack of proper planning: The whole project was poorly planned. (i) The ventilation of the 30m x 10m tunnels was

inadequate for summer conditions in the area.

Poor ventilation causes heat stress, wilting, poor pollination and fruit set; as well as a resultant drop in production, fruit size and quality of the fruit. (ii) Three boilers were installed to maintain production right through the winter months. This was a fallacy, as the main driving force for production isn’t only related to the maintenance of high temperatures during the winter, but rather related to available light, which is the main driving force for photosynthesis and plant growth. Even if summer temperatures could have been maintained during the winter, the yield would still have been much lower than during the summer due to shorter day lengths, lower light intensities, lower sun inclination and fog, mist or cloudy conditions during the winter. (iii) The boilers were supposed to heat the whole interiors of the greenhouses. Root zone warming should have been recommended instead. It requires much less energy, gives more even heat

distribution and has been proved to give higher yields along with many other benefits.

3. Lack of proper training and commitment: It took the 12 growers about three months to plant 1½ tunnels. The rest of the tunnels did not receive a single plant by the time the project failed. With proper training, planning and commitment, the 12 producers should have been able to get all of the tunnels planted within a day or two. This slow start-up had an immediate effect on the project’s viability as wages and salaries had to be paid over a long period before the project was supposed to come into production. Obviously, there was no commitment to get the project in full production in the shortest period after start-up.

4. Poor management: Not a single tomato was produced before all the plants died from drought when the electricity supply was cut due to non payment of the bill. The growers didn’t know who was responsible for payment of the electricity bill which, obviously, should have formed part of the

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Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017. 57

planning of the whole project from the start.

There was also no effective financial control on expenses, which resulted in start-up funding disappearing under poor management.

Poor management is also reflected in the slow start-up and lack of control over the labour force. The end result was that most tunnels were never planted, no tomatoes were ever harvested, and start-up funding ran dry due to poor financial control, etc.

5. not following the business plan: When asked about the business plan, no one knew where it was. The chimneys of the three boilers, for instance, showed that the boilers were never used even though, according to the business plan, boilers were installed to maintain production right through the winter months.

The business plan also warned against theft and pilfering in the area, but security measurements were inadequate, resulting in the theft of copper cables, borehole pumps, plastic cladding and other items from the site soon after the project was terminated.

58 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017

6. more poor management: The fact that 12 people were unable to get 12 tunnels into full production within days after start-up is a clear indication that there was no management involved, as far as the staff or growers were concerned.

It was also clear that there was no financial control, as questions about expenditures could not be answered by anyone afterwards, and no records were available to show how the available start-up funding was allocated.

Photo 2 shows the tattered and torn remains of: “An award-winning, government-backed agricultural project for disadvantaged locals that showed great promise in helping to reduce unemployment and poverty in the economically depressed Karoo town .”

The project required additional rescue funding from the provincial government within a year or two after commissioning, however, the company still went into negative cash flow and had to close soon afterwards.

WHAt Went WronG? Some of the following reasons were quoted in press releases after closure of the project: • The unsustainable cost of transporting the products over 500km to the nearest market far exceeded the total income generated.

• The project was never in a position to pay for municipal services such as providing the available land, providing water and insurance.

However, the following aspects were also ignored during the planning stages of this project: • The project was launched in a low rainfall, arid area with that is well known for the shortage of water during periods of drought. The poor quality underground water in that area has a high salinity contents.

• Long distances are involved in transporting produce to any of the major markets in South Africa.

• The greenhouses had inadequate ventilation for an area where summer temperatures could reach 40°C and more, requiring large electric fans and wet wall systems to operate continuously during the warm summer period. The wet wall systems require even more of the poor quality and scarce water that is needed to irrigate the plants.

• Production systems were not very well planned, as expensive imported substrate and related prefabricated container systems were used instead of locally available materials that could have given the same growth results with a much lower capital expenditure.

• Seedlings were planted at very low plant densities at the final spacing for full grown plants, which resulted in poor utilisation of the floor area and available sunlight during most of the production period.

• Large passages between the production beds reduced the potential production per square metre by more than 50 per cent, which had a negative influence on the viability of the whole project.

