Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses

PRACTICAL

HYDRO PONICS & GREENHOUSES The Commercial Growers’ Magazine

2017

OCTOBER

ISSUE 184

www.hydroponics.com.au

FRUIT PRODUCTION IN THE FUTURE: looking ahead FRESH AND GREEN IN CHINA

BUBBLE EFFECT

New sustainability initiatives

Microbubble technology in Australia

TALKING AQUAPONICS

CUSTOM FEEDING

With Australia’s foremost aquaponics expert

Low-cost pot system for plants

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

PO Box 225, Narrabeen, NSW 2101 Tel: (02) 9905-9933 info@hydroponics.com.au

From The Editor

A growing demand

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

Contributing Authors Rick Donnan Kent Elchuk Dr Wilson Lennard Dr Mike Nichols Sam Ross

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

Creative Direction & Design Steve (Gecko) Harrison Tel: +84 (0) 908 426-349 Email: sleepygecko@gmail.com

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W

ith the global population forecast to hit 10 billion by 2050, there is mounting pressure on food producers and manufacturers around the world to develop new technologies that will help address the increasing demands to feed a hungry world. Principal scientist in strategy and foresight at CSIRO Stefan Hajkowicz said the world would need 70 per cent more food by this time to meet demand.

In China, the emergence of a growing middle class has seen an increased appetite for healthier, more westernised food options.

“Where [in China] they used to eat rice pretty much, they’re now eating fruit, vegetables, nuts, milk, and [there has been] a big increase in protein,” said Mr Hajkowicz who added that Australia’s free trade agreement with China would have a big impact on what Australia produces.

“Given that 60 per cent of Australian agricultural product is exported at the moment, it’s an industry that’s exposed to global markets. It’s a rapidly changing world in terms of the growth in the food consumer in the Asian region and the changes in their preferences,” he said.

Mr Hajkowicz said that diversification could create opportunities for Australian farmers to change what they were producing and create something new.

Our lead story Fresh and green in China looks at some of the latest hydroponic and sustainable initiatives in Hong Kong as well as plans for a new vertical garden at Sunqiao Agricultural District in Shanghai, which is envisaged to provide food for the growing population of China’s largest city, home to nearly 24 million people.

We also look at the recent Asia Fruit Logistica held in Hong Kong, where more than 200 Australian fruit, vegetable and nut producers and industry representatives showcased their produce at the ‘Taste Australia’ pavilion, marking the beginning of a six-month tour across Asia and into the Middle East.

Still on the theme of food production, Dr Mike Nichols outlines how fruit production might look in the future.

We also welcome Dr Wilson Lennard – Australia’s foremost aquaponics expert – who launches his new, regular column.

These and other stories await your reading pleasure.

Enjoy this issue!

Christine Brown-Paul

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017. 3

A Magazine for Commercial Growers

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TRADE DIRECTORY Cultilene .............................13 Earth Expo ...........................59 Ecogrow................................7 Essential Water Services .......63 Exfoliators.......................... 47 Extrusion Technologies ..........57 GOTAFE ...............................17 GreenLife Structures ...............4 HHI.....................................21 Pestech...............................11 Powerplants ...................... IFC

PRACTICAL

HYDRO PONICS & GREENHOUSES ISSUE 184 :: OCTOBER 2017 :: THE COMMERCIAL GROWERS’ MAGAZINE

Features Fresh and green in China . . . . . . . . . . 26 Round-up of China’s latest hydroponic initiatives plus a look at the 2017 Asia Fruit Logistica.

Fruit production in the future . . . . . . 40 Where will we obtain the raw materials to manufacture our future foods?

Bubble effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 The development and use of microbubble technology in Australia.

Fresh and green in China

Practical Talking aquaponics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Dr Wilson Lennard, Australia’s foremost aquaponic expert launches his new column.

Book review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Grow, Food, Anywhere. gives readers the tools to grow their own food.

Custom feeding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Canadian hydroponic expert describes his low-cost pot system for growing plants.

Vanilla production

The final word . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Dr Mike Nichols writes about the second most valuable spice crop in the world - vanilla.

Departments Priva ..................................15 PureDrops ...........................49 Disclaimer

From the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 News & Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Reader Inquiries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Custom feeding

Cover: Will robot farmers be a reality in food production of the future?

The information contained in this magazine whether in editorial matter or in feature articles or in advertisements is not published on the basis that the Publisher accepts or assumes liability or responsibility to any reader of the magazine for any loss or damage resulting from the correctness of such information.

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Talking aquaponics Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017. 5

AGRICULTURE IS AUSTRALIA’S FASTEST GROWING SECTOR The latest national accounts figures have revealed agriculture is now the nation’s biggest contributor to gross domestic product (GDP) and the fastest growing sector.

National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) President Fiona Simson said it was a great sense of pride for farmers that the nation’s prosperity was closely linked to the job they did.

“Agriculture is definitely the V8 engine powering Australia’s economic growth,” she said.

Overall, the farm sector contributed 0.5 percentage points to the national total growth of 1.9 per cent over the past year.

“In 2016-2017, agriculture production was valued at $62.8 billion – that’s on-farm alone,” Ms Simson said.

“During this period the sector grew by a massive 23 per cent – the

6 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017

largest growth of any of Australia’s 19 industries. Positive terms of trade are the result of unprecedented international demand for our quality food and fibre.”

Agriculture contributed $50 billion in exports in 2016-17, just under 14 per cent of Australia’s total, goods and services exports.

“The coming into effect of a number of valuable preferential trade agreements has contributed to this growth, as has the growing affluence

of the Asian middle class,” Ms Simson said.

The national accounts figures come in a week when the NFF with the Deputy Prime Minister Hon Barnaby Joyce MP, announced a national day to celebrate Australian agriculture and the industries that support it.

“National Agriculture and Related Industries Day on Tuesday November 21st is a day for all Australians to celebrate the significant economic and social contribution farming makes to our nation and the world,” Ms Simson said.

Today our farmers feed about 61 million people globally and that demand is growing. The farm sector is also the powerhouse behind our regional communities. “Farming and affiliated food and fibre industries provide jobs to about 11.5 million Australians!”

Source: NFF Press Release

ENSURING THE INTEGRITY OF AUSTRALIA’S ANTIDUMPING SYSTEM Ensuring a robust and effective antidumping system is an essential part of the Australian Government’s commitment to free and fair trade.

The Assistant Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, Craig Laundy recently introduced the Customs Amendment (AntiDumping Measures) Bill 2017 into the House of Representatives.

Dumping occurs when the price of goods exported to Australia is lower than the price for those goods in the exporting country, which can cause injury to Australian industry.

“This legislation improves the process of conducting reviews of dumping measures to ensure Australian businesses are not being injured by the unfair dumping of

products into our market,” the Minister said.

This legislation addresses potential behaviours by foreign exporters which operate against the intent of Australia’s anti-dumping system. Foreign exporters that stop exporting dumped goods for a period of time or export only small volumes of goods can exploit the existing reviews of dumping measures, taking advantage of movements in market prices to resume or initiate injurious dumping.

This legislation will establish an expanded range of methods that can be used by the Anti-Dumping Commission (ADC) to determine appropriate export prices and ensure effective measures remain in place, where such measures are appropriate.

Since 2013, the ADC has initiated more than 93 new anti-dumping or subsidy investigations.

“This change will give the Australian manufacturing industry increased confidence in the strength of our anti-dumping system,” Mr Laundy said.

“Australia’s anti-dumping system is highly regarded by many of our trading partners. This change supports our local manufacturers while complying with our international obligations.”

Assistant Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, Craig Laundy.

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017. 7

Photo shows the performance against nematodes from the unique mode of action chemical, Nimitz (on left), compared with that from another standard treatment (on right).

NEW CHEMICAL HELPING TO WIN THE WAR ON NEMATODES A unique chemical mode of action providing rapid activity on nematodes and, consequently, improved crop production and returns is proving popular with Queensland cucurbit and fruiting vegetable growers.

Nimitz, from ADAMA, is becoming a key tool for nematode control in capsicum, chilli, eggplant, tomato, cucumber, honeydew melon, pumpkin, rockmelon, squash, okra, watermelon and zucchini crops, while a recent permit has also allowed its use in sweet potato crops.

Nematodes are among the most destructive and problematic pests for growers worldwide, causing yield losses of more than $125 billion annually, and there are plenty of them – in fact, more than 28,000 known species that can be numbered in their millions every square metre.

These “hidden killers’’ severely impact crop development and yield, and expose crops to secondary pests such as soil-borne diseases.

In many situations, growers may not be aware of the extensive damage caused by nematodes.In addition to Queensland, Nimitz,

which contains the active ingredient, fluensulfone, is expected to be registered for use across Australia next year, as well as for more crops.

ADAMA Senior Product Manager Dror Dagan said compared with other standard nematode treatments, the new mode of action in Nimitz, developed globally by the company, made it a “true nematicide’’, delivering irreversible activity immediately following application.“ Other standards aren’t true nematicides and so inhibit, rather than kill, nematodes. With other treatments also disappearing from the market, Nimitz has become a great option for growers,’’ Dror said.“ With Nimitz, within one hour of contact, nematodes cease feeding and quickly become paralysed.

Within 24 to 48 hours, pest mortality occurs, rather than the temporary ‘freezing’ of nematode activity, as occurs with other treatments.’’

Nimitz can be used to control rootknot nematode and/or root lesion nematode.

Dror said it had consistently demonstrated equivalent or better nematode control than standard treatments in trials and, in many cases, had resulted in a significant increase in marketable yield.He said

8 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017

the trials had also highlighted its unique handling benefits.“ Nimitz is safe and easy to apply using existing application methods, low rates and with minimal impact on non-target and beneficial species – and the environment.’

“It eliminates many of the stringent use requirements for existing treatments, including fumigant management plans, extended reentry intervals (REI) and restrictive buffer zones,” he said.“In contrast to other older products, Nimitz simplifies nematode management by significantly improving user safety and reducing complex handling practices. It is used at low rates, has a very short REI and requires minimal personal protective equipment.’’

Application options include simple injection via drip irrigation, and broadcast or banded spray application with mechanical incorporation.“For most growers, this means operations can be carried out without the need for additional equipment or input from an external contractor,’’ Dror said.

ADAMA also recommends rotating Nimitz with treatments featuring a different mode of action.“ Nimitz should be used as part of an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program to control nematodes.

IPM programs using cultural practices, farm hygiene, planting of resistant varieties to reduce infestations caused by nematodes, monitoring or other detection methods, proper pest identification and rotation of products with different modes of action will help prevent economic pest damage,’’ Dror said.For further information about Nimitz, growers, advisers and agronomists can contact their local ADAMA representative.

JAPANESE GREENHOUSE HORTICULTURE In The Netherlands, Wageningen University & Research carries out research with several collaboration partners in Japan. A joint research program carried out by National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO), Japan, and Wageningen University & Research (WUR) pertains to the “Regional Strategy Program: Development of scheme improving large scale greenhouses with multi-cropping and multiequipment in Japan” of the “Revolutionary Technology Development/Urgent Project” sponsored by the Japanese government.

The main objective of the research project is to find solutions for the challenges that rise when upscaling and introducing new technology in different crops grown in large-scale greenhouses in Japan.

At different locations in Japan new greenhouse enterprises were established the last years. They are located in different climate zones and equipped with different technology, different crops are grown. However, challenges in the new enterprises are comparable: decreasing labour costs and energy consumption, increasing yield and

product quality and predictability of yield.

Four greenhouse sites at different locations in Japan are monitored concerning their realised climate in order to optimise climate management and energy consumption. The sites are monitored concerning their realised crop yield in order to make a yield gap analysis and predict future crop performance and to optimise labour use.

At all four greenhouse sites weather data is continuously collected. Next to that actual greenhouse climate data (RH, T, CO2 and amount of light) and set-point values used in the facilities (including heating, ventilation, CO2 supply, dehumidification and all other available equipment).

Companies have different environmental equipment and different energy saving strategies.

Examples are wood-pallet heating, heat pumps driven by own electricity generation from a waste plant or geothermal heating. Different coverings and screens are used.

WUR analyses the collected data in order to improve greenhouse climate and equipment management at the sites in the future. Analysis is done on the distance, WUR and

NARO greenhouse climate experts visit the sites regularly, in order to discuss results and future goals.

Next to greenhouse climate data also crop growth and yield data is collected. Small-size experiments are implemented by NARO on site in order to collect relevant data of the different crops. Crops are tomato, sweet pepper, cucumber, strawberry and some cut-flowers.

