Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses

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PONICS & GREENHOUSES www.hydroponics.com.au

FLOWERING IN HONG KONG: cut flower industry blooms GROWING NOTES FROM ARMENIA

GREENWALLS: EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS

70th anniversary of the Hydroponics Institute

Improving wellbeing in campus communities

TALKING AQUAPONICS

ROOT ZONE TEMPERATURE OPTIMISATION

System chemistry of aquatic environment

Sustainable microclimate control for agricultural production

2018

ISSUE 186

JANUARY & FEBRUARY

The Commercial Growers’ Magazine

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

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

Contributing Authors Rick Donnan Dr Wilson Lennard Dr Mike Nichols Emily Rigby BSc (Hons) 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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www.hydroponics.com.au ISSN 2202-1485

From The Editor

Fast growing food production Happy New Year to all our readers and welcome to this year's first issue of Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses.

O

ne of our news items in this issue describes how, despite Australian vegetable farm profits being on the increase, the number of farms has decreased. Although the average vegetable farm is making more money and earning higher prices for its produce, cash costs are continuing to rise across the board.

The ABARES report, which was a strategic levy investment using the Hort Innovation Vegetable Fund, indicates that the value of the Australian vegetable industry increased to around $3.6 billion in 2015-16, accounting for around six per cent of the gross value of agricultural production.

At the same time, Australia is rapidly becoming a world leader in protected cropping, as farmers look for creative ways to grow more food using less land and resources. Protected cropping is one of the fastest-growing areas of food production in the country, with almost 30 per cent of all Australian farmers growing produce in some form of a soil-less culture system, according to peak vegetable industry body, Ausveg.

Former Protected Cropping Australia chairman Robert Hayes said the efficiencies of protected cropping were the biggest drawcard.

“It’s the best way to use your water. We don’t waste any fertiliser at all, there’s zero discharge effectively in to the environment, and we can have a much better control of our quality,” he said.

“We are in business 52 weeks of the year.”

Several stories in this issue touch on the importance of hydroponics as an efficient growing system. In his article, Growing notes from Armenia, Dr Mike Nichols suggests that while Armenia is hydroponically growing crops such as hops, and stevia, the virtual absence of any work on conventional horticultural crops, particularly under greenhouse conditions, would appear to be an error of judgement.

Also in this issue, Dr Wilson Lennard, Australia’s foremost aquaponics expert continues his series on aquaponics, looking at the system chemistry of the aquatic environment.

These and other stories await your reading pleasure.

Enjoy this issue!

Christine Brown-Paul Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018. 3

A Magazine for

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Commercial Growers

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

TRADE DIRECTORY Blue Earth Products ..............43 Exfoliators.......................... 41 Extrusion Technologies ..........55 GOTAFE ...............................15 Graeme Smith Consulting .......23 GreenLife Structures ...............4 Pestech...............................59 Powerplants ...................... IFC RT Edgar .............................17

& GREENHOUSES ISSUE 186 :: JAN & FEB 2018 :: THE COMMERCIAL GROWERS’ MAGAZINE

Features Flowering in Hong Kong . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Hong Kong is only the fifteenth largest import market for cut flowers globally, but is one of the most dynamic.

Growing notes from Armenia . . . . . . . 34 Dr Mike Nichols reports from a conference celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Institute of Hydroponics in Armenia.

Flowers in Hong Kong

Educational benefits of greenwalls . 52 Australian universities are installing greenwalls to increase concentration levels and wellbeing on campus.

Revolutionary new plant-free fibre product . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Nanollose Limited has created what it believes to be the world’s first plant-free viscose-rayon fibre.

Practical Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses would like to wish all of our sponsors and contributors a very healthy and prosperous new year in 2018.

Looking forward to a great future together.

Disclaimer The information contained in this magazine

Talking Aquaponics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 In Part 2 of lessons in a new protected cropping methodology, Dr Wilson Lennard describes system chemistry.

Root Zone Temperature Optimisation (ROOTS) for crop production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 An innovative solution for sustainable microclimate control for agricultural production in Israel.

Summer fogging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 With summer here, now is the time to think about installing fogging systems.

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

articles or in advertisements is not published on

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

liability or responsibility to any reader of the magazine for any loss or damage resulting from the correctness of such information.

www.hydroponics.com.au

Greenwalls are growing on us

Departments

whether in editorial matter or in feature the basis that the Publisher accepts or assumes

Armenia hydroponics

Reader Inquiries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Cover: Hong Kong goes green and it’s all coming up roses.

Down comes the fog Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018. 5

HIvE AwARENESS FOCuS IN bluEbERRY ORCHARDS With the North Coast producing 80 per cent of Australia’s blueberries, each year the crops are provided with pollination services from both large and small commercial apiarists over the flowering period.

DPI Director of Compliance, Biosecurity and Food Safety, Peter Day said with the increasing number of blueberry varieties now being planted, bees are being placed in crops for extended periods with varying levels of management.

“We will be carrying out inspections

to ensure beekeepers are complying with the Biosecurity Act. We will be looking for any breaches of hive management, unregistered operators or operators who have failed to report notifiable diseases,” Mr Day said.

“We also will be taking appropriate action on any abandoned, neglected or diseased hives.

“Weakened hives as a result of disease or poor management can become a source for infection and can also prevent the hives from providing adequate bee numbers for effective pollination.

6 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018

“Abandoned hives can encourage the spread of notifiable diseases and pests due to the potential for them to harbour diseases such as American Foulbrood (or AFB).”

During the operation, DPI biosecurity officers will inspect hives for AFB and action will be taken for failure to notify and failure to correctly identify brood boxes.

DPI is strongly encouraging all beekeepers across NSW – both commercial and recreational – to get out and inspect their hives. www.theland.com.au/story/4976864/beewise-to-blueberry-pollination-says-dpi/

NEw SOlublE POwDERS PlANT FOR OMEx AGRIFluIDS IN uK Omex Agrifluids is a UK company, which designs, manufacturers and supplies quality, soluble nutrient products to farmers and growers worldwide and is recognised as a leading innovator in soluble nutrient products for superior crop performance.

The company is currently powering ahead with a new soluble powders plant at its King’s Lynn headquarters in Eastern England.

Export director Peter Prentis said: “We are in the process of expanding and upgrading our capacity to manufacture fully soluble powder NPK products for the international marketplace. Our Kings Lynn manufacturing plant will now have its own expanded production site for this increasingly important product range.

“Expansion of our operations to significantly increase manufacturing capacity is testimony to Omex Agrifluids’ full confidence in the

rapidly expanding global market for quality soluble powder products.”

Regional director Alan Lowes whose remit includes Africa and Latin America said: “The Omex brand and company is recognised throughout the world as an innovative producer of high quality reputable soluble nutrient products.”

According to Mr Prentis – whose export market responsibilities include Europe, the Middle East and Asia – much of the company’s business includes bespoke productions to suit individual country requirements by adapting formulation to meet the needs of local farmers and growers.

“Demand for high quality top-end soluble powders has been increasing for some time and particularly for companies making large investments in crop irrigation, and especially drip irrigation systems for both outdoor crops and those grown undercover,” Mr Prentis said.

“Such cultivation operations require high purity and total solubility for the fertigation methods used in relation to crop growth and development and the performance, maintenance and longevity of the equipment,” added Alan Lowes.

“This brand new facility at King’s Lynn offering enlarged capacity with faster and more efficient production is an example of Omex Agrifluids responding to modern market demands and requirements.”

For more information contact: Peter Prentis (Export Director) Alan Lowes (Regional Director) Omex Agrifluids, Saddlebow Road, King’s Lynn, Norfolk, PE34 3JA United Kingdom agrifluids@omex.com +44 1553 817500. Fax: +44 1553 817501. www.omex.com

bRAZIlIAN TECH STARTuP AbOuT TO lAuNCH SMART DEvICE FOR ASSESSING MINERAl NuTRIENTS IN PlANTS IN REAl TIME After scanning many thousands of plant tissue samples in the infrared range, Optionline, a Brazilian tech startup was able to develop predictive models for real time evaluation of foliar macro and micronutrients in plants.

From a simple leaf scan, it is now possible to infer the quantities of major nutrients, for example, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulphur and most micronutrients within a reasonable margin of error.