• Production systems with relatively low output potential were used instead of water efficient hydroponic systems that could have increased their yields by more than 500 percent. Modern production systems such as DFT (Deep Flow Technique) might have saved the project from disaster.

The lessons that can be learned for these two examples clearly illustrate the fact that high levels of capital expenditure is no guarantee for success if a project cannot be properly planned, managed and steered in the right direction right from the start.

Learn from this experience and be successful. b REFERENCE: Hydroponics dream project in tatters; WESTERN CAPE / 2 September 2013.

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Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017. 59

Pak-Choi ready to harvest.

60 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017

KEEPING IT SIMPLE Horticultural Consultant John White describes how Very, Very simple Hydroponics (VVsH) is a way to “add freshness to peoples’ diets”, adding that VVsH deserves to be widely accepted and used by city dwellers with limited space resources in all the world’s big cities with temperate or warmer climates, as well as potentially for summer use in cities with cooler climates.

Very, Very Simple Hydroponics (VVSH) is a way of growing herbs and quick maturing vegetables in static, non-aerated water culture using opaque containers, typically of three, four or five litres capacity. These containers can be recycled liquid food containers of polythene, PET or glass made opaque by painting or wrapping in aluminium foil. Retail size packs of complete nutrient solutions (A & B solutions) can be diluted and used to fill the containers.

A wick is made from available household materials such as paper towels, and inserted in the neck of the container and seed sown on or in the wick. Many different vegetable and herb plants can grow to maturity using the volume of water and nutrients in these containers.

Using VVSH requires some naturally lighted space such as a windowsill or window box, the balcony on high-rise building or a flat roof. No technical knowledge is required, no power is used, electronic meters or instruments are not needed, water is used efficiently, and containers can be recycled many times. Users consume the produce themselves and hence, there is no waste, making this a sustainable, environmentally friendly system.

nutrient soLutions Small retail packs of concentrated hydroponic nutrient solutions are available. Three such products available in New Zealand are Liquid Gold, Egmont Hydroponic Nutrient, Otaki Hydroponics Nutrient Mix. Liquid Gold is Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017. 61

Root system of the half grown lettuce on the opposite page

two sachets, one sachet of A solution, one of B solution which can be added to five or 10 litres of tap water to make the dilute nutrient solution used in the containers.

Egmont Hydroponic Nutrient is sold as two 500 ml bottles, an A & B bottle, their labels tell you to dilute 1.25 ml of the solution from each bottle with one litre of tap water to make the ready-to -use nutrient solution.

Otaki Hydroponics Nutrient mix is a container with two plastic bags of dry chemicals, an A bag and a B bag. The whole contents of each bag must be added to sufficient water to make five litres of A & B nutrient Stock solutions, 3 ml of each of these stock solutions is added to one litre of water for filling VVSH containers. There are certainly other hydroponic suppliers who can also supply premixed nutrients like these, in both NZ, Australia and overseas. Liquid nutrients are preferable to dry nutrient mixes, as measured volumes can be used to make whatever volume of the dilute mix is required, whereas the whole lot of a powder mix must be used at one time, as there can be no guarantee of perfect mixing of the powder which is needed to safely use only part of the batch.

tHe ContAiners Any food grade or clean three, four or five-litre polythene, PET or glass bottle such as fruit juice or milk bottles are suitable. Such containers are usually transparent and must be made opaque for use in VVSH. Wrapping the containers in ordinary household aluminium foil is a good way but an alternative is to paint the container with a dark coloured paint. If the containers are not completely opaque and light proof, expect vigorous green algal growth in the nutrient solution.

tHe WiCks Ordinary, good quality kitchen paper towels make good wicks. Fold lengths of towel to be about 75 mm wide and then roll up to make a plug that will fit in the neck of your bottle. Some paper towels are not suitable as they decompose too quickly when continuously wet into an anaerobic soggy mass, which is not a suitable seed germination medium.

settinG uP VVsH CuLture Fill the opaque bottle with the prepared dilute nutrient solution so the bottle is full to the neck. Insert the wick, so that the bottom of the wick is immersed to depth of about 30 to 40 mm in the solution and so that the top of the wick is about five-to10 mm above the top of the neck of the bottle. The whole wick will be wetted by capillary 62 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017

Half-grown lettuce

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017. 63

Fresh mint

action within few seconds. The wick should not be so tightly rolled that it is not possible to poke a small round hole in the top, with a wooden pencil.