WUR uses data for validation of model calculations. Crop models are used in order to identify potential yield and the difference between potential and actual yield (yield gap analysis). Models will also be used to forecasts for potential and actual yield under various conditions in Japan, WUR and NARO experts visit the sites regularly in order to discuss results and look for possible improvements.

Since labour costs are extremely high in Japan and labour efficiency is in general lower than in The Netherlands, experts from WUR and NARO also interact on the field of labour processes and future automation.

The project contributes to the improvement of modern greenhouse production in Japan and it enables scientific exchange of research data between both countries.

Source: Wageningen University & Research

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017. 9

BUSINESSES WANTED FOR NEW GLASS GREENHOUSE TO BE BUILT AT QUEEN VICTORIA MARKET The City of Melbourne is inviting the best and brightest in sustainability, technology, education and hospitality to submit ideas for a greenhouse which will sit atop the new market pavilion at Queen Victoria Market.Deputy Lord Mayor and Chair of the Finance and Governance Portfolio Arron Wood said the City of Melbourne is seeking expressions of interest to pilot innovative concepts for the 900sqm glass rooftop space in the heart of the market precinct.“ More than 10 million people visit Queen Victoria Market every year, so this is an unprecedented opportunity for specialists in fresh food

production, education, hospitality, sustainability and technology to fit out and operate a coveted space,” Wood said.“From gardens filled with heirloom fruit, vegetables and Indigenous plants to a microbrewery, bakery and cooking displays, the sky’s the limit for what could be achieved in this exciting new rooftop area.” The 120-metre glasshouse structure, designed by Breathe Architecture, will be suspended on columns nine metres in the air with an open air trading floor at ground level. Construction on the modular structure is expected to begin next month, with traders to relocate to the pavilion in March 2018 and the greenhouse to begin operating in mid-2018.

“We are committed to ensuring

A greenhouse will sit atop the new market pavilion at Queen Victoria Market.

10 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017

there are plenty of reasons for customers to keep coming to Queen Victoria Market while the renewal program is underway,” Wood said.“That is why we are investing $5.6 million in this unique temporary pavilion which will become a major attraction in its own right and will undoubtedly draw even more people to the market.“ In addition to reflecting Queen Victoria Market’s proud tradition as a fresh produce market, the pavilion will give trader access to refrigeration, water, power and storage with a focus on sustainability.

It is a great opportunity to work with traders to develop and trial new trading formats and visual merchandising options.”

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017. 11

EMPOWERING WOMEN LEADERS FOR A STRONGER AUSSIE HORTICULTURE INDUSTRY Women who are current and emerging leaders in the horticulture industry can now apply for a leadership development scholarship opportunity valued at up to $5,470.

Funded by Hort Innovation and Women & Leadership Australia (WLA), the scholarship grants cover up to 60 per cent of the cost of the programs. The funding is specifically designated for women working in all horticulture sectors who are emerging leaders or have mid-level management along with proven leadership experience.

Hort Innovation chief executive John Lloyd said the 2017 Gender Equity Insights report showed that men in agriculture, forestry and fishery industries are paid 18.9 per cent more than women.

“Women in the industry have given us feedback that they would like additional tools to empower them in

what is a male dominated industry,” he said.

“On top of this, an ageing workforce, limited access to formal leadership training, declining interest in studying horticulture and a lack of support around post-graduate research means that it is very hard for women to progress and develop in this field.

“This scholarship program will address some of the issues women face, and give them the tools needed to support long and profitable careers in horticulture.”

Scholarship applicants can choose from two courses: the Accelerated Leadership Performance Program and the Executive Ready program. The blended courses are delivered on a part-time basis over four or seven months respectively.

Participants will learn skills such as heightened presence and influence, managing team dynamics, driving performance and leading innovation and change.

Hort Innovation and Women & Leadership Australia (WLA), are offering leadership development scholarships for women valued at up to $5,470.

12 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017

The funding is available to individuals and groups of employees who own or work within levypaying businesses.

Ten women are currently participating in the two courses after the launch of the program earlier this year.

WLA Head of School Kelly Rothwell said it is fantastic to see the momentum quickly generated by the initiative.

“I take great pride in the fact that 10 women from the horticulture sector are already participating in these leadership development courses,” she said.

“WLA is thrilled to be working with Hort Innovation and playing a key role in transforming the lives of many women right throughout the industry.”

Expressions of interest close on Friday, October 27 at 5pm AEDT. For more information and to apply, go to the WLA website: www.wla.edu.au /scholarships/horticulture

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017. 13

GOVERNMENT CONSIDERS BAN ON ‘ALL YOU CAN EAT’ AND FOOD CHALLENGES Eating challenges and all you can eat restaurant deals have gone so stale they should be banned, according to waste solution specialist BusinessWaste.co.uk.

The company argues that in an age of food shortages, food banks and incredible amounts of food waste, there is no room for the overconsumption of food as entertainment. The rise of eating challenges and all you can eat food offers is creating an excess of food waste at a time when many people are in desperate need, and BusinessWaste.co.uk is calling for a complete ban on such promotions.

In addition to the shortage of food for those living in poverty, BusinessWaste.co.uk is also drawing attention to the obesity epidemic, which puts a huge strain on public health both now and in the future.

Mark Hall spokesperson for BusinessWaste.co.uk said: “We’re living in a time of massive disparity and inequality, where so many people are using food banks to survive, that the idea of eating as much as you possibly can just for fun is incredibly insulting and ignorant.

“While some people don’t have enough to eat, we’re throwing away food on offensive challenges like these, most of which ends up as waste anyway. Almost 80 per cent of food from these kinds of activities

14 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017

have been found to end up in the bin rather than going where it’s desperately needed.

“And that’s before we even begin to look at the problem we have with obesity today. More and more children are clinically obese and it’s having a terrible effect on their current and future health. All you can eat challenges and restaurant offers are setting a very bad example to children that eating too much is both normal and fun,” Mr Hall said.

Poverty has risen to such an extent that homelessness has increased for the sixth year in a row, with over 4,100 people estimated to be homeless in the UK in 2017. Food bank use has risen for the ninth successive year, with the 2000 UK

food banks serving 1.2million meals to families in need. But at the same time, 1.6million children in this country are starting their school years overweight.

BusinessWaste.co.uk is not alone, with signs that the public is also becoming disillusioned with the concept of eating to excess for entertainment.

Sarah Walker, 44, from London said: “I try to bring my kids up with a healthy diet so they get into good habits while they’re young. They see all these stupid challenges on the Internet encouraging people to stuff their faces for a laugh, and they think it’s a laugh but I won’t let them do it themselves. “As a family, we’ve had times when we couldn’t afford to waste food and as lucky as we are now I know

there are still people out there who are where we used to be, it feels wrong to me to waste food like that.�

National Health Service (NHS) nurse Lisa, 30, said: “I see so many children who are overweight now, it’s heartbreaking. A lot of the time it’s due to poor education about what’s healthy and what’s not, as well as their parents being too poor to buy fresh food that’s good for them, so they eat a terrible diet and suffer as a result. “I think challenging people to eat as much as they can is irresponsible and disgusting when I see the real effects of poverty and overeating every day.�

The all you can eat restaurant offer is a particular problem now, says BusinessWaste.co.uk with 15 per cent of the food waste in the UK produced by the

restaurant sector.

However, BusinessWaste.co.uk has a solution that they think could be the answer to the all you can eat problem. “Restaurants are producing over three million tons of waste every year, which is outrageous,� said the spokesperson. “In our opinion these challenges should be banned, but if they insist on doing all you can eat challenges they should paying for two homeless meals for everyone one unnecessarily huge meal they serve to each customer.�

The restaurant industry has yet to respond, however, BusinessWaste.co.uk encourages the UK Government to look into the practice of all you can eat challenges as part of their economic and environmental policies.

More information at: www.businesswaste.co.uk

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Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017. 15

MAJOR INITIATIVE TO DRIVE AUSSIE SMART FARMS In an environment where Australia needs to be increasingly competitive in international trade, and consumers are more discerning than ever, Hort Innovation has launched a multi-million-dollar Advanced Production Systems Fund.

Set to benefit all horticultural growers, the new initiative will comprise investment in projects that increase farm productivity through greater crop intensification, protection and disruption.

Hort Innovation chief executive John Lloyd said the grower-owned research and development corporation is looking to partner with suitable co-investors and research providers – such as universities and technology companies – to deliver a host of new projects.

“The Australian horticulture industry is stronger than ever

domestically, and trade is reaching never-before-seen heights,” he said.

“In the past financial year, Australia produced a record 6.36 million tonnes of horticultural products worth more than $11 billion and the value of our fresh produce exports jumped 36 per cent.

“To keep this momentum going, we need to remain competitive on the world stage and continue to ensure our consumers are getting the consistent, quality produce they need.

“This new investment fund will provide growers with the tools they need to help make that happen in a more cost-effective manner.”

The Advanced Production Systems Fund will comprise investments that deliver outcomes such as: • Farm automation such as robotics, sensors and mechanisation • Plant genetics that employs next generation genomics and other

16 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017

platform technologies • Data integration that improves decision making through realtime, reliable crop data • Intensive farming through ultrahigh-density cropping and advanced protected cropping systems • Access or develop superior planting materials including rootstocks and cultivars with exceptional characteristics.

This fund comes in the wake of the opening of the nation’s first Horticulture Innovation Centre for Field Robotics and Intelligent Systems at the University of Sydney, which is home to more than $10M in robotics and autonomous technology investment.

The current fund is part of Hort Frontiers, a strategic partnership initiative developed by Hort Innovation that addresses the biggest challenges facing the future of Australian horticulture.

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TRANSITION TO MANAGEMENT PLAN, DEDICATED COORDINATOR TO MANAGE TOMATO POTATO PSYLLID IN AUSTRALIA The National Management Group (NMG) for tomato potato psyllid (TPP) – comprising all Australian governments, affected industries and Plant Health Australia – has agreed to a transition to management phase to manage the ongoing impacts of TPP and risks of Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum (CLso) in Australia.

The transition to management phase of the response plan, which will conclude on11 May 2018, will improve the capacity of the horticulture sector to manage TPP and build confidence around the status of CLso in Australia. Activities will include supporting surveillance, market access activities, research and enterprise management

planning. This follows an earlier decision by the NMG that it is no longer technically feasible to eradicate TPP in Western Australia.

To date, the CLso associated with TPP has not been detected in Australia. This exotic pathogen causes the serious exotic disease ‘zebra chip’ in potato and poses a threat to important horticultural crops such as potatoes, capsicums, chillies, tomatoes, eggplants and tamarillos.

The announcement follows the appointment of a dedicated TPP Coordinator to help the vegetable and potato industries coordinate this response. The coordinator is funded as a result of a strategic levy investment project under various Hort Innovation funds including Potato Processing, Fresh Potato and Vegetable.

AUSVEG will manage the project with Mr Alan Nankivell acting as National TPP Coordinator. Mr

Nankivell has an extensive background in horticulture, including previous roles as CEO of Vinehealth Australia and as a Research Coordinator for the Plant Biosecurity Cooperative Research Centre.

AUSVEG CEO James Whiteside welcomed the announcement of the plan, saying it is a critical step, along with the recruitment of Mr Nankivell as TPP Coordinator, to ensure the vegetable and potato industries have the resources in place to effectively manage the pest.

“The incursion of TPP in Western Australia has been devastating for growers in the state. Trade restrictions have caused channels to market to be severely disrupted or cut off, leading to an oversupplied state domestic market,” said Mr Whiteside.

“The vegetable and potato industries are greatly affected by the incursion of this pest and it is important that they have the required resources to support the implementation of a management plan by federal and state governments and affected industries that can limit its impact.

“Having Alan on board to help coordinate this response will also be hugely beneficial to ensure our industries can effectively manage this pest.”

The transition to management phase of the response plan has been developed in consultation with affected industry groups and allows jurisdictions and industries to maintain a program of national surveillance. The Australian Government, state and territory governments and affected industries are contributing to the cost of implementing the Response Plan under the Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed.

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017. 19

AUSTRALIAN PLANT SCIENTIST WINS TOP AMERICAN AWARD The University of Western Australia’s internationally recognised authority on herbicide resistance in plants, Professor Stephen Powles, has won the American Chemical Society International Award for Research in agrochemicals.

Professor Powles is the first Australian to win the award, which is given to a scientist who has made outstanding contributions to the field of agrochemicals at the international level, with their vision and sustained contribution having opened new horizons for

investigators in their field and beyond.

Director of Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative at UWA’s School of Agriculture and Environment, Professor Powles was recognised for his long-standing research contribution to identifying the role of cytochrome P450 enzymes in endowing herbicide resistance in plants.

Professor Powles is one of the world’s most highly cited agricultural scientists and is widely regarded as a foremost expert in herbicide resistance in plants.

A Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science and the Australian Academy of

20 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017

Technological Sciences & Engineering, Professor Powles and his team have more than 250 research papers published on herbicide resistance.

Professor Powles was nominated for the award by Dr Todd Gaines of Colorado State University. Dr Gaines is a former postdoctoral student of Professor Powles who spent three years as a researcher at UWA before returning to the US. Professor Powles will receive the award at a special symposium organised in his honour at the meeting of the American Chemical Society in Boston in August 2018.

/hhiexpo

@hhiexpo

/hhiexpo

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017. 21

PRIVA COMPASS COMPUTER: NEW ENTRY-LEVEL SOLUTION FOR PRECISE CROP CONTROL Dutch innovator Priva has developed a new sustainable process computer for precise crop control. With Priva Compass, the crop is on the steering wheel for controlling irrigation, climate, light and CO2.

“Thanks to the clearly laid-out interface with intuitive dashboards and graphs, growers have a clear insight into all processes, any time of the day. With its ultra-modern technology and affordable price point, Priva Compass is the only one of its kind on the market today,” said a company spokesperson.

“Based on the crop and desired growing strategy, Priva Compass

will be tailored to meet the requirements of smaller scaled grower. Up to four sections can be controlled by the Priva Compass. It consists of small, flexible hardware and software modules and is very easy to operate. With this system, growers can monitor the process, at any given moment. Thanks to the built-in WI-FI network, the computer can be operated from any device at any time.”

“Growing crops is all about the highest possible yield at the best quality, while keeping a close eye on efficiency, optimisation of water and energy use and production safety. To realise this, using the right technology is key. With Priva Compass, all cultivation processes can be controlled optimally.

22 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017

This new and affordable process computer offers growers all essential advantages of the in-depth knowledge of horticulture and technology that Priva has built in time,” said the spokesperson.

With Priva Compass, growers are in control of three different areas: photosynthesis, climate and irrigation. For every crop zone and every theme, growers can select basic or advanced modules.

Of course, only the chosen controls are being charged.

Priva Compass is operated by Priva Compass Operator and can be operated locally or via the Cloud. On every device, growers will always have insight into their operation in the form of a clearly laid-out dashboard. The dashboards show

the information that is most relevant in a clean and simple layout. Thanks to the clear interface with intuitive dashboards and graphs, it only takes a glance to see the status of the various components of your system, including the components that may need adjusting. This way, growers are always immediately up-to-date of their process.

“The Priva system can be installed quickly and smoothly with the easy setup web application. If the grower or installer is connected to the Priva Compass system via a smartphone, tablet or laptop, the web application can be used directly. Priva system can be installed quickly and smoothly with the easy setup web application,” said the spokesperson.

The installation process starts with an easy step-by-step plan using visual overviews that help the installer configure the system. Once the installation is complete, a visual overview of the connected systems and sensors can be generated from the web application for easy and error-free maintenance.

“Priva is a high-tech family company that supplies hardware, software and services in the field of climate control.

Our fundamental idea is to achieve a higher return per square meter for our customers with less use of energy and maximum re-use of water. Our markets include (high tech) horticulture, indoor and city farming and utility buildings, such as offices, retail, hotels and hospitals,” he said.

“With 450 colleagues, 14 local offices and 150 international installation partners, we provide products and services in more than 100 countries. “ b Priva - Creating a climate for growth More information at: www.priva-international.com Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017. 23

Thanks for your letters

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.

Rick Donnan

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 NFT? I have been reading hydroponic books and articles lately and have noticed that there is quite a lot of jargon used.

One I particularly notice is NFT, which is occasionally defined, but much more often not.

I recognise that it stands for Nutrient Film Technique, but what does that mean?

Answer: As you state, NFT stands for Nutrient Film Technique, and as for jargon in many industries, it is often used by people assuming that everyone knows what it is.

In its basic form it is a ‘closed’, or recirculating hydroponic system using channels (often called gullies) down, which flows a film of hydroponic nutrient solution. Typically, there will be a holding tank containing the solution and a pump, which sends it to the top of the channels. The solution then flows as a film down the channel and returns by gravity into the tank.

The plants have usually been started in a small media plug and are then planted into holes in the top of the channels.

These holes are placed at a distance apart to suit the final size of the plant at harvest. Most systems have automatic water make-up through the use of a float valve. Fertiliser can either be added manually or by installing an automatic controller.

The basic principle of NFT is to maintain adequate oxygen 24 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017

dissolved in the water flowing down the gulley. When dissolved oxygen is used up by the plant roots (for respiration) then with a thin water film oxygen can be replaced by absorption through the large water surface area.

History In the 1960s, a system of this type was used as a research technique by CH de Stigter of the Plant Physiological Research Centre, The Netherlands, but it went no further.

In the 1970s. Dr Allen Cooper of the Glasshouse Crops Research Institute (GCRI), England, saw the potential of development of the technique for commercial use. Cooper coined the term Nutrient Film Technique and is generally regarded as the ‘father of NFT’. He wrote the NFT bible, titled The ABC of NFT, which is still in print and available from Casper Publications, the publisher of this magazine.

GCRI formed an NFT research group, led by Cooper, which not only researched the technique, but helped with advice to the English glasshouse growers who began to use it commercially. Many existing glasshouse tomato growers adopted the technique. All these used plastic layflats about 300mm (12 inch) wide pegged to a central wire, as gullies laid on carefully graded floors. There was one large lettuce grower on the ground also, but using narrower channels.

At the same time growers in The Netherlands were

increasingly using the dripper fed rockwool systems, which had been developed in Denmark. In England, while tomatoes were successful in NFT there were problems with root death in cucumbers. This led to the use of rockwool and over the next few years gradually most NFT tomatoes changed to rockwool.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s publicity of the success of NFT at GCRI led to the installing of many new NFT systems, mainly small, scattered around the world. Notable was some 1200 installations in the USA, resulting in the very high failure rate typical of USA commercial hydroponic operations. In contrast, none were built in Holland, the world leader in commercial hydroponics, because of the perceived disease risk.

In the mid 1980s in Australia, NFT channels on tables were developed to grow lettuce. Most lettuce farms were family businesses and the tables made working much easier.

Consequently, faster crop turnover and the resulting higher yield led to a large increase in the number of these units, giving Australia more area of NFT than the rest of the world combined.

There were no significant actual changes until the last 10 years with the increasing development of automated mobile NFT gully systems. Here moveable gullies are planted at one end then move through the glasshouse to be harvested at the other end.

Design and management Failure to allow for re-oxygenation of the water in the channel will lead to plant root death and the loss of the crop, which has happened often because of poor design, such as using small round pipes.

The initial Australian gullies were 100 x 50 mm (4 x 2 inch) electrical conduit. This led to the production of specialised channel having features such as removable lids and small

centre ridges to keep the initial water flow central in the channel. These are suitable for short-term crops such as lettuce, herbs and Asian greens. For channels laid as tables on support, allowance needs to be made for sage, hence I specify a minimum slope of 1 in 40 (2 ½%), plus a maximum length of 12 m.

For wide layflat on a perfectly smooth surface, Cooper recommended a minimum slope of 1 in 100 (1%).

Variations Apart from gullies based upon supported plastic layflats and rigid channels, there have been a number of variations from these basic designs.

In the 1980s a company called Aerial developed a ‘second generation NFT’. The company was directed by Alan Cooper and Kenneth Edwards. The basis was a special dual channel having two sides in an inverted vee. Plant roots were split between the two channels and allowed the use of different solutions or to alternate flow between the two. It was heavily promoted, especially as being easy to use, which I failed to understand, and it never established.

Finland designed a ‘super NFT’, which used a wide channel with a drain running the full length of the channel.

Large rockwool blocks were dripper fed with the excess running into the drain and recirculating. A similar system has recently been developed in Holland, but there is no commercial use that I know of, and I don’t consider it to really be NFT (where is the film?)

There have been versions of ‘vertical NFT’ where plants such as strawberries and shallots have been planted in the sides of round pipes inclined some 10 degrees off vertical.

These have been placed on ‘A frames’ and fitted into a return pipe at the bottom. b RD For more indepth understanding get a copy of the original book

The ABC of NFT

written by Dr Allen Cooper.

NUTRIENT FILM TECHNIQUE

The World’s first method of Crop Production without a solid rooting medium DR ALLEN COOPER

Dr Allen Cooper devised the Nutrient Film Technique and perfected its practical application through his research work at the Glasshouse Crops Institute in the United Kingdom. The development of commercial NFT cropping enterprises around the world, has been mainly due to the work contained in this visionary book.

Softcover: 174 pages . 50 illustrations 30 tables . 46 pictures ISBN 0 9586735 0 0

www.hydroponics.com.au/buynow

FRESH AND GREEN IN CHINA As more and more discerning Chinese consumers demand fresh, healthy produce, growers and food manufacturers in China are turning to more efficient production processes, including hydroponics, aquaponics and vertical farming.

By CHRiSTiNE BROWN-PAuL - PHOTOGRAPHy By SAM ROSS

US firm Sasaki has unveiled designs for Sunqiao, a 100-hectare urban farming district in Shanghai.

26 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017. 27

The new vertical system will offer a space-saving and economical alternative to provide food for the growing population of China’s largest city of nearly 24 million people.

28 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017

According to a recent survey, Chinese consumers are willing to pay more for foods free from “undesirable” ingredients and are actively seeking all natural, organic foods, creating room for sales growth for food manufacturers and retailers.

Increasingly, Chinese consumers are choosing specialised diets that address their desire to eat organic, low-fat, low-carb, or eliminate ingredients based on food sensitivities, allergies or personal convictions. Around 70 per cent of Chinese respondents in Nielsen’s new Global Health and Ingredient-Sentiment Survey said they follow a diet that limits or prohibits consumption of at least some foods or ingredients, which is higher than that of global average (64 per cent). Additionally, 82 per cent of them said they were willing to pay more for foods without undesirable ingredients, also much higher than the global average (68 per cent).

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017. 29

A new hydroponic vertical farm for Shanghai will be built at the city’s Sunqiao Agricultural District.

30 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017

“The consumption upgrade that is taking place in China features growing pursuit for health and safety,” said Yan Xuan, president of Nielsen Greater China.

“According to our research, safety and healthiness have already become the top two attributes that affect consumers’ decisions on what to buy. Price will no longer be as important as quality and healthiness, as the urbanisation in China continues, the middle-class population grows, people’s life quality improves and young people are becoming the major consumers.

Therefore, food manufacturers and retailers should seize this opportunity and adjust current marketing strategies accordingly.

“Chinese consumers want to buy foods that can make them healthier, but they can’t do it alone. It’s important for food manufacturers and retailers to foster a healthy-diet-friendly environment, providing enough quality foods on shelves,” he said.

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017. 31

At the 2017 Asia Fruit Logistica, China was the single-largest exhibiting country with participation expanding by more than 50 per cent compared with last year’s event.

32 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017

2017 ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA Held recently in Hong Kong, Asia Fruit Logistica – Asia’s only dedicated fruit and vegetable trade show – witnessed a large increase in the number of Chinese exhibitors. China remained the single-largest exhibiting country at the expo with bookings and company participation expanding by more than 50 per cent compared with last year’s event. A total of 813 exhibitors from 43 different countries took part, while 24 national pavilions featured at the event.

Other leading exhibiting countries were Italy, Egypt and Australia, which ranked second, third and fourth respectively in terms of exhibitor bookings.

Spain ranked into the top five exhibiting countries for the first time with more than 40 Spanish companies showcasing their products and services. South Africa surged into sixth place, with exhibitor numbers tripling to 33 companies.

Close to half of all exhibitors at 2017 Asia Fruit Logistica from the Asia and Oceania regions. Europe made up almost a quarter of all exhibitors, followed by the Americas (15 per cent), Africa (12 per cent) and the Middle East (4 per cent).

Five countries also made their debut appearance as exhibitors at the show, including Costa Rica, Finland, Jordan, the Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

“We were delighted with the dynamic business activity on the show-floor during Asia Fruit Logistica this year,” said Wilfried Wollbold, commercial director of organiser Global Produce Events.

“The results underline the event’s role as the leading continental trade exhibition for the fresh produce business in Asia.”

Mr Wollbold has also announced the launch in May 2018 of a new annual trade show, China Fruit Logistica, which will open its doors in Shanghai.

“China is home to hundreds of millions of consumers demanding freshness, taste and quality in every region of the country,” he said.

“China Fruit Logistica establishes premier trade platform on a national scale for the Chinese fresh fruit and vegetable business, both online and through conventional channels.”