Predicted values usually lie within 10 per cent of real values for macronutrients and 20 per cent for micronutrients on average. All this comes practically in real time, each scan taking 10-15 seconds to complete.

The solution, called SMART, involves a portable Near Infrared (NIR) scanner and a mobile app.

SMART is neither a chemical wet lab, nor is it intended to replace one. It is an alert tool that allows prompt identification of the nutritional status of a plant, to quickly identify

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018. 7

potential deficiencies well before symptoms arise. It closely resembles sniffer dogs; whose main job is to provide early warning to law enforcement professionals.

SMART, which will be sold as a subscription, comprises a package of facilities, including online cloud processing and unlimited use per year per subscriber.

Presently, SMART plant nutritional libraries are available for generic crops (one size fits all), coffee, citrus, soy and corn, with new models being continuously produced by Optionline or third parties.

About Optionline Optionline is a technological scaleup that was founded in 2000. The company’s specialty is the construction of large databases, which are virtual libraries for professional use in the field of life sciences. With its multidisciplinary team, Optionline produces and offers access to more than 100 databases on its i-HELPS portal, with a focus in Latin American countries.

SMART, the newest member of the portfolio, currently offers about 4,000 statistical models for identification and quantification of pharmaceutical, food, cosmetic, veterinary and agricultural substances using NIR technology.

For more information contact: Ron Jiminez, Regional Manager Optionline E: marketing@optionline.com T: 516-218-3225 W: www.optionline.com

IMPROvE HEAlTH AND GROwTH OF PlANTS AND REDuCE ROOT DISEASE Biofilm and organic laden deposits forming on plant roots impede uptake of nutrients and produce a medium for bacterial growth and root rot. These deposits also impact the irrigation infrastructure and

• More efficient plant growth • More frequent harvests • Cleaner and more efficient recirculating systems.

More information: John Patterson, Marketing Department, Blue Earth Labs E: blueearthlabsmarketing@gmail.com W: www.BlueEarthLabs.com

AuTOGROw lAuNCHES ClOuD APPlICATION clogging nozzles and channels causing uneven or no flow.

Blue Earth Products’ unique formulation of oxidised chlorine, Clearitas® promises to remove these destructive contributors to poor plant growth.

“By interfering with the attachment mechanisms that allow biofilms and organic laden deposits to encumber a plant’s root system, Clearitas can maximise the natural nutrient uptake and improve the health and growth rate of plants,” said Blue Earth’s John Patterson.

“Clearitas is applied online either continuously or in batch nutrient solution preparations. It is specifically formulated to break up the ‘organic glue’ that holds films and organic laden deposits together and to tank, pipe, and root surfaces.

“Clearitas is NSF 60 certified and safe to use in drinking water systems as well as growing water systems. The chemical can be applied with low up-front capital costs and minimal maintenance,” he said.

According to Mr Patterson, by adding Clearitas to recirculating (and non-recirculating) growing systems operators observe increased benefits including: • Removal and prevention of deposits and biofilms • Reduced root diseases • Improved nutrient absorption

8 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018

Global ag-tech company Autogrow has further revolutionised indoor agriculture with an API-enabled cloud application giving growers access to grow anywhere, on any operating system and viewed on any device.

“With our growers now in 40 countries; our new IntelliGrow application can seamlessly support their crop production via the cloud, giving them the ability to access their Intelli controllers, change and set new data points and monitor and manage their crops – from anywhere and on any device,” said CEO Darryn Keiller.

The ability to control the devices remotely is due to the IntelliGrow API (Application Programming Interface) that Autogrow created for the IntelliDose and IntelliClimate control systems.

“Our IntelliGrow utilises an open API, which means it can integrate with any third-party systems including lighting, HVAC, sensors

and machine vision systems,” said Chief Technology Officer Jeffrey Law. “We have also ensured enterprise level data security of our cloud platform for peace of mind. We have had a great core group of growers as beta testers, so we have designed IntelliGrow with growers, and for growers.”

Alongside real-time data, IntelliGrow also captures unlimited historical data enabling data driven decision-making. Current language features on the user interface have also been enabled for English and Chinese with Spanish and Arabic rolling out over the next few months, reflecting Autogrow’s core customer markets of the Americas, Asia, Middle East and North Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

“Being cloud-based, we enable a significantly better, more flexible and highly scalable growing experience. Growers have historically been tethered to their growing operations and we’re now removing the need to be physically present onsite. Not only that, we’re empowering them with real-time data, so they’re more informed, more agile to changes in their growing environment, enabling better crop management and far more profitable operations,” said Mr Keiller.

HONEYbEES COulD INSPIRE FIRST NEw ANTIbIOTIC IN 30 YEARS Health officials are desperate for new antibiotics as dangerous bacterial strains strengthen their resistance against long-used drugs.

Every year in the United States, two million people are infected with drug-resistant bacteria. For 23,000 people, the infection and related complications prove fatal.

Researchers are constantly scanning nature for compounds and molecules that might inspire new antibiotics. Recent studies have identified potential compounds in sponges and Komodo dragons.

In a new study published in the journal Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, researchers highlight the promising Api137, a protein capable of blocking protein production in harmful bacteria. The protein is produced naturally by bees, wasps and hornets, and helps keep the insects infection-free.

Most antibiotics disrupt protein

production by targeting the ribosome inside bacterial cells. The ribosome is responsible for synthesizing the proteins that allow bacteria cells to function.

Api137 — an antibacterial peptide, or small protein — works by thwarting DNA translation, the genomic process that sees genetic instructions read and translated into fresh proteins.

The latest analysis of Api137 — carried out by researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago — has helped scientists better understand exactly how the protein works. Now, scientists are working to replicate, or synthesise, the peptide in the lab.

“This project was a result of an excellent collaboration of our team,” said researcher Vázquez-Laslop.

“We can now harness the knowledge of how Api137 works in order to make new drugs that would kill bad bacteria using a similar mechanism of action.”

For more information visit: www.autogrow.com/intelligrow

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018. 9

IT’S A MIRAClE The Miracles Sandbag is an innovative reusable sandbag that requires no sand and will self-inflate when you bring it into contact with water. Before inflation the Miracle Sandbag weighs just 250 grams and stores flat. The Miracle Sandbag will help keep you and your property safe as it is on hand when you require and will inflate to a 20 kg sandbag in four to six minutes when it is brought into contact with water.

“The Miracle Sandbag can be used to absorb, contain or divert water as you require. Useful for builders to divert water or protect storm water drains, useful for homeowners to protect property or divert water and useful for councils, emergency services and businesses,” said a

company spokesperson.

“Ready to use with no filling required, the Miracle Sandbag is incredibly light and easy to store before use. When needed, the Miracle Sandbag self-inflates automatically, expanding and increasing in weight as soon as it comes in contact with water, absorbing up to 18 kgs of water in four to six minutes, saving precious time and back- breaking labour.

While the Miracle Sandbag is completely re-usable it is also easy and safe to dispose of when no longer needed, as it’s biodegradable, and will not harm the environment.

“The benefits of Miracle Sandbags are many and varied and include usage on farms – they are ideal to help divert water when needed – and also on building sites – for instance

10 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018

builders can use them to protect drains on a site. In addition, councils can employ them to help mitigate damage from burst water pipes and to protect any exposed areas from water damage,” he said.

“Miracle Sandbags will also absorb and contain a spill. Fire departments would also have a myriad of uses for these bags and would benefit from the easy storage feature of Miracle Sandbags.”

Available as a 2-pack - large 600 mm x 400 mm. RRP: $29.95. Large 24 pack RRP: $239.95. The Miracle Sandbag can be stored and used again and again.

See the Miracle Sandbag in action at: http://miraclesandbag.com or https://www.bunnings.com.au T: 1300 486 532 E: miraclesandbag@hotmail.com

buIlDING A GREENHOuSE IN THE EMIRATES The United Arab Emirates might not be the most likely location you would expect to see a greenhouse.

However, Dutch company Van Der Hoeven has developed its intelligent and sustainable HACo system to make it possible to cultivate plants properly even in this difficult desert climate. “With the addition of hygroscopic dehumidification to our ModulAIR system, we have made it possible to extend vegetable growing to even more extreme climates,” said a van der Hoeven spokesperson.