A few small seeds (like lettuce seed) can be sown in the hole and loosely covered by pushing some the paper towel over the hole. In most climates the seed will be kept wet by the wick as it germinates. In very arid climates it may be necessary to cover the bottle with a cover made from another identical bottle to retain sufficient humidity around the germinating seed. Some seeds require complete darkness to germinate and the painted opaque covers should be used for them.

A three-litre PET fruit juice bottle, wrapped in foil, filled with dilute liquid feed, with a paper towel wick inserted in the neck of the bottle and a few lettuce seeds sown in hole at the centre of the wick. Several seeds have been sown because not every seed will germinate.

Some plants are easily propagated vegetatively; cuttings can be taken and rolled in the paper towel wick before it is put into the neck of the bottle. Watercress and mint can be started from seed, but later when their bottles are about to run out of water cuttings can be taken and set into fresh bottles.

CAreFree DeVeLoPment

Set-up sown with lettuce seeds

Lettuce seed growing on paper wick

64 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017

No further attention to VVSH is required once the seedling is established, the plant simply grows without needing any work or checking. The seedling roots grow down on the wick into the solution in the bottle and absorb water and nutrients, causing the water level in the bottle to slowly fall. The plant will eventually more or less empty the bottle, and hopefully it will have matured to the edible stage before this happens. If the plant does run out of water, it will die.

Caution; Never top up the solution. Plants in VVSH develop root systems with two parts; the roots that are immersed in water, which are taking up the water and nutrients needed by the plant, and special, very fine a hairy roots growing in the humidity saturated air space above the solution in the bottle. It can be assumed that these roots absorb the oxygen needed to keep the whole root system healthy. Never attempt to add water or nutrient solution to part full bottles, doing so drowns the roots in the air space and kills the plant within days.

Leaves can be picked from many vegetables like oak leaf lettuce, spinach and silver beet. Pak Choi matures quickly enough for it to be grown to maturity in three or four-litre bottle, allowing the whole plant to be harvested at one time. Some fruiting vegetables, like

dwarf beans will also mature a crop quickly in favourable climates.

City climates will determine what can be grown and when. In cities in the tropics like Singapore and Hong Kong a wide range of vegetables and herbs could be grown, but local tastes may prefer quick maturing Asian vegetables. Asian and European type vegetables and herbs can both grown in cities in the subtropics like Brisbane, or cool season vegetables and herbs in winter and warm season plants in summer in the warmer temperate climates of Sydney, while the range of plants will be little more limited in the cooler temperate climate of Melbourne.

WHAt PLAnts CAn Be GroWn in VVsH? The volume of the chosen bottle limits the range of plants that can be grown to plants, which can mature edible parts before running out of solution. How quickly a plant will run out of solution is affected by the leaf area of the plant, the aridity of the climate and the amount of sunshine it is receiving. Herbs are often used by picking shoots or leaves from the growing plant, making them good from growing this way. Picking from plants may limit their size and leaf area, thereby reducing water use and extending the growing time.

The root system of this half-grown lettuce is shown in the next photo, taken after removing the aluminium foil.

The roots in the nutrient solution are long, unbranched and without obvious root hairs, there is a dense mass of fine branched and hairy roots in the air space above the solution.

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Note: In New Zealand, Liquid Gold is made and sold By Hill Nurseries, Ltd., PO Box 208, Hastings, NZ. Egmont Hydroponic Nutrient is made by Egmont Commercial Ltd., PO Box 37-326 Christchurch, NZ and sold by Bunnings, Otaki Hydrops 7 Garden Supplies, 1083 SH1, RD1, Otaki, NZ.

ABout tHe AutHor John White is scientist who left a career in horticultural research to become a private horticultural consultant in the early 1980s. Since then he has provided advice on greenhouse technology and greenhouse crop production to growers, leading tomato growers in NZ and leading family tomato growing businesses in NSW and Victoria have been major clients. Efficient use of greenhouse space and labour in the seedling nursery industry has led to the use of Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s concept designs by the largest forest seedling and vegetable seedling nurseries in Australia and New Zealand.

Contact John at: johnwhite@ghvi.co.nz Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . June . 2017. 65

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