TASTE AUSTRALIA More than 200 Australian fruit, vegetable and nut producers and industry representatives showcased their produce at 2017 Asia Fruit Logistica – marking the beginning of a six-month tour across Asia and into the Middle East.

The group – which comprised the industry’s biggest trade delegation yet – joined Hort Innovation in officially opening the new ‘Taste Australia’ pavilion at Asia Fruit Logistica. Over the two-day event, the group gained exposure to 11,000 top trade decision-makers from 74 countries.

Hort Innovation chief executive John Lloyd said the group was excited to be at Asia Fruit Logistica, especially when Australia’s horticulture export position is so strong.

“This year, we are taking the new Aussie horticulture position, Taste Australia, to key world markets for the first time. And, we are also showcasing more produce than ever with a record number of growers and industry representatives,” he said.

“Our ‘Taste Australia’ pavilion at Asia Fruit Logistica was huge – 30 per cent larger than last year at close to 500sqms. And the upcoming six-month trade tour to events in Dubai, Beijing and Tokyo is going to be massive.

On top of all of this, Hort Innovation’s investment in research and development to support trade activities – from market access, to export readiness to supply chain efficiency work – is unprecedented with $10.5M in projects currently underway this year and a host more in the pipeline.”

Mr Lloyd said Australian horticultural product exports had tracked strongly over the past year with macadamias up 66 per cent, table grapes up 53 per cent, mandarins up 54 per cent and oranges up 40 per cent. And the trade tour will allow industries to build further on that success.

“Through ‘Taste Australia’, the nation’s produce was positioned as a high-end, high-quality offering supported by technology, science and innovation,” he said.

“We are taking a loud and clear message to importers throughout Asia and the Middle East: Australia has plenty of premium, high-quality produce, and we are open for business.”

On top of the opportunity to meet hundreds of importers in person at the pavilion, growers and industry representatives had the opportunity to gain valuable information first hand from some of Hong Kong’s leading food service and retail businesses through a market insights tour. To facilitate long-term relationships, growers were also introduced to key decision makers from nine key Asian markets through invitation only business matching sessions. These activities were managed by Hort Innovation with support from Austrade.

Among those in attendance were growers, exporters and service providers from all states and Territories in Australia – including regions such as Sunraysia, the Adelaide Hills, the Goulburn Valley, South Western Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017. 33

Official launch of Taste Australia featuring the NSW Ag Minister and Hort Innovation Chair Selwyn Snell and trade delegates.

The Taste Australia pavilion gained exposure to 11,000 top trade decision-makers from 74 countries.

CFO and Domestic Sales Manager at Cutri Fruit, Dion Santamaria, engaging with importers.

34 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017

Australia and North QLD – as well as nine industry bodies and collaborative industry groups like Fruit Growers Tasmania.

Taste Australia was launched domestically in Sydney last month as part of Australian horticulture’s biggest trade push in history. The new initiative comprises trade expo activities including the dedicated pavilion at Asia Fruit Logistica and following trade tour, plus in-market retail campaigns using the Taste Australia signage.

GREENING HONG KONG In Hong Kong, the government is striving to uplift the quality of the living environment through active planting, proper maintenance and preservation of trees together with other vegetation. The target is to bring about noticeable improvements in urban greenery, enhance existing greened areas, and maximise opportunities of quality greening during the planning and development of public works projects.

To achieve the policy targets, the government has developed strategies, which aim to improve the coordination and effectiveness of greening efforts within the current regime, and to make greening an integral part of future public works projects. The main initiatives being undertaken include an active planning and greening program, enhancing opportunities of quality greening, community support and private sector involvement, and tree preservation.

Apart from roof greening, the government has been exploring opportunities for vertical greening in government buildings. Since 2008, vertical greening has been adopted in some capital works projects including schools and government buildings. Vertical greening not only increases the amenity value of the site but also improves air quality, and, in the long run, reduces urban heat island effect.

The hydroponics sector is likely to see even greater expansion under the government’s plan to create an 80hectare agricultural park to boost vegetable production.

The proposal also calls for the setting up of a fund to provide matching grants to ventures adopting more sophisticated farm methods, including hydroponics.

Over the last two years, hydroponics has seen a boost in popularity with 20 new entrepreneurs launching initiatives.

Restaurateur Ken Yuen Chi-hin runs the Fresh & Green restaurant, which opened in a Fotan industrial building in September 2016 and features 400 sq ft of space devoted to growing salad vegetables.

Occupying a temperature- and humidity-controlled

room with light from LED tubes, the liquid-filled racks produce 3kg of greens daily. This is enough to supply the restaurant, however, the enterprise is not without its challenges.

“The sweltering summer affects yields as vegetables don’t grow well in the intense heat outdoors. But free of weather [factors] such as rain or blistering sun, our [hydroponic] vegetables can be harvested after 25 days, half the time needed with regular planting,” said Mr Yuen.

Besides the farm, the restaurant also has a 300 sq ft balcony that grows more than 10 kinds of herbs, including basil, mint and rosemary. Fresh & Green also grows its own mushrooms.

“The organic mushroom salad is one of our most popular dishes,” he said.

Elsewhere in Hong Kong, Farm Direct is a larger, more established venture. Set up in 2013, it operates a 100,000 sq ft site in Kam Tin and a 20,000 sq ft set-up in Fanling, where vegetables grow under plastic-and-netting shelters in raised containers fed with a flowing nutrient solution. The network is connected to a recycling system, which filters the water before pumping it back into the containers.

Between them the two facilities produce 700kg of lettuces daily (seven varieties, ranging from romaine to green butterhead and red lollo) that supply restaurants and supermarkets as well as Farm Direct’s own sales points at MTR stations. Co-founder Michael Ng Wai-hung sees his form of hydroponics as a protective method.

“Unlike indoor hydroponics, we make use of natural sunlight. The plastic canopy and netting protect the plants from rain, birds and butterflies. Our summers are wet, which brings lots of insects. But the pests tend to group at ground level. As the racks are high above ground, bug tapes are enough [to control pests],” Mr Ng says.

“A nursery supplying potted plants occupied the site before we came, so the land was already concreted over.”

The rise in popularity of hydroponics may also be thanks to the promotional efforts of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, which set up the Controlled Environment Hydroponic Research and Development Centre (dubbed iVeggie) in 2013 to provide technical support to people interested in setting up such ventures. The HK$6.5 million research facility occupies a 2,500 sq ft space within the premises of the Vegetable Marketing Organisation in Cheung Sha Wan. With just 300 hectares of land devoted to vegetable cultivation in Hong Kong, agriculture officer Chan Siu-lun says hydroponics can greatly boost vegetable production Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017. 35

by making better use of vacant industrial buildings and abandoned sites.

“It can be done in warehouses, which addresses the problem of land shortage in Hong Kong,” said Mr Chan, who is a consultant at iVeggie.

“Our controlled environment is bacteria-free as workers have to wear special clothing. Not even a fly can get into the facility, so we don’t need to use pesticides.”

GOING VERTICAL IN SHANGHAI Balcony garden at the Fresh & Green restaurant in Fotan grows more than 10 kinds of herbs, including basil, mint and rosemary.

The hydroponic operation at the restaurant produces 3kg of greens daily.

36 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017

US architecture firm Sasaki has designed a hydroponic vertical farm for Shanghai where leafy greens will be grown on rotating loops housed in a huge greenhouse.

The company designed the urban farm as part of the Sunqiao Urban Agricultural District, which will be built on a site between Shanghai’s main international airport and the city centre, and divided by a canal.

The aim of the vertical system is to offer a spacesaving and economical alternative to provide food for the growing population of China’s largest city, home to nearly 24 million people.

It will focus on producing leafy greens like kale, spinach and lettuce, which are a staple of Shanghainese diet. These will be grown along a series of looped rails arranged side by side in the greenhouse.

The structures will rotate to offer a fair distribution of natural light from the sawtooth roof. Water sourced from a rainwater collection tank will be used to grow the plants hydroponically, while the nutrients will be gathered from the waste of fish houses in the aquaponics room.

“Shanghai is the ideal context for vertical farming,” said Michael Grove, a principal at Sasaki. “Like many global cities, land prices are high, which makes building up rather than out the economically prudent choice. Even more significant is the Shanghainese diet, which typically consists of up to 56 per cent leafy greens.

“Leafy greens are also an excellent choice for hydroponic and aquaponics growing systems. They thrive in the simplest of setups, and don’t need a lot of extra attention. They grow quickly and weigh little, both of which make them an economical and efficient option,” he said.

The complex will also integrate research and public outreach program offices. These will include a science museum, waterfront fitness trail, plaza, digital amphitheatre and educational facilities.

According to Sasaki, while one goal is to position

Shanghai as a leader in urban food production, Sunqiao is more than simply creating vertical food factories.

“Providing a robust public realm that merges indoor and outdoor agricultural experiences, the Sunqiao experiment presents a new idea for urban life by celebrating food production as one of the most important functions of a city,” said Mr Grove.

Elevated walkways with vines growing up columns will lead around the farm and above a market for selling the produce, as well as educational facilities for teaching children.

Another greenhouse in the scheme will be landscaped with pathways between tropical wetlands.

An elevated walkway will loop around a circular tower, called the Vertical Seed Library, which will showcase a variety of seeds in cabinets on its exterior.

The farms will primarily grow leafy greens, like kale, bok choi, and spinach. These will be sold to restaurants, grocers, or exported. In the future, Grove says the district may also raise fish in vertical aquaponic farms. b

The Hong Kong Government has introduced a number of initiatives to help make the city greener and more sustainable.

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017. 37

DON’T MESS WITH HER

38 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017. 39

FRUIT PRODUCTION IN THE FUTURE 3D printed produce - the nutrition of the future?

40 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017

WHERE WILL THE RAW MATERIALS COME FROM TO “MANUFACTURE” OUR FUTURE FOOD? ‘FRUIT GROWING IN THE FUTURE’ IS A PAPER PRESENTED BY DR MIKE NICHOLS AT THE 2017 PROTECTED CROPPING AUSTRALIA CONFERENCE.

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017. 41

010010100101 011010010100101 0110010010100101 00111010010100101 0111001010100101 00111001010100101 010010010100101 010010100101 0110100101001010101010010 0011101001010011001010100 White-fleshed nectarine.

42 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017

IT IS THE WINTER OF 2100 AND IN A RESTAURANT IN AUCKLAND THE WAITER ASKS A DINER ABOUT HIS CHOICE OF DESSERT. THE REPLY IS A FRESH WHITEFLESHED NECTARINE, SO THE WAITER PROCEEDS TO THE KITCHEN AND DIALS UP THE REQUEST ON THE FOOD COMPUTER, WHICH PROMPTLY INSTRUCTS THE 3-D PRINTER TO PRODUCE THE NECTARINE. PIE IN THE SKY? Did the Wright brothers envisage when they first flew their heavierthan-air plane at Kitty Hawke on December 17, 1903 that just over 100 years later the Airbus 380 would transport over 500 passengers at close to the speed of sound on flights with a range of 17 hours?

Did the UK Government when it established the “red flag law” in 1865 – which required all motor vehicles to be preceded by a man with red flag – consider that 150 years later there would be autonomous (self-drive) cars.

I SUSPECT NOT! So where will the raw materials come from to “manufacture” our future food? The most likely source is algae, which is currently the most efficient converter of solar energy into chemical energy.

For example, at the University of Queensland there is a project underway to grow algae in water races in order to use the algae directly as a source of omega 3 rather than getting the omega 3 further down along the food chain from the oily fish.

In fact, developing food with 3-D printers is already a reality, with conferences on the subject being held this year in Venlo, The Netherlands, and also in Melbourne, Australia. Of course, in relation to fruit growing this development is some way down the track, and there are a number of steps to go before it becomes a reality. However, in the long-term it is likely to spell the end to the southern hemisphere’s monopoly of providing the northern hemisphere with out-of-season fruit and vegetables.

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017. 43

Figure 1. Note how good management bonus is higher in a controlled environment, but good luck bonus is higher in the field.

Figure 2 above & 3 below.

Significant increase in productivity in controlled greenhouse environment when compared to the field from 1950-2010.

However, in the meantime there are a number of other developments on the horizon, which will influence the way in which we produce fruit.

In 1950, J P Hudson looked at the average yield from the best 10 per cent of growers and record yield of a number of crops. He demonstrated that the best 10 per cent of growers consistently produced higher yields due to more capital and, more knowledge—what he termed a “good management bonus”, but that the record crop (almost certainly obtained by one of the better growers) was a “good luck bonus”, due to exceptional weather conditions. He also demonstrated that the magnitude of the “good management bonus” was higher for greenhouse crops than for outdoor crops, but that the reverse applied for the “good luck bonus” (see Figures 1 and 2.) A similar pattern is likely to occur now, but with the greenhouse tomato yields some four times what they were 60 years ago, due primarily to improvements in the control of the greenhouse environment, and in our knowledge of crop requirements (see Figures 3 and 4).