“Because HACo had already opened the gateway to significantly warmer and more humid climates, it is now the turn of the Emirates climate, and even this challenging climate has

become manageable. “This climate is characterised by huge extremes by day and by night. While the daytime can still be managed on the whole using the evaporative cooling, it is the night-time temperature that restricts the choice of cooling options. Due to the high humidity, it is simply not possible to use evaporative cooling at night,” he said.“The night cooling can be achieved using HACo, however, with a specific technical adjustment, which handles the internal climate. This way, not only can we work at a fraction of the energy costs, but by recovering pure water and also giving the option of using the same system for

multiple functions (cooling, dehumidifying and heating) we offer growers multiple different options to improve their climate.

“Combined with a double screen for a more even climate distribution, this project will in future be the pioneer in the United Arab Emirates for greenhouses in the desert,” he said.

This latest variant of ModulAIR is unprecedented, thanks to: recovery of moisture during the night achieving a low night temperature a new improved type of protective screening fabric for ModulAIR for even better homogeneity and maximum use of lightyear-round cultivation in a desert climate for significantly lower operational costs.

For more information visit: www.vanderhoeven.nl

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018. 11

CANN GROUP LIMITED

CANN GROuP ExPANDS MEDICINAl CANNAbIS CulTIvATION AND PRODuCTION The Cann Group is building a worldclass business focused on breeding, cultivating and manufacturing medicinal cannabis for sale and use within Australia. The company has established research and cultivation facilities in Melbourne and is striving to provide access to medicinal cannabis for Australian patients Cann Group has been progressing a three-phase growth strategy aimed at building cultivation capacity and enabling the company to capture additional value from a more integrated business model.

An expansion of the Company’s phase 1 southern facility was recently completed, and work is progressing on the commissioning of the phase 2 northern facility, which is expected to be operational by the end of this year. Approval was secured last month from the Office of Drug Control (“ODC”) to allow the Company to use the full expanded capacity at its southern facility and extend its cultivation, production and research activities to the new northern facility (subject to the issuance of cultivation permits by the ODC).

Following a further assessment of the market opportunity, and the prospect of Australian cannabis producers being approved to export product into overseas markets, the Company has decided to revise the original phase 3 expansion plans to incorporate a much larger production and manufacturing facility. There is no assurance that regulatory approval for export will be granted.

The state-of-the-art, greenfield phase 3 development is now expected to incorporate 16,000m2 of glasshouse cultivation space, research and development laboratories and a GMP manufacturing facility at an estimated cost of $40-45 million. Various scoping studies on both location and design, including climate assessment, power and water consumption and other engineering requirements are underway. Subject to various planning permits and regulatory approvals, the new phase 3 facility is expected to be commissioned in the first half of calendar year 2019.

Cann Group CEO Peter Crock said the Company has established a leadership position in the Australian medicinal cannabis industry and the

12 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018

new expansion plans will reinforce that position.

“As the Australian industry continues to develop, we expect to see a steady increase in demand for safe, quality and innovative medicinal cannabis treatments. We continue to execute on a growth plan that will enable us to meet that demand,” Mr Crock said.

“With the Federal Government now reviewing the possibility of allowing exports from Australia to overseas markets where cannabis is approved, there is the prospect of a major additional opportunity that our accelerated expansion will help facilitate.”

Mr Crock said the ODC has sought comment and submissions from interested parties on the proposal to allow exports and has disclosed that the majority of those submissions are in support of the proposal.

“While we await with interest the Federal Government’s decision on exports, we are confident that the commitment to move ahead with our expansion plans will place Cann Group in the best position to capitalise on expanded market opportunities.” www.cann.group.com.au

vIvIDGRO® lAuNCHES THE GRObAR™ Cannabis and agriculture innovator VividGro®, a division of distinguished LED company Lighting Science®, has announced its latest breakthrough: a four-foot, 19 ounces, white light LED grow lamp called the GroBar™.

“One 4-foot GroBar linear luminaire can replace two HO 54 W T5 bulbs, providing a better spectrum for plants while using less materials than competing products.

The GroBar is a true breakthrough for all home-growers and horticulturists, especially those who experience high energy costs as their operations expand in the booming cannabis industry,” said a company spokesperson.

“This is the type of LED solution that cannabis growers have been waiting for. The GroBar is a nobrainer for anyone looking to switch from traditional fluorescents or 60 pound grow lamp troffers,” said David Friedman, President of VividGro.

“The GroBar costs 50 per cent less per input watt than other LED grow linears while providing 4500 lumens of visible light per 30 W GroBar as well as generating 2.1 mol/J for maximising the growth and strength of plants. That’s pretty incredible performance for a lamp weighing in at a mere 19 ounces.”

A three-light kit has higher photosynthetically active radiation (“PAR”) levels and uses 60 per cent less power usage than T5 fixtures that use six 54 W HO bulbs.

“In fact, thanks to innovative engineering, the GroBar is also a model of sustainable lighting design. The innovative luminaire uses about 95 per cent less material than a standard 2x4 troffer, which can weigh anywhere from 25 to 60 pounds. In addition, the GroBar’s trim profile requires 80 per cent less packaging, significantly decreasing associated product waste,” Mr Friedman said.

“Thanks to robust polymer construction, the GroBar is a snap to

install and so lightweight that it can be suspended or mounted directly to the ceiling, making it the perfect solution for difficult-to-light spaces. Unlike traditional LED and legacy fluorescents, the problemsolving GroBar is also splash-rated, so horticulturalists installing the lights in damp environments can rest assured they will not experience outages or disruptions throughout the grow cycle.

“The GroBar is currently available for large scale installations to commercial growers, distributors and wholesalers. For small commercial growers and retail/home grow applications, the GroBar is available for pre-order and expected to be in stock early 2018. The revolutionary GroBar will ship with flush mount hardware clips that allow for fast and clean direct mounting. Additional brackets to create a three-light fixture are optional,” he said.

For more information contact: sales@vividgro.com

FuNDING TO bREED Full COlOuR bluEbERRIES Consumers in the future might be eating a completely new type of blueberry with healthy, colourful flesh, thanks to New Zealand Government funding.

Through the MBIE Endeavour Fund, Plant & Food Research has received funding to investigate the potential for a new commercial crop that combines the taste and growing characteristics of blueberries with the colourful flesh of bilberries.

Bilberries are a small berry found in Northern Europe that have dark blue-red flesh high in anthocyanins, the compounds that give blueberries their distinctive blue skin and that have been found to be beneficial to human health. However, bilberries are not viable as a commercial crop as they are difficult to cultivate and the berries are highly susceptible to damage when harvested

or transported.

The new research program will breed novel blueberry-bilberry hybrids suited to New Zealand conditions. It is expected that these will be grown and managed in a similar way to traditional blueberries but produce fruit with a sweet, juicy blueberry taste and with the flesh colour, and therefore high anthocyanin concentration, of bilberries.

“Research suggests consumers want fruits with novel characteristics, such as colour, and with added health benefits,” says program leader Dr Richard Espley.

“Blueberries have high concentrations of anthocyanins in their skin, which gives them their dark blue appearance. Breeding a hybrid with bilberries, a cousin to blueberries with a natural red-blue flesh, should allow us to develop a new crop that is coloured

BLUEBERRY VS. BILBERRY - WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE? Blueberry and bilberries look almost alike. Both of them are blue, round and taste great.

“Blueberry” has become a universal name for any blue-coloured berries of the Vaccinium family. Though the term blueberry is widely used, it is still good to know that there are difference between blueberries (often American Blueberries) and (European Bilberries).

While blueberries are cultivated in bushes in various places around the world, wild Bilberries grow on small shrubs mainly at the northern parts of the Northern Hemisphere. In Europe, this area is located in Scandinavia or the Nordic countries.

The wild Nordic Bilberry has: higher vitamin C, higher vitamin E and very high content of anthocyanin, multiple times higher than in cultivated blueberries. The anthocyanins are visible to the eye as blue and red pigments and are a form of flavonoids they have been scientifically proven to be linked with positive health benefits.