A key development is hydroponics – something, which barely existed in 1950. Commercial hydroponics really only gained momentum in the 1970s, but now is the most common way of growing greenhouse crops in developed countries. Dr Lim Ho has demonstrated that the introduction of better environmental control (particularly the use of hydroponics) by commercial tomato growers in UK resulted in steadily increasing productivity gains, compared with soil-grown greenhouse crops.

PROTECTED CROPPING OF FRUIT

Figure 4. Effect of hydroponics (mainly) on productivity of greenhouse tomatoes in UK. 44 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017

In fact, this is already here. Certainly, an increasing area of berry fruit is being grown under high tunnels, and this is likely to increase in the future as the advantages of growing without the risk of rain damaging the crop become apparent. The potential for higher yield of better quality fruit, and the ability to harvest over a longer season, in any conditions are very clear.

Protected cropping (and by this meaning complete rain exclusion, not the netting covering currently being used in many kiwifruit orchards), is slowly incorporating hydroponics in the berry fruit industry although surprisingly, in the USA there seems to be a tendency to stay with soil-grown crops, in spite of the clear advantages of hydroponics, with its enhanced water and fertiliser efficiency.

The only tree fruit crops, which are currently being grown under protected cultivation to any extent, are sweet cherries, and this has only become possible due to the development of dwarfing root stocks (such as Gisella),

Plant factory in Japan.

Robots serving food in Chinese restaurant.

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017. 45

and the need to protect the ripening crop from rain to prevent splitting. The cherry industry has yet to consider the potential of hydroponics A few other fruits have been grown under protected cropping systems, in particular the rain sensitive stone fruit such as nectarines, peaches and apricots. Figs produce extremely well under high tunnels, particularly when combined with hydroponics.

The ability to fully net the cropping area against birds is relatively straightforward, as the structure (supporting the plastic film), is already in place, and the net can be simply put over the top of the plastic. This (of course) applies to all the fruit crops, particularly the ripening berry fruit, which are very attractive to birds.

Growing under protected covers offers the potential to extend the harvest season both earlier and later, and also the range of crops, which can be grown in your area.

Dried algae, the basis for our future food?

Prototype algae production at University of Queensland.

46 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017

It is a good question (particularly in relation to biosecurity concerns) as to why we should need to import products, which we can grow efficiently in New Zealand.

I refer specifically to dessert grapes, but other crops such as melons, seedless watermelons etc. also come to mind.

On the question of wine grapes, it is considered by the experts (of which I am not one), that it is only possible to produce a top-class wine from top-class grapes. New Zealand (because of scale) will never be able to compete with the mass world wine market, so perhaps should aim primarily for the top of the range. With our uncertain climate, (this a is a good example) and with the risk of even greater uncertainly in the future due to global warming, the potential for growing a rain protected (and also bird proof) wine grape crop looks attractive. Linking this with hydroponics should provide the potential to grow top quality wine grapes anywhere in New Zealand, on any soil type. The need to invest huge amounts of money on purchasing land on the Gimblett gravels or at Martinborough no longer becomes necessary. After all, both sites are essentially growing almost hydroponically.

Of course, moving orchard trees permanently into greenhouses will require changes in the way in which they are grown. In this respect the work of Dr Stuart Tustin (of Plant and Food Research near Havelock North) is showing a possible way in which not only crop production can be enhanced, but also management methods changed.

Dr Tustin has proposed for apples that far higher yield of fruit might be achieved by a bi-axis candelabra training system. In this design, the rows would be about 2m apart, but the trees 6m apart in the rows, and the trees trained almost in two rather than three dimensions.

This is similar to the system being developed for cherry trees, and peaches and nectarines would be even more suitable for this type of training.

Protected cropping might well have potential advantages for organic fruit production, as the absence of rain on the crop could have a major influence on the need for fungal and bacterial disease sprays, and might potentially enhance the efficiency of biological control.

Hydroponics would not be an option, however, under current organic regulations, although this is currently being questioned in the USA. Certainly, in our unsprayed greenhouse strawberry studies we have had close to zero fruit rots, and (when the predators were introduced at the appropriate time) excellent control of thrips, spider mite and cyclamen mite.

PLANT FACTORIES Aerial view of 60 ha block of high tunnel blueberries Atherton Tablelands.

Producing crops in buildings lit entirely by artificial lighting is a relatively new concept. However, the building blocks for this technology go back some 70 years when in 1949, Professor F W Went constructed a large complex of climate-controlled rooms in California called the Earhart Plant Research Laboratory. This was to make possible the assessment and precise analysis of the effect of climatic factors on plant growth, and the interaction of these factors. This complex is also known as a “phytotron.” New Zealand had a similar facility (NZ Climate Laboratory, at Palmerston North) until recently, when it was dis-established, as a potential earthquake risk by Plant and Food Research, who had “inherited” the facility when DSIR was broken up in the 1980s.

Growing in plant factories is also known as vertical farming, because when plants are grown under artificial lights, they can be stacked in layers in a very small surface area. They are extremely efficient in water use, as water “lost” in transpiration can be condensed and returned to the irrigation system, and there is minimal

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Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017. 47

Hydroponic greenhouse strawberries on table tops.

High quality raspberries grown hydroponically in high tunnels.

Strawberries in high tunnels in the soil.

48 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017

fertiliser use with a re-circulating hydroponic system.

The main developments with plant factories have been in Japan, USA and PR China, all with subtly different objectives. In Japan, flat land for cropping is scarce, and the average age of farmers is over 60, so it is a means of attracting younger people into food production. In the US, the stimulus is purely economic, with many start-up companies, while in PR China the problems of fresh vegetables being available year round in the big cities is one reason for their development. All of these plant factories have emphasised fast growing vegetables, such as lettuce and herbs, with even the so-called fruit vegetables (tomato, sweet pepper, etc.) being considered too difficult at this point in time.

The problem is one of energy, as a plant factory is extremely energy demanding. The solution will (I am sure) be in nuclear energy, not produced locally, but by the big nuclear reactor some 125 million km away.

Converting solar radiation into electrical energy may be the solution, and the efficiency of doing this is improving every day. We must remember that the coal and oil that we currently use in our carbon-based economy is solar energy fixed many millions of years ago!

It is surprising that nobody appears to have has considered producing fruit crops (apart from strawberries) in a plant factory, as the potential to produce fresh fruit anywhere on the globe at any time must have huge commercial implications. Think apples, without the need to consider postharvest or transport to distant consumer! There is also the fact that it should be possible to produce more than two crops every 12 months, after all in Batu in Indonesia they can produce two crops of apples every year outdoors, so with total control of day-length, light and temperature three crops a year may well be possible?

SO HOW COULD THIS BE DONE? FIRST LET US LOOK AT THE NORMAL APPLE GROWING CYCLE. We require initially some vegetative growth, then we need fruit buds on this growth, and then finally for the fruit buds to open and for flowering to occur. Then we require sufficient leaf area to ensure adequate carbohydrates are available to produce good quality fruit.

In the field we control plant vigour by using the appropriate rootstock, but in a plant factor we will be able to control vigour (internode length) by using the appropriate wavelength of light (more blue light), and by ending the growth cycle by reducing the temperature. i.e. make the plant believe it is autumn. We can make the

winter as short as we like (subject to ensuring that the plant has sufficient chilling to overcome dormancy—or alternatively ensuring that the plant never becomes dormant). Thus, the seasons can be compacted, and the plant can go from winter to summer conditions at the click of a switch. Summer conditions may well be a 24hour day, high carbon dioxide levels (1000ppm?) and optimum temperatures, so that the photosynthetic capacity of the plant for a full normal season may be possible in only a month or so. With hydroponics, there will be no productivity limitations in terms of nutrients or water.

Of course, peaches and nectarines are far more straightforward, as they produce their flower buds on the new wood, whereas apples normally produce flower buds only on older wood. However, nothing is fixed in biology.

In the 1970s, Professor J P Hudson (the Director of the Long Ashton Research Station in UK) proposed the concept of the meadow orchard. Perhaps now would be the appropriate time to reconsider this, not as an outdoor crop but as a plant factory crop.

Naturally, one huge advantage of plant factories is that all the air entering the facility can be filtered, so that there is (at least in theory) no pathogens, and therefore no need to use any pesticides. The workers (see photo) are also dressed as if for a major medical operation, to ensure that the crop remains free from pathogens.

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Help us help you make our world a greener place.

If you would like to advertise here: Contact Mark Lewis Tel: +613 9432-5428 Email: marklewis@hydroponics.com.au

Changing our world one step at a time.

IN CONCLUSION Nothing in horticulture remains static – for example, when I arrived in New Zealand from UK in 1958, virtually all the apples in New Zealand were grown on northern spy rootstock, and grown at a spacing of 20 ft. x 20 ft. to permit the orchard to be disked in two directions to control weeds. DDT was a major pesticide and mites were just starting to become a problem. The main varieties were Gravenstein, Cox, Golden and Red Delicious, Sturmer and Granny Smith.

Currently, the plant density has increased by using dwarfing root stocks, the pruning systems have been significantly improved, and grassing down and irrigation are the norm, and the breeding program of DSIR HortResearch Plant and Food has given New Zealand a world leadership in this facet. It is essential, however, that we do not rest on our laurels, hence the reason to “look into the future”. b Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017. 49

TALKING AQUAPONICS 50 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017

Dr Wilson Lennard is an aquaponic biologist who has run his own successful aquaponics farm, teaches aquaponics and aquaponic principles, designs commercial aquaponic farms and consults to commercial aquaponic farmers across the globe.

He is about to release a new book on commercial aquaponic farming titled, Commercial Aquaponic Systems â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the science and engineering of integrating recirculating fish culture with hydroponic plant production.

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017. 51

Lessons in a new protected cropping methodology with Wilson Lennard PART 1 – THE FISH - INTRODUCTION I have worked in the field of aquaponics for over 16 years and in that time I have seen many opinions written and spoken about aquaponics and how it works.

Recently, I read an article on aquaponics and not too many days later sat in a talk about aquaponics and was presented with some interesting opinions. What struck me was that both the article and talk contained very similar negative (and I would contend, incorrect!) messages about aquaponics as a technology and that both were communicated by standard hydroponic industry “experts” with little applied or theoretical knowledge in the area of aquaponics. I will freely admit that it is endlessly frustrating for me that the same incorrect opinions continue to be rolled out regularly by the standard hydroponics industry, often by the same people. I therefore, made an offer to Practical Hydroponics and Greenhouses magazine to write a series of articles about aquaponics so that the readership may be exposed to a different opinion and make informed decisions of the technology based on a knowledge of the science and engineering of this new and emerging technology.

THE AQUACULTURE ARGUMENT The first argument often associated with aquaponics and aquaculture is that it is not sustainable because it is perceived that a major food source for fish being grown in aquaculture is other, wild harvested fish. It is true that some aquaculture industries – especially those associated with growing high trophic level fish (i.e. fish that eat other fish as their major food source carnivores) – use products from wild catch fisheries to form some of the ingredients of what is fed to the fish. An example of the age-old argument is that it takes about 2 kilograms of wild harvested fish to produce 1 kilogram of farmed fish and that this is “obviously” unsustainable. However, no one seems to ask the question, “How many kilograms of wild fish does a carnivorous wild fish need to eat to add 1 kilogram of weight in the wild?” It may surprise you to know that it actually takes far more than 2 kilograms of wild fish for a wild carnivorous fish to add 1 kilogram to its body weight in the wild. This is because

52 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017

this wild carnivore must expend far more energy to obtain the fish it eats than a farmed fish and therefore, the wild fish expends a lot of energy simply in the sourcing of its meals, while a farmed fish basically sits there and gets fed. The outcome is that we can be guaranteed that it takes far more kilograms of wild fish to produce that 1 kilogram of wild caught fish, than 1 kilogram of farmed fish and therefore, this whole argument that feeding farmed fish some ingredients sourced from wild fish stocks is not sustainable basically falls apart!

In addition, the aquaculture industry as a whole produces far more fish that do not require wild caught fish ingredients in their feed than the carnivores we grow in aquaculture and currently, the largest budget dedicated to aquaculture-based research, goes to sourcing proteins, fats and carbohydrates that are derived from plants rather than fish, so that the reliance on wild caught fish ingredients for the small proportion of carnivores that are farmed may be lowered even further.

While the farming of insects is being researched as an alternative protein source for many industries, including we humans and the carnivorous fish grown in aquaculture, the main candidate is called Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) and mainstream fish feed manufacturers communicate that we are still years away from producing products suitable in terms of protein content, form, type and volume!

Finally, while wild fish may be used to produce a proportion of the feeds fed to farmed fish, wild fish stocks are renewable (they breed and produce more wild fish populations), the majority of wild-sourced fish meal and oil used to make aquaculture feeds are sourced from certified sustainable fishing industries (with quotas and catch limits, etc.) and industrial processing (with its associated high indebted energy and environmental impact) is minimal. Can the standard hydroponics and substrate culture industries say the same things about the nutrients they use to grow plants; most of which arise from polluting industrial processes or are mined from natural, concentrated sources only to be used

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017. 53

P

inefficiently and returned to the planet in such a dispersed manner that renders them almost impossible to be used again?

People in glass houses, shouldn’t throw…

BASIC FISH ANATOMY, PHYSIOLOGY AND AQUACULTURE METHODS Like plants, fish may be grown using several different methods. In terms of freshwater fish species (those fish species suitable for aquaponic technology), the vast majority are grown in what is called extensive pond culture. This means small fish are added to ponds, are fed and grow in the pond and are then harvested for us to eat. Pond systems are used because the pond has a natural ecology that is used to process the wastes the fish release. Fish release three types of waste; solids (excreta from the fish’s intestines), liquids (in urine) and gases (across the gills).

In pond-based systems the solids are never filtered out of the water because that is completely impractical; they settle in the pond and the natural micro-flora and ecology at the base of the earthen pond processes them so they don’t accumulate. However, ponds have definite life times and must be maintained regularly and a big part of that maintenance is cleaning out the base of the pond of accumulated fish wastes every few years.

Fish release hardly any waste via urine; less than one per cent in fact. In addition, the ammonia fraction of fish urine is basically negligible and contributes effectively zero ammonia to the aquatic environment a fish is being cultured within. Therefore, fish urine contributes almost zero to a fish’s total waste stream. However, fish release almost all of their ammonia waste via gas exchange across their gills. Fish use their gills to uptake oxygen from the water and to release carbon dioxide as a waste product. Fish also eat relatively high protein diets and make their internal energy requirements by cleaving amine groups (NH2) from larger protein molecules in their feed and it is this waste amine product that is

54 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017

further reduced to ammonia which the fish release across their gills directly into the water.

This ammonia the fish release can become toxic to the fish if it accumulates. However, all extensive pond aquaculture systems keep fish at stocking densities well below a level that could result in ammonia toxicity and the pond itself, just like it does for solid fish wastes, processes this ammonia to non-toxic nitrate quickly via the action of the ever present nitrification bacteria all ponds (and almost all soils) contain. Yes, that’s right, the bacterial species used to process fish waste ammonia to nitrate in an aquatic environment is exactly the same bacteria that inhabits soils. In a soil environment, these bacteria process the ammonia that arises from animals (cows, pigs, sheep, chickens, etc.) that live on the soil and turns it into nitrate.

This occurs because the bacteria make their energy from converting ammonia to nitrate and because other bacteria process the raw animal wastes (solids and urine) and turn them into ammonia.

The other outcome is that plants live in the soil and use nitrogen as one of their required nutrients. Because the bacteria convert the ammonia to nitrate very efficiently, plants have evolved to prefer nitrate over ammonia as their principle nitrogen source. In a standard hydroponics context, you will notice that there is always far more nitrogen available as nitrate than as ammonia; because plants prefer nitrate over ammonia as their principle nitrogen source.

Ponds use their natural ecology to process all fish wastes and use relatively low stocking densities of fish (often less than 0.5 kg of fish per 1,000 L of water) and therefore, nutrients do not accumulate in the water

FISH RELEASE THREE TYPES OF WASTE: 1) Ammonia gases across the gills.

2) Solids excreta from the fishâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s intestines via anus.

3) Liquids in urine - from the urinogenital opening.

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017. 55

Round fish tanks used in an aquaponic system are very different from a pond and assist to accumulate the nutrients required to grow plants.

column. A standard pond aquaculture system will operate at water column nitrate concentrations well less than 5 mg/L. As we know from standard hydroponics, we need nitrate concentrations orders of magnitude above this low level for good plant production. Therefore, standard aquaculture ponds are useless in an aquaponics context because they simply cannot

A swirl sedimentation filter assists the removal of solid wastes from the culture water.

56 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017

accumulate high enough nutrient concentrations to meet the plants requirements.

For aquaponics therefore, we need to concentrate our fish so we can accumulate suitable nutrient concentrations. So, we keep fish in artificial tanks with far less ecology than a pond, with no soil base (like a pond must have) and at far higher stocking densities (as high as 150 kg of fish per 1,000 L of water in some cases!).

Because we keep high densities of fish and feed them a lot of that nasty and unsustainable fish feed in aquaponics (and tank-based aquaculture â&#x20AC;&#x201C; also known as Recirculating Aquaculture Systems or RAS), we must artificially filter the water to keep it clean from particles (solids) and chemical wastes (e.g. ammonia) for the fish to survive and thrive. This filtration consists of two basic processes; the process to mechanically remove the solid fish waste (which if it accumulates in the fish tanks, competes with our fish for oxygen, goes anaerobic and releases chemicals that may also kill the fish) and the process to convert the potentially toxic ammonia released via the fish gills to non-toxic nitrate. In fact, at such high fish densities, if the oxygen delivery stops, the fish have about 10-15 minutes before they asphyxiate (drown!) due to no oxygen, while it can take hours and sometimes, days, for the ammonia to accumulate to toxic levels. So, all RAS and aquaponic systems are not limited by potentially toxic ammonia releases from the fish, but

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MAKING OUR WORLD GREENER

by available oxygen.

Nitrogen is just one element that fish release as a waste product and many other elements are released as wastes (also known as plant nutrients) in tank-based aquaculture systems. Therefore, some bright person wondered if those fish waste elements could actually be used as plants nutrients and that is how aquaponics was borne.

Like any agricultural science or method, aquaponics is, of course, complex. However, I would argue it is no more complex than standard hydroponics and substrate culture, which are methods that also require in-depth and detailed knowledge to achieve technical and economic success. The world is running out of available nutrients we can use to grow the animals and plants we eat (some people in Europe think accessible phosphorous may run out in less than 50 years!), so we must explore ways to use the nutrients we still have more efficiently. Standard aquaculture will always exist and always grow fish and use available nutrients to grow those fish. So, the aquaculture industry will continue to produce wastes whether we like it or not. All, aquaponic science suggests is that aquaculture wastes will be generated anyway and so why not use them to grow plants instead of wasting them and impacting our environment Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017. 57

A static screen filter used for fine solids seperation.

further? The fish in a standard RAS aquaculture farm only use about 30 per cent of the nutrients fed to the system as fish feed; the rest is wasted. If some of us are going to whine about the fact that we think aquaculture uses fish feeds that are produced unsustainably, and we are going to accept that this practice will not stop, then at the least we have a responsibility to use those aquaculture wastes to grow something else and utilise them effectively and sustainably to produce a further food source for ourselves!

In our next article we will explore what are often referred to as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;compromisesâ&#x20AC;? associated with the aquaponic method (things like water temperature, pH, nutrient concentrations and balances, etc.) and dispel many of the myths we often see written and spoken of in this context. b Contact Dr Lennard via: www.aquaponic.com.au.

Fish ponds keep fish at densities too low for aquaponics.

58 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017

BU BB LE EF FE CT 60 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017

Microbubbles are incredibly small bubbles measuring 0.05 mm or less in size.

ACCORDING TO GEOFF HILL FROM ESSENTIAL WATER AND ENERGY SERVICES, MICROBUBBLE TECHNOLOGY CAN HELP BOOST PLANT GROWTH.

Lead researcher at Meiji University is Professor Masahiko Tamaki from the School of Agricultural Science.

For some years a Queensland water engineering company has been manufacturing high quality commercial aeration machines used by industry and local government for the aeration of wastewater and stabilisation ponds.

In 2014, an engineer was experimenting with the water jets on the latest model aerator trying different ways to improve performance when he found the machine was producing an amount of microbubbles. Since it was known that microbubbles are a very useful technology for water and wastewater treatment, the race was on to perfect a delivery mechanism able to produce vast amounts of these tiny bubbles with as little energy input as possible.

“Microbubbles are incredibly small bubbles measuring 0.05 mm or less in size. To understand just how small this is, they are smaller than the diameter of a human hair and appear like a cloud of white smoke in water,” said Geoff Hill from Essential Water and Energy Services, a Queensland-based company, marketing an expanding line-up of leading water and energy products and services that offer economic solutions for a wide range of projects.

“Standard or macro bubbles rise to the top of the water and burst upon reaching the surface then disappear.

However, microbubbles have very low buoyancies, enabling them to remain for longer periods of time in the water. When microbubbles collapse they do so within the water column releasing ions and free radicals.

“Not all microbubbles collapse, many shrink down to form even much smaller, negatively charged Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017. 61

nanobubbles, or ultra-fine bubbles. These extremely tiny, invisible bubbles remain in the water for long periods of time, often longer than a month before dissolving due to pressure and temperature. Nanobubbles travel throughout the water in all directions by Brownian motion and it is these that build up a store of oxygen and other gases,” he said.

JAPANESE TRIALS Hydroponic laboratory trials conducted at Meiji University in Japan showed substantial increases in root and leaf growth of spinach when microbubbles and nanobubbles were added to a culture solution. This natural, sustainable approach has already been put to use by some Japanese hydroponic farmers and it is proving to be an effective means of increasing profits.

Lead researcher at Meiji University is Professor Masahiko Tamaki from the School of Agricultural Science.

“Just what uses might these tiny bubbles have in the agriculture industry? Let’s start with the example of hydroponic spinach growing: When comparing the use of standard bubbles with microbubbles/nanobubbles to deliver oxygen in a culture solution, we know that the latter approach achieves 10 to 15 per cent improvements in root and leaf growth,” Professor Tamaki said.

“Depending on the type of plant, increased growth rates can also be achieved, which reduces harvesting time.

Although groundwater is commonly utilised as agricultural use water, groundwater oxygen

concentrations are so low they approach zero per cent in certain locations. If this type of oxygen poor water is used in hydroponic growing, oxygen will not be sufficiently absorbed through the plants’ roots, resulting in lowered intake of nutrients and water and poor plant growth.

“Microbubbles and nanobubbles can be effortlessly dissolved in groundwater to supply oxygen and remedy this problem. This approach has already been put to use by some hydroponic farmers, and it is proving to be an effective means of increasing profits,” he said.

“Collaborating with and providing data to microbubble and nanobubble generator equipment manufacturers to create equipment optimised for the agricultural industry Successful plant disease control is also a problem faced by many in hydroponics. If a pathogen enters the culture solution, this infectious agent can spread throughout the entire system and cause widespread damage to crops. Even in more enclosed, more germfree plant factory environments, this danger cannot be completely eliminated,” Professor Tamaki said.

“Because the use of agrochemicals in hydroponics is prohibited, culture tanks, hydroponic apparatuses, panels and beds used for planting seedings, and other such equipment must be sterilised each time using boiled water, chlorinebased materials, or other such means.”

LOCAL APPLICATION In 2016, one of the new generation of aeration machines, fitted with perfected microbubble generators, was

Unlike standard bubbles, microbubbles have very low buoyancies, enabling them to remain for longer periods of time in the water.

62 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017

installed in wastewater stabilisation ponds for a NSW council. After it had been operating for a few weeks it was observed that carp and some other small native fish species in the ponds were growing considerably faster, and grasses and plants along the edges of the ponds that were close enough to benefit from the microbubble and nanobubble rich water were greener and healthier looking and growing more quickly.

“Now in its third year of R &D and continuing to develop a range of microbubble delivery systems, the Queensland company has become recognised as being among the world’s leaders in designing and manufacturing systems able to successfully harness this emerging technology for different applications and industries. Due to the unique properties that differentiate these bubbles from standard varieties, they have been receiving increased attention from a wide variety of fields, such as wastewater treatment, agriculture, hydroponics, aquaculture, environmental remediation, etc.,” Geoff Hill said.

“Now that we have the generators and delivery systems for these tiny bubbles, it would seem to be worthwhile including this exciting technology in your

hydroponic endeavours.” b

For more information contact: Geoff Hill, Essential Water and Energy Services 477 Boundary Street, Spring Hill QLD 4000 Mobile: 0499 994 651 | Ph: 07 3085 7458 geoff@essential-wes.com.au www.essential-wes.com.au

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017. 63

64 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017

BOOK REVIEW:

GROW. FOOD. ANYWHERE.

The New Guide To Small-Space Gardening.