Researchers have found that the further north they grow, the more anthocyanins they contain. Anthocyanins are powerful against: cancer, aging and neurological diseases, inflammation, diabetes, bacterial infections & fibrocystic disease. Some even suggest a connection between anthocyanins and new brain cells.

The Finnish nutrition experts recommend consuming lots to elderly people, especially those showing early Alzheimer symptoms, others advocated improvement of vision.

However, it is clear that wild Bilberries contain much higher concentration of vitamins and antioxidants compared to cultivated blueberries. These healthy and nutrient-rich wild berries grow naturally and are picked by hand. The further north the better.

14 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018

throughout the fruit. A new type of tasty, full colour berry would provide New Zealand with a unique product in the marketplace.”

As part of the research project, which has been awarded $5 million over the next five years, scientists will also investigate the genetic pathways that control flesh colour in fruits. This will allow breeders to develop better cultivars faster by screening seedlings in the hybrid breeding program at an early stage to select those plants that will produce fruit with coloured flesh to evaluate further. It is anticipated that this knowledge could also be used to inform breeding programs of other fruits with high flesh colour.

New Zealand produces close to 4,000 tonnes of blueberries each year with a value of $55 million, including $37 million of exports, primarily to Australia.

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CRAvO OPENS bluEbERRY TRIAl SITE IN IRAPuATO MExICO To support its worldwide leadership position of developing berry production systems which “combine nature, protection and climate optimisation”, Cravo recently completed construction of a retractable roof house for blueberries. The house is located on the trade show grounds of the Expo Agro Aliment aria trade show where blueberry trials are currently being done using a variety of conventional tunnel designs… and now with an automated retractable roof.

The goal of the house is to demonstrate how growers can change the production system to achieve a two to three-year return on investment. According to Cravo, when using the retractable roof production system: 1. Plant density can be increased by up to 50 per cent 2. Yield per plant in year one can be increased 25-50 per cent

3. Total yield per m2 can be increased by approximately 100 per cent.

In addition to increases in total yield, the retractable roof can help: 4. Extend the harvest season 5. Increase fruit size, firmness, brix and shelf life 6. Reduce chemical applications by over 50 per cent.

The production protocols in the demonstration house will be overseen by Luis Gaxiola from Cravo who is responsible for technical support for berry producers. … and Cravo raspberry trials in Jalisco Mexico Elsewhere in Mexico, Cravo is running a trial of the raspberry variety Adelita in a conventional tunnel and a retractable roof house near Ciudad Guzman in Jalisco. This is the first time in the world that raspberries have been produced at a commercial berry operation in a house with an automatic

16 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018

retractable roof.

The plants in the tunnel were transplanted May 15, 2017 and those in the retractable roof were transplanted five weeks later on June 20, 2017.

The raspberries are planted in a retractable roof house for blueberries, so the raspberry plants consequently:are receiving the same irrigation and nutrition as the adjacent blueberry plantsare exposed to the environment based on the needs of the blueberry plantsare getting wet from rain during the frequency rains since the roof covering is water porousare being pollinated naturally by native bees.

The raspberry plants in the tunnel are receiving irrigation and nutrition as per standard protocols for tunnels. In spite of the climate and irrigation in the retractable roof not being optimised for the raspberries, the raspberry plants in the retractable roof house: • Are producing approximately 50100 per cent more primocanes.

• Have increased development of fruiting laterals.

• Have virtually no problems due to spotted mite or spotted wing drosophila (due to a better climate and 5m walls that are constantly closed to help reduce the entry of insects.

• Have fewer problems with rust than those in the tunnels even though the retractable flat roof is allowing the frequent summer rains to fall on the crops.

The trial will continue though the balance of the harvest season where Cravo will track: yields, fruit size, brix and shelf life, disease and insect pressure and frequency of spray applications.

For more information contact Cravo: enews@cravo.com - www.cravo.com

PROMOTING MORE EFFICIENT wATER uSE With the warmer weather well and truly here, Reece Irrigation is looking at ways to promote more efficient outdoor water use.

One such way is through their dedicated Smart Irrigation Season campaign, which encourages everyone to embrace sustainable watering and gardening practices, but not at the expense of a lush lawn or landscape.

Some of these simple, easy to share tips include: • Install a rainwater tank to harvest the rain that falls off the roof. This can be fed straight onto the garden, giving plants a nutrient rich drink while saving a fortune in water bills.

• Using mulch and planting ground covers prevents moisture from evaporating quickly during the warmer months.

• Including organic matter in your garden beds improves soil structure, which helps retain moisture. Water saving crystals also help to absorb and hold water, which can then be released back to the plants over time.

• Water early in the morning or in the evening to reduce evaporation.

A long, deep water less frequently is better than a splash over the garden every day.

• Drip irrigation systems are a great water saving measure as you can get the moisture right where the plants need it most. Use an automatic timer to make sure you are watering at optimal times to avoid evaporation.

• Use natives and drought tolerant plants as they can survive extended periods without watering.

“Advances in irrigation technology

are also helping Australian’s to water smarter during the summer months. Products such as Reece’s Skydrop controller scan the environment to determine exactly how much water each area needs depending on size, slope, plant varieties,” said a company spokesperson.

“It also connects to real-time weather data to create a water schedule for each zone of the garden depending on weather forecast.”

More infomation: www.reece.com.au /irrigation/smart-irrigation

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018. 17

GlOw IN THE DARK PlANTS

The team made the plants glow for about 45 minutes in the first Scientists at Massachusetts experiments. But by the time of the Institute of Technology in the paper’s publishing, they reported United States have succeeded in greens that can glow for up to creating plants that light up for three and a half hours. hours at a time.

The effort to engineer plants that “The vision is to make a plant that light up isn’t new. In 2013, the will function as a desk lamp — a lamp that you don’t have to plug in,” Glowing Plant project raised nearly half a million dollars on Michael Strano, co-author of the Kickstarter but ultimately failed in study, recently published in NANO their attempt to directly edit plant Letters, said in a statement.

“The light is ultimately powered by DNA. The team at MIT, whose research is funded by the US the energy metabolism of the Department of Energy, embedded plant itself.” the chemical into the plant rather Researchers from MIT infused than alter its DNA make-up. kale, watercress, arugula and While the work is still in the spinach with luciferase — the initial stages, scientists hope these enzyme that makes fireflies glow. plants will some day illuminate our Then they dunked the plants in a books, homes and neighbourhoods, solution containing more with the idea that they might luciferase and luciferin — the eventually replace streetlights. molecule that reacts with “Plants can self-repair, they have luciferase to spark the light — and their own energy and they are applied pressure. The pressure already adapted to the outdoor allowed the chemical mixture to environment,” Mr Strano said. sink into the plants’ tiny pores, “We think this is an idea whose time where the luciferase and luciferin has come.” interacted to give the leafy green Source: The New York Post its glow.

18 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018

The future is looking bright!

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018. 19

AuSTRAlIAN vEG FARM NuMbERS DECREASE AS COSTS RISE Australian vegetable farm profits are on the increase, however, the number of farms has decreased.

According to an ABARES survey, the average vegetable farm is making more money and earning higher prices for its produce, but cash costs are continuing to rise across the board.

The vegetable industry’s peak body has also warned that many smaller growers are struggling to stay competitive in an increasingly consolidated industry.

The average farm cash income of a vegetable growing operation is estimated to have increased to around $254,100 as a result of increased vegetable production and higher prices.

“Large-scale farms have been mostly responsible for the increase in average farm income.”

The ABARES report, which was a strategic levy investment using the Hort Innovation Vegetable Fund, indicated that the value of the Australian vegetable industry increased to around $3.6 billion in 2015-16, accounting for around six per cent of the gross value of agricultural production.

The survey also indicated that at the same time total cash costs continued to rise, with average cash costs rising by 29 per cent to an average of over $1 million per farm due to rises in two cost categories captured in the report.

According to AUSVEG, the vegetable industry’s peak industry body, the rise in the industry’s value and the overall increases in average farm incomes are positive signs for the future profitability of the industry, but the steep increase in costs poses a significant risk to many businesses, 20 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018

particularly smaller-sized farms.

AUSVEG chief executive officer James Whiteside the rising value of the industry and the increasing trend for Australian vegetable exports shows that our industry has a bright future as a supplier of high quality fresh vegetables to consumers in Australia and around the world.”

“Large-scale farms have been mostly responsible for the increase in average farm income, as they can benefit from increased efficiencies and economies of scale,” Mr Whiteside said.

“This has resulted in increased reinvestment into these businesses, including in technological and operational improvements so that

they can continue to innovate and develop their businesses to supply vegetables for local and international consumers.

“The increased production and demand for a wide variety of vegetables, particularly Asian vegetable varieties that were considered niche products not too long ago, shows growers are responding to Australians’ increasing appetite for a larger variety of fresh and value-added vegetables, which can demand a higher value at a retail level,” he said.

The number of vegetable growing farms has fallen 37 per cent from 2006-07 to 2015-16, driven primarily by the decline of smaller growers,

and the proportion of vegetable growers who recorded a negative farm business profit remained at a similar level to the 10-year average, with nearly 60 per cent of vegetable growers recording a negative farm business profit in 2015-16.

“The costs of doing business, particularly for hired labour, seed, freight and fertiliser, have increased significantly over the last 12 months, so while larger businesses are able to increase production and cover these increases, smaller growers often struggle to be competitive, which is driving increased

consolidation,” Mr Whiteside said. b Source: northqueenslandregister.com.au

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018. 21

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: HOw DO I ESTAblISH PlANTS IN AN NFT SYSTEM? From a grower in Texas.

Your article titled “What are the fundamentals of setting up an NFT system?” in PH&G issue #148 was very helpful. I am setting up a scaled-down NFT system in my greenhouse to run a basil trial. I have set it up with 4” rectangular grooved downspout channels that are 40’ long and am supplying 0.5 litres of solution to each channel, as you suggested in your article. I have the channels sloped on a 40 to 1 ratio, which brings me to my question. In examples I have found elsewhere on the Internet most folks upon transplanting raise their drain tubes in order to raise the solution level to the bottom of the net cups in order to ensure the infant plants come in contact with the solution. They later lower the tubes back down when the plants have matured and the roots can lay on the bottom of the channel. This is not possible with the 40 to 1 slope, you just end up flooding one end of the channel. I was wondering what you normally recommend doing in these sloped systems? Also, the 0.5 litre flow 22 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018

rate seems like just a trickle to me and as it meanders down the channel it may only be in one or two grooves on one side or the other. In other words the solution is not evenly spread over the bottom of the channel. Thanks in advance for your help.

ANSwER Thanks for your interesting and detailed question.

HObbY NFT SYSTEMS Your question clearly shows the difference between commercial and hobby NFT systems. Because hobby systems invariably use relatively short channels there is very little limitation in how the system is set up and managed. For example, aspects such as channel shape, slope, and flow rate are largely up to the hobby grower to choose, virtually without associated problems. That is, there are a wide range of set-ups and techniques that will give OK results.

My only suggestions to users of these systems are: • Buy an EC meter and keep your EC under modest control.

• Have a bypass line after your pump spraying back into

your tank to maximise aeration.

• Responsibly bleed or discard some used solution regularly to avoid nutrient imbalance.

For commercial farms there are many aspects which are more important than for the hobby grower, such as yield, consistent quality, capital, operating and labour costs, etc. Long-term success will depend upon being able to satisfy the market and receive a reasonable price.

SlOPE OF lONG CHANNElS From what you have written I assume that the net pots you use have a flange on top, which then holds the pot above the bottom surface of the channel. This gap creates problems if you start the plant direct into the channel and, as you quote, hobbyists can overcome this by raising the drain tube to flood the channel. This is not an option for commercial growers. Holding up a 20 or 40 ft (6 or 12 m) channel to flatten the slope is unworkable and indicates one reason for the 1 in 40 slope, which is that the channels will deflect into a dip between supports.

The rigidity of the channel when loaded with mature plants and water will determine the minimum spacing needed between supports.

STARTING PlANTS All commercial NFT systems in Australia (total area about 100 hectares (250 acres) start their plants outside of their production channels. A wide range of blocks and set-ups are used to do this. Typical options are rigid blocks such as rockwool and foams, Jiffy pots, assorted media (usually based on cocopeat) started in cell trays, and media in net pots. Importantly, the net pots used do not have a flange. Consequently the critical difference to

what you are doing is that all starting blocks rest directly on the base of the channel when transplanted. That is why it is important for the channels to have some means of centring the flow so solution will touch each block.

Touching just one part of the block is enough for capillary action to wet the whole block. Without central ribs, grooves, or curve the flow will ‘snake’ down the channel regardless of the flow rate. With these blocks and channels there is no need to flood the channel when transplanting. With time the roots grow across the channel to give more of a film.

Some techniques for starting plants are: • Cell trays holding media watered on ’flood and drain’ tables, or hand watered.

• Small channels closely spaced to hold close packed blocks. Some growers use small diameter round pipes, others narrow open channels.

• Channels which have independent lids. Growers remove the lid and close pack the blocks in the open channel.

Most of these systems are fed flood and drain (also known as ebb and flow.

FlOw RATE In any NFT system the flow rate can be increased to whatever rate you want. The limitations are to not flood the channel, and it is also possible for a high flow rate to wash plants down the channel. In a commercial farm with perhaps thousands of channels, then the pumping cost can be significant. So the figure of 0.5 litres per minute is adequate for small plants. To go higher is OK, but it costs more to buy and operate the pumps. If there is excess pump capacity I would prefer to see it used for bypass aeration as described above. b RD

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018. 23

24 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018

Flowering in Hong Kong Hong Kong is only the fifteenth largest import market for cut flowers in the world, but it is one of the most dynamic.

By CHRISTINE BROWN-PAUL & PHOTOS SAM ROSS

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018. 25

Flowers have always been a part of the Chinese culture since at least seven different types of flowers represents a strong meaning in the culture. They represent natural nectar that brings growth, fulfilment and new, prosperous beginnings to lives. In Fen Shui, many flowers are said to bring good fortune and success because healthy flowering plants manifest good Chi or energy.

With rising living standards and the expansion of the middle class, imports of horticultural products in China have also increased considerably in recent years. Chinese consumers are becoming increasingly selective regarding the quality and variety of products offered to them. Due to the low technology and limited knowledge of the culture, farmers are still contributing to enhancing the horticulture sector. With the support of local government, many companies are now investing in this industry. Moreover, one of the current priorities of the Chinese government is to increase the food supply, the food security and raise the level of income of the farmers.

China’s cut flower industry began in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong in 1984. During the next 12 years, cut flower production grew steadily, and developed more quickly after 1990. The main reasons for this growth are: a) the consumption of cut flowers which has increased due to an increase in the standard of living and the rapid development of the tourist industry; and b) growers can gain relatively high profits from growing cut flowers. For example, the annual profit is US$18,750-65,625 per ha from cut flower cultivation, as compared to US$11,250 per ha from vegetable cultivation.

The main location for flower production in China is located in the province of Yunnan. Decades ago people would only be able to find undeveloped small villages in that area. However, since the agreement with the International Chamber of Commerce at the beginning of the ‘90s, Chinese flower producers have been trained and learned several techniques in order to compete with the global competition of the flower industry. The sector has developed rapidly with the growth of the economic development and the rise of Chinese people’s incomes. In 2015, China is valued at more than $11 billion, according to China Horticultural Business Services.

In 2013, around 800,000 farmers in Yunnan province grew flowers on 70,000 hectares of land, and the industry employed more than 3.5 million people in 2014. Asia is already the most important market in terms of Chinese producers. However, their direct exportations, as well as the re-exportations through the Dutch market of Aalsmeer, reach the entire world.

Currently, cut flowers are grown almost all over the country, from Hainan in the South to Heilongjiang in the North, and from Shandong in the East to Xinjiang in the West. From a small start in 1987, commercial cut flower production in Yunnan Province grew at a higher speed than 26 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018. 27

in any other area in China, moving this Province into number one position.