By Mat Pember & Dillon Seitchik-Reardon Hardie Grant Books. RRP$45.

All over the world food is cascading from rooftops, spilling over balconies – even sprouting on kitchen benchtops.

It has never been easier to grow your own food, and you don’t have to quit your day job and move to the country to do it.

The primary goal of Mat and Dillon, of the Little Veggie Patch Co. has always been to get as many people growing food as possible, no matter their level of experience or space available and in their fifth book – Grow. Food.

Anywhere – they give readers the tools to achieve this.

A comprehensive guide to growing fresh, local, nutritious produce, regardless of the size of your patch, Grow. Food. Anywhere. offers inspiration – and instruction – for growing good things to eat. The book has three sections: What plants need; Fruit & Veg to Grow; and Pests & Diseases to know. These chapters cover everything from: why soil matters; composting; how to make a wicking garden; how to select the right growing style; what to plant and when; harvesting; troubleshooting; pruning; and more.“Edible gardening has changed considerably since we started the business nearly 10 years ago and this book looks at the contemporary styles of ABOUT THE AUTHORS Mat Pember founded The Little Veggie Patch Co in 2008 and has since become Australia’s best-selling gardening author. He has defied conventional wisdom by making edible gardening relevant and accessible to all people, especially those living in the city. Mat’s ability to convey knowledge in a way that is entertaining and fun has made him the go-to person for all matters food and gardening.

gardening that make it possible for the aspiring, small space, time-poor person to grow their own edible paradise,” Mat said.“New systems such as wicking beds, aquaponics and hydroponics are covered as are more traditional styles of raised garden beds, in-ground planting, and of course, planting in pots.”

“One of the biggest barriers to edible gardening is the fear of not knowing where to begin. With a combination of photographs, illustrations, and a playful, engaging design that very much mirrors the refreshing no-nonsense approach of the book’s two accomplished and articulate young authors Grow. Food. Anywhere. hopes to dispel the mystery, because growing food is neither difficult nor time-consuming. Rather, it is something that everyone can do, no matter your location, ideology, origin or experience.

It can easily become part of your daily routine,” Dillon said.

Whether the end goal is to grow a single radish or to feed your family for a year, this book will help guide your exploration of modern gardening, because whatever your reason, whatever your location, whatever your ability, there has never been a better time to grow food – and it’s possible to grow food anywhere. b

He is a regular contributor to Gourmet Traveller, Herald Sun, and Slow Magazine.

American-born Dillon Seitchik-Reardon has a background in environmental science and joined with Mat in 2012 to help set-up Pop Up Patch on the rooftop of Melbourne’s Federation Square car park. It became a wildly successful community garden and events space, lasting four years on a one-year contract. Together with Mat, he has helped to

reshape the way the world thinks about urban gardening. He was a collaborator for the previous title 1-Minute Gardener and coauthored DIY Garden Projects. you can find Mat & Dillon at https://littleveggiepatchco.com.au/ Facebook: @littleveggiepatchco Twitter: @LittleVegPatch instagram: @littleveggiepatchco

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017. 65

CUSTOM FEEDING LONG-TIME HYDROPONIC GARDENING EXPERT KENT ELCHUK DESCRIBES CUSTOM FEEDING WHERE HIS 100-POT SYSTEM COSTS LESS THAN ONE CANADIAN DOLLAR A DAY TO FEED OVER 450 PLANTS.

Kent in his luxurious garden

The bare bones system with pots, feeder lines and reservoir.

Four tiers of 220 seedlings per tier.

Tomatoes and other veggies ripening.

68 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017

This article details an experience of my first hydroponic garden in over 10 years. The long absence was due to limited space from several years of travelling and apartment living. However, that has changed and I finally came back to it, as I finally had a large yard space to work with.

Given these points, I was on a mission to build a versatile outdoor hydroponic garden that could grow all my family favourites; lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, jalapenos, cucumbers and onions. To elaborate on that vegetable list, we started many different varieties of lettuce, tomatoes and peppers to determine which ones would be a good for growing the next time around.

The plan, if successful, was to cover the costs of building the system and fertilisation expenses in the first season. Thus, could this system actually grow enough quality food that would cost more to buy in the produce aisle? Well, let’s find that out and more.

HOW IT BEGAN Before I move on to describe the plants and growing season, I will start from the beginning and detail the growing system. After doing lots of research, I decided that using stackable quad pots was going to be the best fit.

First of all, they could be stacked two to six pots high and were very square-foot efficient from top to bottom; yet so easy to manage on foot.

With the setup, I had to make a judgment call from the get go; drain to waste or recirculating? The difference between the two was that recirculating would not have a bottom pot and it would cost quite a lot more as a drain dish, PVC and its variety of capping would have easily added a several dollars to each tier – not to mention the extra labour.

Of course, on the other hand, recirculating reduces fertiliser costs. But, since the idea was to run the pump as efficiently as possible, waste was something that I did not want to see. Also, as there are bear problems in this location (Canada) in the summer and fall, I did not want to add any more chewable material than I had to.

With a simple round three-gallon pot on the bottom, an entire column actually grows vegetation from a few inches above the ground to upwards two feet over my head. Lettuce and green onions grew well in the bottom where light was more limited.

In addition, the rows and columns spaced at 4-foot centres allowed good light from top to bottom without shading being an issue.

As far as the stacked pots are concerned, they are

fixed to 8-foot lengths of ¾-inch conduit pipe that is pounded two feet deep in the ground with a fence post pounder. I used 18-24 inch lengths of 1.5 inch PVC on the bottom to support the quad pots, which have holes that fit perfectly through the conduit pipe.

Since I had 22 tiers and 100 pots, this meant I would need about 450 plants to fill the system. To fill this need, I set up a four-tier T8 LED light system with four bulbs on each level. Each level produced sufficient light for four flats of seedlings, which are 840 seedlings.

A tier with lights, timer, nursery flats, jiffy pellets, timer, electricity and seeds cost about CAD$600; which is less than I would pay per seedling had I walked into a local garden shop and passed through the checkout.

Thus, the seedling starter tray paid off in five weeks. Of course, the next batches and microgreens were all personal profit.

THE FEEDING STRATEGY At the tops of each pipe are 1-inch PVC Ts that are used to support the header lines for feeding. From seeing many systems online, they always used two ¼-inch lines attached to the ¾-inch header line that delivered solution from top to bottom. At first, I started with this setup with the exception of using ½-inch line.

However, it did not take long for the default system to be left behind. First of all, my 550 gallons per hour pump was too weak to deliver nutrient trough open-ended lines.

At first, I had 22 columns, which is 44 individual ¼inch lines.

At this point, I immediately went the dripper route and used two, 2-litre per hour drippers for each tier. At least the delivery was working fine now; especially shortly after transplanting. Since there were no elaborate root systems at first, each bottom quad pot drained about the same time; except the tomato tiers that drained faster as they only were stacked two high.

But, that soon changed. Since some tiers had peppers, others had lettuce and others had tomatoes, making consistent draining was a new, unseen goal. After all, this was a backyard hydroponic garden not a single vegetable crop that is consistent.

So, sometime in June, I would drag out the ¼-inch feeder lines and add more single drip lines to those lower tiers that were deprived of nutrient and water from the spoiled plants on the top tier. In fact, the nutrient solution in some tiers without individual lines could easily read 1500 ppm going in and 350ppm draining the bottom quad pot.

Since I had time and a rather small setup, I added Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017. 69

Many varieties of plants and ripe lettuce all summer long.

70 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017

them as needed to really get to know the feeding requirement in this one system for all plants. In all columns, plants had looked healthy and every stacked pot was nourished and effectively watered.

By the middle of a summer heat wave, some tiers had two lines on the top tier and up to a single line in every other tier. Lettuce did not require extra lines and peppers might only need an extra one or two lines per column. Tomatoes drank the most and asides from dwarf cherry tomatoes, every tomato tier had at least one line to each pot.

Looking back on the whole of the feeding, next time I would just add two drippers to the top and one on every lower tier as a safeguard and to keep the pump time down and waste to a minimum.

SEASONAL FEEDINGS When I first transplanted the plants in spring, the feeding cycle was just once a day. Eventually, as plants became larger, I adjusted the feeding schedule to twice a day.

However, on really hot days three feedings per day were required.

The feeding interval in the morning was one hour. In the afternoon near 3:00 pm, the feeding was 1.5 hours. If a third feeding was required in the early evening, another hour did the trick.

As far as fertilisation went, I used Plant Prod Hydro Veg and supplemented occasionally with calcium nitrate, magnesium sulphate and trace elements. For three months, the fertiliser costs may have averaged near CAD$1 a day. Thus, letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s say CAD$100 for 450 plants comes to less than CAD$0.25 per plant site.

In my books, those fertiliser costs were very reasonable; considering I had the equivalent of over three lettuce crops in one plant spot and other vegetables that produced abundantly.

For the reservoir, I used a 55-gallon reservoir and it was just enough for each day; except for a few days when I had to add a third feeding and top it up.

To make life simpler next time around, I would use a larger reservoir, or at least connect several 55-gallon drums together with through-hull fittings and hose. Blue 55-gallon drums often ship food grade products and cheap to buy at CAD$10 each.

PLANT MAINTENANCE Although feeding was rather routine, growing so many varieties of vegetable plants in one system did have its challenges. For example, lettuce was basically pick and eat. Meanwhile, tomatoes would fall down and support

themselves while peppers did need care and attention.

Doing the staking as a preventative measure was best, however, there were several times when strong winds and heavy flashes of rain made some plants look like they were hanging on for dear life. Luckily, I did not suffer major losses and found ways to keep plants supported, including taping the odd limb and extra support.

I should have wrapped twine around the four pepper (jalapeno and bell) plants during transplanting. Since I did not, I ended up supporting them with cut pieces of burlap, twine and stakes. What worked best was taking a long length of twine and wrapping it around the plants that did not fall over, thus preventing the problem to begin with.

Once the pepper support problem seemed eliminated, I found some birds took a liking to one bell pepper tier.

Although I had three of the same kind ripening at the same time, I found it strange how they really liked the one column.

To combat this bird problem, I set up scarecrows in the rain. After a day out of town, it looked as though there may have been more munching. I may have been wrong on the diagnosis, but just to make sure I added bird netting to the bell peppers, which worked. Luckily for the jalapenos, it looked like all predators left them alone.

Lettuce has been perpetually harvested since spring and replanted on several occasions as some varieties bolted. Since there were so many lettuce plants like Grand Rapids that often, did not bolt there was always a lettuce feast when desired. Eating four Caesar salads a day was not uncommon this spring and summer.

LOOKING BACK AND LOOKING FORWARD Looking back at the small backyard hydroponic garden, I plan to double to quadruple production next time.

This time around, I just put the pipe in the lawn and planted since I did not want to disturb the grass and block it from light. Next time though, I would use a mat on the ground to eliminate grass cutting, even though I rarely cut it.

Another decision would be pot usage and spacing for lettuce. Since I found 4-foot centres do very well for large veggies like tomatoes and peppers, I would keep it at that just to stay consistent. But, if I were to grow a lettuce crop, may shorten to 3-foot centres.

In addition, I am currently planting fall lettuce in smaller 13-inch quad pots from a different supplier. The thinking is that I cut down on media and space in addition to the cheaper cost.

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017. 71

Seedlings transplanted after last threat of frost.

Going to a 13-inch pot also has other spin-offs in terms of lower cost; bottom support can go from 1.5-inch PVC to 1-inch PVC, which is about half the price.

The one part I will need to reconsider is to recirculate or not. Mathematically, It will cost at least CAD$15 per column to recirculate. Thus, my system as it is now would cost another CAD$310.

Since fertiliser costs are only CAD$100, this factor makes it a hard decision in the short run.

Since I am content with 4-foot centres and think that more growth could cause the tier spacing to increase, I am uncertain if turning to methods to increase production would be beneficial when you take into account square footage.

CONCLUSION So there you have it; my Canadian summer of 2017 experience with a quad pot vertical garden.

Going in, I had only hoped it would run smoothly without too many hiccups like plant loss, pests, frost damage, garden raiders, plants drying out and equipment failure.

Realistically, it was a routine experience, much like my old organic hydroponic and hydroponic days many years ago.

Although I plan to make slight modifications next time around, the rest would be the same as the benefits plain outweigh the costs.

After measuring yields and taking counts throughout the growing season, I can honestly say that our home garden would have cost more to buy in a store than it cost to build the system and feed the plants.

Although my time was free, it was a labour of love and the enjoyment was worth more than a wage in itself; not to mention educating my 11year-old son how to be self-sufficient even in our limited growing season here in Canada. b

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kent Elchuk is an avid gardener and web developer from Canada. In 2007, his grow guides were mass published under a pen name in the USA and Canada. Nowadays, his growing focuses on highly productive, affordable and simple-tomaintain backyard hydroponic/greenhouse systems that can interact with sensors and internet technology.