There are more than 30 cut flower species which are commercially grown in China, including Alstroemeria aurantiaca, Anemone, Antirrhinum, Asparagus, Anthurium, Calendula officinalis, Calla, Callistephus chinensis, Carnation, Centaurea cyanus, Chimonanthus praecox, Chrysanthemum, Dianthus barbatus, Freesia, Gladiolus, Gypsophila, Gerbera, Heliconia, Hippeastrum, Lilium, Lisianthus, Limonium, Moluccella, Orchids, Peony, Pulsatilla chinensis, Prunus persica, Prunus mume, Ranunculus, Rose, Salix leucopithecia, Solidago, Sunflower, Tagetes patula, and Tulip.

Growers can be divided into five categories: a) state farms or companies; b) collective farms; c) private farms; d) Sino-foreign country joint ventures; e) foreign companies. Due to the nature of constantly expanding activities, it is difficult to obtain official statistical figures regarding China’s cut flower industry.

More than 90% of the cut flowers produced in China are consumed within China. The cut flowers are sold through wholesale and retail distribution channels. At present, there are 670 cut flower markets and 7,000 flower shops across the country, and seven regional whole sale markets, which have been established in Beijing, Shanghai, Kunming, Guangzhou, Fujian, Chengdu and Liaoning. The major consumption areas are Shanghai, Beijing, Zhejiang and Guangdong. The majority of the flower shops are located in these areas. In 1996, 260 million stems of cut flowers were consumed with about 20 stems per capita in Shanghai, and 100 million stems were consumed with about 10 stems per capita in Beijing.

MARKETING CUT FLOWERS IN HONG KONG Hong Kong is only the fifteenth largest import market for cut flowers in the world, but it is one of the most dynamic.

During 1986-89, the total value of flower imports in Hong Kong doubled in value, reaching almost $14.7 million. The main source for these imports is The Netherlands, which provides about one-third of the total, followed by Malaysia (14% of the total in 1989), Thailand (10%), Singapore (9%), Colombia (9%) and New Zealand (5%).

World imports of floricultural products came close to US$5 billion in 1989, with cut flowers alone accounting for more than $2.5 billion. The share of developing countries in the flower market is considerable and amounted to more than 21% of the total traded internationally that year.

Although the major import markets for floricultural products are countries in Western Europe and North America, several other markets also offer attractive prospects. Among these are Japan and Hong Kong, which are particularly interesting for suppliers in the Asian region.

Both markets are expected to grow in the next several years.

28 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018. 29

Hong Kong consumers buy many different types of flowers.

Traditional species are the most popular: roses, carnations, chrysanthemums, gypsophila and orchids. Other types are also in considerable demand, such as freesias, statice, gladioli, alstroemerias, solidasters and anthuriums. Peonies and lotus are some of the flowers that are the most requested for special events.

The most popular colour in Hong Kong for roses is red, followed by pink, yellow and white. About half of all carnations bought are pink, with red, dark pink, yellow and white sold in smaller quantities.

At the Hong Kong Flower Market in Mongkok – Hong Kong’s premier destination for cut flowers – both cut flowers and growing plants are to be found in the shops on Flower Market Road, while some shops specialise in a particular type or even in a specific genus such as orchids or roses, the majority offer a range of different types seasonally.

The Hong Kong Flower Market in Mongkok is an oasis of blooms featuring a riot of colour and brimming with fragrant blooms, bonsai trees, fresh cut flower, exotic plants and an abundance of foliage.

Originally a wholesale market for the city’s florists, this street, which has been renamed Flower Market Road, is a top tourist attraction and a great place to pick up affordable orchid hybrids.

Over 50 plant stores compete for the trade of both locals and tourists.

Discerning customers browse stall after stall of flowers and flower products, including a variety of dried flowers, seeds, gardening tools, pots, accessories, fertilisers, insecticides, and fungicides. Decorative soil substitutes that look like crystals are also available, which combined with clear glass planters, make for impressive tabletop displays.

During the many festivals such as Chinese New Year and Christmas, shops also display special floral arrangements and decorations. Here, shoppers find orchids, bougainvillea, sunflowers as well as many types of house and garden plants, locally grown flowers, shrubs and trees, which transform this city block into a secret garden.

Despite its modernity and the young generation of consumers who buy floral products here, the market pays homage to centuries-old Chinese cultural traditions.

“In the lead-up to Chinese New Year, things really get busy here as families flock to the marker to choose greenery that attracts good luck and fortune as a new lunar cycle begins,” said one floral seller.

“Chinese buyers have definite preferences and observe many cultural traditions. For example, white flowers are not usually used since it is associated with death for the Chinese. “ b 30 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018. 31

Nature’s light bulbs

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . November . 2017. 33

34 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018

Growing Notes From Armenia

Geghard Monastery is a medieval monastery in the Kotayk province of Armenia, being partially carved out of the adjacent mountain, surrounded by cliffs.

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018. 35

Temple Garni, the only pagan temple in Armenia, was probably built by King Tiridates 1 in the first century AD as a temple to the sun god Mihr.

The environment is extremely rugged and harsh.

DR MIKE NICHOLS REPORTS FROM A CONFERENCE IN yEREvAN CELEBRATING THE 70TH ANNIvERSARy OF THE INSTITUTE OF HyDROPONICS IN ARMENIA. When Steven Carruthers (publisher of this magazine) asked whether I would be interested in representing the publication at a conference in Armenia, my response was ‘where on earth is Armenia?’ I was well aware that PH&G had published occasional articles from that country, but had never really thought where precisely it was situated.

I discovered that it was one of the southernmost countries of what had originally been the USSR (until the breakup in 1991), and that it had daily flights from Dubai.

It was an interesting experience to visit a former Soviet state, some 20 years after the break up. I found a very mixed opinion on the advantages of standing alone in a modern world. With few natural resources, there was a rapid separation into the haves and have nots, and affluence is now mixed inexorably with poverty. Armenia was industrialised in the Soviet era, and most of this has now disappeared, leaving a void for income earning.

Certainly, the money available for agricultural research is pitiful, with the whole of the Institute of Hydroponics in Armenia being funded (salaries etc) by the equivalent of a professor’s salary in Australia or New Zealand. Science 36 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018

(by government edict) was supposed to receive one per cent of GNP, but this has slowly eroded to 0.25 per cent!

The conference was to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Institute, and so I accepted the invitation.

Flying into Yerevan was by the “budget” airline Fly Dubai (closely linked to the Emirates Airline), with the exception that everything (including even bottled water) had to be paid for. A real shock to the system after flying into Dubai Business Class on a Qantas A380!

Entering Armenia was a little more difficult than at first imagined, as I needed a visa, because I was staying longer than four days, and then my visa in my passport to visit Azerbaijan the previous year was observed, and I was questioned about why I had gone to Azerbaijan.

There is a long-term disagreement (which includes as recently as 2016 the use of tanks, rockets, etc), between the two countries over a frontier area called Nagorno Karabakh.

Anyway, I was allowed in and greeted by Dr Anna Tadevosyan Deputy Scientific Director of the Institute of Hydroponics. She had planned a full program for my four-day stay.

On the first day I was taken to a 3ha heated greenhouse strawberry farm producing year-round strawberries for the local and export markets. It was managed by a

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018. 37

Russian scientist, Pavel Sinyakov, and was most impressive. He did, however, raise a number of questions with me, which are very relevant for any hydroponic greenhouse strawberry grower to consider. He was growing the day neutral variety Albion (with a small number of San Andreas). His plants were obtained from The Netherlands, and although he was using a non-recirculating hydroponic system, he was losing a lot of plants due to Phytophthora root rot. Poor plant quality from the Dutch nursery was the most probable reason, and the problem could have been even more serious had the irrigation system been of the recirculating type.

Clearly, good soil fumigation of rnner beds, or alternatively, the development of a tip runner scheme is becoming very necessary. A similar problem has been noted in New Zealand recently. It was also noticeable that fruit size was on the small size, which suggested to me that successional planting would help to overcome this problem, as fruit size on young plants tend to be larger, as the ratio of leaf area to fruit number tends to be greater.

There were many apple orchards nearby, and they demonstrated a need for considerable technical advice on modern growing methods. Weed control and general pruning in particular appeared to be rather oldfashioned.

The following day was my tourist sightseeing day, and I discovered why Armenian lays claim to being the first Christian country in the world, when I was shown a temple, which dates back well over 1900 years, and is a still an active monastery of 800 years’ vintage. The age

A very impressive greenhouse strawberry operation.

38 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018

and size of the walnut trees in the area were most impressive, as was the ruggedness of the terrain. My view (through a ceremonial arch) of Mount Ararat (of Charents’s Ark fame) was spoilt due to a heat haze, but the general terrain did not really support being under water for 80 days.

So to the conference. I was a little spoilt, as the conference papers were in English, Russian and Armenian, and I was provided with a personal interpreter, and when it was my turn to give my paper, it was interpreted to the audience into Armenian.

Dr Mairapetyan (the Scientific Director of the Davtyan Institute of Hydroponics) presented the first paper, on “Achievements and Problems of the Institute over the past 70 years”, followed by my paper on berry fruit production in New Zealand, in which I emphasised the slow, but inexorable change from open ground to protected cultivation and hydroponics.

The big surprise to me was that so little attention was being paid by the Institute to what I would describe as the conventional hydroponic crops (tomatoes, cucumber, capsicum and lettuce). And the main theme was on medicinal and essential oil-bearing plants, and a comparison between soil-grown and hydroponic grown plants. There was some concern about potential dangers to human health from radioactivity in plants, with measurements being taken for artificial radionucleotides in the Ararat Valley as a USSR-built nuclear power station is in the area, and there is also a concern of heavy metals in the Pambak River.

Another surprise, given Armenia’s harsh winter

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018. 39

climate, was that the Institute had not developed any hydroponics in protected cultivation. All the hydroponics studies I saw were undertaken outside.

Rather surprising at least to me, was the virtual absence of growing media such as rock wool, or coir, and the media of choice (probably determined by economics) was volcanic rock, and the system of choice an ebb and flow system. The Armenia I saw was arid, and eroded, and a considerable effort is being made by the Institute to develop protocols for growing trees and shrubs hydroponically in nurseries, for later establishment out in the field.

I was very impressed with the work the Institute had undertaken on growing crops such as hops, and stevia, hydroponically, and their studies on medicinal crops is of world class, however, the virtual absence of any work on conventional horticultural crops, particularly under greenhouse conditions, would appear to me, in my humble opinion, to be an error of judgement. b

Dr Anna Tadevosyan, Deputy Scientific Director of the Institute of Hydroponics, shows the Institute’s hydroponic hops.

40 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018

Walnut trees are most impressive.

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Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018. 41

A hydroponic crop of stevia â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a natural sweetener.

42 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018

PRACTICAL

PONICS & GREENHOUSES

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.

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018. 43

TAlKING AQuAPONICS 44 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018

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 . January & February . 2018. 45

Lessons in a new protected cropping methodology with Wilson Lennard PART 1 – THE SYSTEM CHEMISTRY INTRODuCTION:

SYSTEM AQuATIC PH

Aquaponics is a system associated with supplying nutrients to two main harvestable entities; the fish and the plants. Like hydroponics, the plants require the correct environmental conditions; air temperature and humidity, light strength and availability and atmospheric gas availability (i.e. carbon dioxide) are as critical to efficient plant production in aquaponics as they are in hydroponics. Because aquaponic plant production is performed in the same environmental conditions as hydroponics or substrate culture (e.g. environmentally controlled greenhouses, etc.), these factors are conserved across all production techniques and therefore, no discernible difference is seen between aquaponics and hydroponic/substrate culture methods.

In terms of plant growth, like its standard hydroponic or substrate culture cousins, aquaponics relies on achieving water chemistry and nutrient conditions that are suitable for efficient and optimised plant growth.

However, unlike for atmospheric conditions, it is within the aquatic environment and the methods applied to achieve the required aquatic environment that hydroponics and aquaponics differ. Because aquaponics applies different methods to hydroponics, and because hydroponics is so well established and understood, there is often a tendency to expect aquaponics to operate the same way as hydroponics and require the same water chemistry and nutrient conditions as hydroponics. Therefore, aquaponics is often directly compared to hydroponics in terms of water quality parameters (chemistry, pH, temperature, nutrient concentration or strength – EC, nutrient mixture, etc.) and because the conditions seen in aquaponics are often different to hydroponics, those differences are extrapolated to mean that aquaponics is lacking or suboptimal in some form when compared to hydroponics and substrate culture.

Let’s take a closer look at these differences and explore whether the differences seen in aquaponics are an indication of sub-optimal operational characteristics or whether they are simply differences due to a different aquatic environment.

It is often cited that a major difference between hydroponics and aquaponics is that hydroponics operates at relatively acidic pH (5.0 – 6.5) because plants require this low pH to uptake nutrients optimally and efficiently, while aquaponics must operate at a higher pH (7.0 – 7.6) because the fish in the system require this higher pH. This difference, when looked at in this rudimentary way, is true; in hydroponics plants require an acidic pH, while in aquaponics fish require a neutral, if not slightly basic, pH. The argument put forward is that there is a large compromise required to meet both fish and plant aquatic pH requirements and therefore, optimisation in terms of plant growth cannot be achieved.

A closer look at the aquatic chemistry, microbiology and ecology involved will reveal that while the aquaponic method does require a higher pH (most systems operate at a neutral pH of around 7.0), this does not mean that plant production is compromised in any way. I have data that demonstrates that aquaponics, when done correctly, can produce higher plant growth rates and better plant quality than standard hydroponics (Nichols and Lennard, 2010). If it can be scientifically proven that aquaponics can produce better production and quality than hydroponics, then it appears that any argument that aquaponic pH negatively affects plant growth and quality have been completely disproven.

Why does a pH of 7.0 in aquaponics still provide nutrient availability to the plants that matches, if not betters, the pH used in hydroponics (i.e. 5.0 – 6.5) and leads to similar, if not better, plant growth rates? The answer comes down to the chemistry of the two systems, which are very different! Hydroponics relies on making charged, ionic, small nutrients available to the plants by dissolving nutrient salts in the water. Hydroponics also relies on extensive sterilisation to stop the production of microbial growth that will negatively affect the plant roots or the plants. The common nutrient availability charts seen in hydroponics demonstrate that a lower, slightly acidic pH is the most optimal pH environment to make the charged, ionic nutrients available for plant

46 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018

uptake. Therefore, hydroponics and substrate culture are â&#x20AC;&#x153;abioticâ&#x20AC;? production systems (i.e. they do NOT encourage additional life forms to be present apart from the plants) where the plant-available nutrient forms (i.e. small, charged ions) are added directly to the medium (water) in the plant-available form.

Aquaponics is a completely different production method in a chemical context. It uses fish to produce the majority of the nutrients required to grow the plants and these nutrients exit the fish as large, complex, often uncharged, macromolecules that are not chemically immediately available to the plants (i.e. few wastes exit the fish that are immediately ionic and plant-available).

The majority of aquaponic systems also do not apply aquatic sterilisation; which means they become microbially dense with a vast array of microbial life forms (e.g. bacteria, protozoa, fungi, phytoplankton, zooplankton, etc.) living in the water column and on any available surfaces. These are mostly the same microbial life forms that inhabit the soil in soil-based agricultural systems and these microbes perform a vast array of chemical transformations to make the raw fish waste nutrients available to the plants (i.e. they change organic macromolecules into ionic, plant-available nutrients).

The microbes also form many positive associations with the plants and produce other chemicals the plants use for growth and health maintenance.

The association between the plants and microbes are as historically old as the plants themselves and both plants and microbes have evolved together, over millions of years, to assist each other.

The outcome is that because the microbes are present to assist the plants with nutrient transformations, assistive chemical production and ultimate nutrient uptake, the pH normally used in hydroponics to allow optimised nutrient uptake by the plants is no longer a major factor in terms of plant nutrient availability and so, the system can work at a higher pH and still make the nutrients available to the plants. In addition, because there is such a long and positive history of association between the plants and microbes, the microbes produce additional chemicals that assist the plant and lead to plant production and quality rates that are equal to, and often better than, those achieved in hydroponics or substrate culture.

Therefore, the argument that the pH an aquaponic system must operate at is a compromise for the plants in the system, due to the theories of nutrient availability developed in a sterile, microbially-poor hydroponic context, and that this means the plants will not grow

optimally, is simply not true and is not based on a full understanding of the aquaponic aquatic environment and chemistry present.