Kent may be contacted at: kent@growlode.com Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017. 73

THE FINAL WORD: DR MIKE NICHOLS EXAMINES THE PROPERTIES OF VANILLA, NOTING THAT THE COOK ISLAND GOVERNMENT IS PROMOTING ITS PRODUCTION AS A POTENTIAL EXPORT CROP.

74 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017

The orchids of the vanilla genus give the pods flavour.

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017. 75

Vanilla - young flower stalk

nine months. It is not a crop for the faint-hearted.

Vanilla is the second most valuable spice crop per Vanilla originated in Central America, where kilogram (after saffron) in the world, but it is very long term and demands excellent growing skills. pollination is carried out by a specific local bee, but as these bees are not present in many other countries, hand I first saw it growing in 1999 in Tonga, on the island of Vavaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;u, in an area owned by the King. It was not well pollination is necessary. maintained, and processing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; There appears to be a real an essential part of the shortage of critical information of production system â&#x20AC;&#x201C; was fairly the physiology of the vanilla haphazard. A key part of orchid, so most producers simply production involves hand let the climate (and weather) pollination of the individual dictate production patterns. flowers on a daily basis, and It would be interesting to know then, when the crop is maturing, what determines the flowering pattern of the plant. Most the selective harvesting of the tropical plants flower when rain fruit (called beans, because follows a period of drought. they look like bean pods), also Could one control flowering with on a daily basis. Flowering to such a strategy? harvest normally takes six to Vanilla beans.

76 . PH&G. October . 2017

Vanilla flower at the right stage for pollination.

Each flower shoot has several flowers on it, rather like a tomato, and it is normal to only allow three or four flowers to set on each shoot, otherwise the individual bean size is smaller.

Curing is also quite complicated if one is to produce a high quality (and therefore high priced) product.

It involves initially the â&#x20AC;&#x153;killingâ&#x20AC;? of the mature beans by immersing them in hot water, and then the development of the vanilla flavour by storing the beans for several months at high humidity and high temperature. Then the pods are dried, and graded for sale.

A New Zealand Company, (Heilala vanilla, based in Tauranga) has a vanilla production operation on the Tongan Island of Vavaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;u. They originally started to grow it in Tauranga in greenhouses, but found the heating costs too high in New Zealand. I wonder how the economics would look these days using a plant factory and LEDs. Certainly, high light is not a requirement for

vanilla, and in fact, plant factories use energy to dissipate heat from the lamps rather than the reverse.

Furthermore, the ability to precisely control the environment might be a huge plus. How productive might the vanilla orchid be if exposed to long days (up to 24 hours?) and optimum temperatures, rather than what the climate provides. An interesting thought.

Also of interest the Cook Island Government is promoting vanilla production as a potential export crop.

Certainly, it has the advantage of being an excellent crop for a country where freight costs to market are an important consideration, being high value and low volume.

The French research organisation (CIRAD) on the island of Reunion in the Southern Indian Ocean is the home of world authorities on vanilla orchid production. b Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017. 77

VANILLA: ITS HISTORY, CULTIVATION AND PROCESSING The word vanilla is derived from the Spanish word for “vagina” or “sheath” and was inspired by the sheath-like shape of the vanilla pod. One French chef told the Washington Post, “it’s the sexiest thing you can have.”

Vanilla is obtained from the female sex organ of an orchid vine and it is the only edible member of the orchid family.

There are 150 members of the vanilla orchid family but only two types - Bourbon and Tahitian are used commercially. Vanilla from Madagascar, Reunion and the Comoros Islands is referred to as the Bourbon type.

It has an intense, balanced and somewhat dark flavour and aroma. Mexican vanilla (a Bourbon type) is softer and has a fresher aroma but is less valued than the Bourbon type. Tahiti vanilla comes from a different but closely related species. It has a more of a floral aroma.

HISTORY OF VANILLA Vanilla beans of the vanilla orchid originate from southeast Mexico and Guatemala, where it is pollinated by indigenous small stingless bees and hummingbirds.

There are no records or references to vanilla in Mayan or Aztec literature or glyphs. The first written accounts came from Bernal Diaz, who accompanied Cortes to the New World in 1520, and Bernadino de Sahagun, a priest who came to Mexico in 1529.

The Spaniards described how Montezuma’s court drank a chocolate drink flavoured with vanilla as well as maize, chili pepper’s, pimentos, honey and other spices.

The drink was so special that it was served in golden goblets which were discarded after one use. The Aztec Indians also used vanilla to sweeten their cigars.

More specifically vanilla comes for the ripe fruit, or pod of a climbing tropical vine with a long fleshy green stem. The pods, often erroneously called beans, are produced by yellow and orange flowers that grow in bunches and bloom at a rate of one a day for a two month period. The vanilla flavor and aroma comes from a chemical called vanillan. It is found mostly in the seeds and oily liquid surrounding the seeds in the pod.

Vanilla is the world’s second most expensive spice after saffron and cardamom. The fermented fruit contains one to three percent vanillan. In some high quality vanilla pods you can see crystallised vanillan on the surface in the form of tiny white needles. About 130 other compounds have been identified in vanilla extract.

Vanilla also contains water (35 per cent), sugars (25 per cent), fat (15 per cent), cellulose (15 to 30 per cent) and minerals (6 per cent). In addition to being used in ice cream it is also an essential ingredient for cola drinks, cakes and some perfumes.

78 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017

Vanilla orchids were first introduced to Europe by the Spanish conquistadors after they discovered the local Aztecs using it. In Europe, initially, it was mainly used as the Aztecs used it: as an additive for chocolate drinks.

Englishmen flocked to coffee houses to drink cocoa

flavoured with vanilla. Later it was introduced as a flavouring for a wide variety of foods as scent in perfumes, cigars and liqueurs. Queen Elizabeth I was fond of vanilla-flavoured desserts. Vanilla was also used as a medicine and aphrodisiac. In 1762 a German doctor claimed it to be a miracle for impotence after “curing” all 342 of the men he treated with the problem.

For centuries vanilla was produced exclusively in Mexico as part of a monopoly controlled by the Spanish, who were the only ones who knew the secret of pollinating the orchid. Cuttings were stolen and transplanted to other parts of the world but they failed to produce pods. In 1836, growers realised that the pods failed to form because the flowers were not being pollinated. In 1841, Edmon Albius, a former slave, on the French island of Reunion perfected a way of artificially fertilising the flower, using a stick or sliver or bamboo he lifted the membrane of the orchid and then smeared the pollen with his thumb. In 1890, vanilla was introduced to Madagascar from Mexico.

nine months in order to completely develop their full flavour potential.

Vanilla orchids are mostly pollinated by hand using a technique similar to the one invented by Albius.

In Madagascar women go around from flower to flower, fertilising them by pressing the stamen and pistil together.

GROWING VANILLA

Describing this proceedure, Suzanne Daley wrote in the New York Times: “Solomon Rasolomonina pushed his way through the branches, hunting for his vanilla plants.

When he found one, he snapped a twig the size of a matchstick from the a nearby tree and, gently reaching into the plants blooming orchids, pollinated them.

Women can pollinate 2,500 orchids a day this way.

Rasolomonina told the New York Times, “You must come out here every day at this time of year. You must get the flower in the morning, when it blooms, and before it is too old. You only have a few days.”

Vanilla plants grow in tropical areas between 20° north and 20° south of the Equator and are regarded as one of the world’s most time consuming and labour intensive plants. Much of the work is done by hand, which is one reason why vanilla is so expensive. It takes months for seedlings to develop. Vanilla plants need to coil around trees and they don’t produce any orchid flowers until three years after they are planted. The pods, which resemble big green beans, must remain on the vine for

When the tips of the pods begin to turn yellow they are picked by hand. In Madagascar the pods are brought by women into huge warehouses, where the beans are Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017. 79

sorted by length. The larger beans are considered tastier and thus fetch a better price.

Vanilla thievery is common. To guard against theft vanilla growers prick their initials into in the pods. Some farmers pick the beans earlier to thwart thieves but this results in lower quality beans.

PROCESSING VANILLA Processing vanilla is also time consuming and laborious.

It takes months to cure the seeds and weeks more to extract the concentrated flavoring from the from the pods. After vanilla is harvested, the pods have no smell or taste. Curing and processing are needed to bring out the flavour and aroma, particularly of the vanillan. Until fairly recent the curing process was quite complicated, the beans were first wrapped and subjected to high temperatures and humidity to “kill” the vegetative life.

Next they were alternately dried in the sun in the day and sweated in the night for several days.

These days, vanilla producers are able to skip the above steps by throwing the pods into boiling water for a precise length of time. At this point the beans are dark, oily and pliable. Next, they are dried on bamboo tables in the sun for around 10 weeks until they have shrunk to about 20 per cent of their original size. After this the pods may be sorted again for size and quality. Then they are stored away for a month or two more until they reach their peak flavour and fragrance.

Cured vanilla is very dark brown, slender, pleated and about eight inches long. High quality pods can be sliced 80 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017

open and the goo that oozes out is almost pure vanilla.

Most of the vanilla pods grown in Madagascar are wrapped in bundles and exported, mostly to the United States and Europe, where they may be processed further.

After vanilla has been cured and dried, it can be stored for 10 years or even more if it is periodically dried to prevent the growing of mold. When prices are low, vanilla is stored away in the hope that prices will rise.

European often eat the pods (beans), which are tough but impart a strong, pure vanilla flavour. The French like to cut up the pods and put them on desserts. Americans prefer vanilla extract, which is made by percolating alcohol and water through chopped, cured beans, a method not unlike making coffee. The process can take weeks. Vanilla extract is strong stuff. Generally a few drops is enough for most recipes.

VANILLA INDUSTRY Recently the vanilla industry has been hurt by chemical substitutes. About 97 percent of vanilla used as a flavour and fragrance is synthetic. Vanillan is a component of some trees and can easily be produced from wood wastes in the paper industry. Pure vanillan has a scent reminiscent of vanilla but it lacks the flavor of the true spice. Other ingredients including clove oil and coal tar from tonka beans are added to make it more vanillery.

Substances called “vanilla flavor” contain no vanilla at all.

Only about 2,200 tons of vanilla beans are produced annually. In 2004, vanilla was selling for about $275 a pound. In 1997 it was fetching only $10 a pound. At that time many vanilla farmers switched to bananas, breadfruit, coconut and sugar cane. Even with vanilla at $10 a pound, they brought in less money than vanilla but were much easier to produce.

The vanilla industry is highly secretive. Companies send their representatives traveling private aircraft under false names to remote locations to get an edge on

their competitors. They carry suitcases full of cash and purchase vanilla stored from warehouses surrounded by razor wire and watched over by armed guards. Extortion, fraud and even murder are all elements of the trade.

The dairy industry not surprisingly is a major consumer of vanilla. It is used as a flavouring for ice cream, yogurt and other dairy products. It is also used in a variety of industries for things like flavoring medicines and concealing the strong smell of rubber tyres, paint and cleaning products.

VANILLA PRODUCERS AND CONSUMERS Madagascar remain the world’s largest producer of vanilla. Vanilla produced on the Comoros and Reunion Islands near Madagascar is often referred to as Madagascar vanilla.

PARTS OF VANILLA ORCHID The main vanilla exporters in Madagascar are centred around Antlaha, a town on the northeast coast. In the early 1970s, Madagascar supplied 70 per cent of the world’s vanilla. By the early 1990s, it share had been reduced to 40 per cent.

The vanilla industry in Madagascar has also been hurt by foreign competition, chemical substitutes and government price fixing, regulation and high taxes.

The government claimed 80 per cent of vanilla profits and kept the prices so high for so long that vanilla producers in other countries were able to reduce Madagascar’s market share.

IMAGE SOURCES: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS Text sources: National Geographic, New york Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Smithsonian magazine, Natural History magazine, Discover magazine, Times of London, The New yorker, Time, Newsweek, Reuters, AP, AFP, Lonely Planet Guides, Compton’s Encyclopedia and other publications. © 2009 Jeffrey Hays http://factsanddetails.com/world/cat54/sub345/item1608.html

Indonesia is the second largest vanilla producer after Madagascar. Vanilla is also produced in Tahiti, Mozambique, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Papua New Guinea, China, Tonga, Fiji, Uganda, Hawaii, Guatemala, and the Philippines.

The United States consumes 60 per cent of the word’s natural vanilla, even though artificial flavouring makes up 90 per cent of the market in France 50 per cent. b Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . October . 2017. 81

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