The effect the inclusion of a diverse microbial community has on the aquatic pH requirement of the plants also exists for the strength and mixture of the nutrients present. The argument is that the nutrient strengths often seen applied in hydroponics and substrate culture (high nutrient concentrations, often measured as EC) are orders of magnitude higher than those seen in aquaponics (low nutrient concentrations) and therefore, the aquaponics cannot grow plants as well as hydroponics. For example, for leafy green production, a hydroponic farm may apply an EC of approximately 2.0, whereas the aquaponic equivalent may realise a measured EC of 0.7 or less. This difference, again, is used as an example to argue that the relatively low nutrient strengths used in aquaponics must be lessoptimal than those used in hydroponics and therefore, again, aquaponics must be a compromise or sub-optimal when compared to hydroponics.

However, this comparison, again, ignores the role the microbes play in terms of increasing the nutrient uptake efficiency of the plants; a role that is so positive that it means that far lower nutrient concentrations may be applied to the plants with an aquaponic method when the same, or better, plant growth rates may be realised. The study data I referred to above was in a hydroponic nutrient context of an EC between 1.2 and 1.6 when the aquaponic EC was 0.6 or less.

However, as stated, the plant growth rate in the aquaponics was almost always equal to, or better than, the hydroponics.

This result has not only been seen by myself and has been observed and scientifically recorded by other aquaponic researchers (Delaide, et al., 2016).

So, the argument that the regular lower ECs seen in aquaponics is a compromise or a sub-optimal approach when compared to hydroponics or substrate culture, is again, not supported by the facts or scientific literature.

wATER TEMPERATuRES Another often-stated argument is that aquaponics requires water temperatures that are too high for the plants being cultured. Tilapia spp. fish are often used as the example because Tilapia spp. fish are often used in low-tech aquaponic applications due to them being so forgiving of poor water quality. Tilapia spp. fish also require an optimal water temperature of between 26â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018. 47

30º C, when most plants require something lower (18– 25º C) and this difference is cited again, as too much of a compromise for the plants that must lead to lower plant production. Australian barramundi also fit into this upper temperature water category and again, are often cited to support the argument.

However, there are many other freshwater fish available for tank-based culture that may be, and have been, applied in an aquaponic context. These available fish species live in a broad range of water temperatures; from cold water species (8–10º C; e.g. Arctic Char), to cool water species (12–18º C; e.g. Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Atlantic Salmon) to warm water species (16–24º C; e.g. Murray Cod, Silver Perch, Hybrid Striped Bass) and many others. This means there is a fish species available that may be matched with the water temperature requirements of most of the plants we culture and therefore, any argument based on water temperature differences is more associated with ignorance of the aquaculture industry and breadth of available fish species rather than facts.

ADDITIONAl ARGuMENTS There is a suite of additional arguments that are regularly used to make the case that aquaponics is more difficult than, sub-optimal to or less-productive than, hydroponics and substrate culture in a water chemistry or similar context. Other examples are that aquaponics accumulates more salt (NaCl – Sodium Chloride) than hydroponics, however, this is only true because aquaponics seeks to use negligible to zero water exchange rates and hydroponics/substrate culture doesn’t and therefore, aquaponic presents a situation where salt accumulation has a higher chance of occurrence. If aquaponics applied the same water exchange rates as hydroponics, the salt accumulation argument would again, fall apart.

Another is that the higher nutrient strengths and different nutrient mixtures required for fruiting crops, especially in substrate culture fruiting crop production (tomato, cucumber, capsicum, eggplant, etc.), are impossible to replicate in aquaponics. Again, the microbial presence of aquaponics allows far lower nutrient strengths and different nutrient mixtures to those seen in substrate culture that will still realise acceptable crop production rates.

Finally, it has been argued recently that because aquaponics cannot provide the water chemistry parameter requirements as set by hydroponics, that system designs whereby the water does not return to the 48 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018

Tilapia spp. fish require an optimal water temperature of between 26–30º C, when most plants require something lower (18–25º C).

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018. 49

fish from the plants are the most common method applied in Australia. Again, a simple look at the aquaponic industry in most parts of the world, including Australia, will categorically prove that fully recirculating aquaponics is far more broadly applied than one pass aquaponics (known as de-coupled aquaponic designs).

These de-coupled designs are very popular in Europe currently and I suspect the major reason for this is because Europe has such a strong association with the development of hydroponics and substrate culture to such an advanced level that they are finding it difficult to fully separate themselves from applying standard hydroponic and substrate culture principles to aquaponic applications.

An interesting side note to this is that currently, the best fully recirculating aquaponic systems can supply over 90 per cent of the nutrients required from plant culture from the fish wastes, whereas the best European de-coupled aquaponic systems can only supply about 50 per cent of the nutrients required for plant culture from the fish wastes. Many of these European approaches also apply sterilisation of the culture water between the fish

At Green Acre Aquaponics in Florida, US, fish waste is removed from the system and mineralised in a brewing tank, then used on the farm or sold as a natural fertiliser.

50 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018

component and plant component, which suggests, the outlined advantages of microbial integration are not being realised or applied fully in these system designs.

This means that current European de-coupled aquaponic technology is basically a hydroponic variant with some fish integrated, rather than the stand alone, novel and biologically fully integrated approach realised via fully recirculating aquaponic designs. The definite fact is that these de-coupled designs do not represent the vast majority of aquaponic designs, either in Australia or globally. b REFERENCES Delaide, B., Goddek, S., Gott, J., Soyeurt, H. and Jikali, M.H. (2016). Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. var. Sucrine) growth performance in complemented aquaponic solution outperforms hydroponics.

Water, vol. 8, pp. 467 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 478.

Nichols, M.A. and Lennard, W. (2010).

Aquaponics in New Zealand. Practical Hydroponics and Greenhouses, No. 115, pp. 46-51.

Contact Dr Lennard via: www.aquaponic.com.au.

52 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses .January & February . 2018

Educational benefits of greenwalls Universities across Australia are installing greenwalls in an attempt to increase concentration levels and the wellbeing of campus communities. The Greenwall Companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s living wall installation at the University of Queensland.

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018. 53

Greenwall in progress at La Trobe University.

Sometimes called living walls, green facades, bio walls or vertical gardens, greenwalls are a dynamic way to green a vertically built surface.

Greenwalls refer to vegetation that grows directly onto a buildingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s façade or to vegetation that is grown on a separate structural system that can be freestanding, adjacent or attached to the wall.

Universities across Australia are installing greenwalls in an attempt to increase concentration levels and the wellbeing of campus communities.

Sydney-based company, The Greenwall Company has now worked with a number of universities, including The University of QLD and La Trobe University, to design and 54 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018

install their patented greenwall technology.

Working with architects, landscape architects, designers and builders, The Greenwall Company uses awardwinning design techniques, passion and expertise in horticulture and commercial projects to bring greenwalls to a new level of integration with the built environment.

This successful formula has expanded both interstate and internationally with a number of partners sharing the company vision and patented technology.

Mark Paul, horticulturist and founder of The Greenwall Company said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;There have been a number of studies conducted to prove

PRACTICAL

PONICS & GREENHOUSES

MAKING OUR WORLD GREENER

the benefits of greening community spaces, one of which is improved concentration levels. Over the past three years we have been working closely with a number of universities to create bespoke designs to work within the architecture of the buildings.

“The most immediate benefit of a greenwall is its incredible beauty. The greenery is literally a living skin, allowing unlimited design opportunities. Many greenwalls are high in plant biodiversity; in Australia there are over 5,000 suitable native species that colonise rocks and trees.

“The benefit for greenwalls is that in having no soil, the greenwall can be used on a building façade or Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018. 55

wall where the use of soil is not possible,” he said.

“Plants on a greenwall or greenroof live without soil using many adapted strategies to survive poor nutrition, exposed conditions and seasonal drought. They colonise only those rocks and trees that provide adequate growing conditions: aspect, light, air movement, water and nutrients.”

STUDy CONFIRMS BENEFITS OF GREENWALLS A recent study conducted by Dr Kate Lee from the University of Melbourne revealed that glancing out at a greenroof for only 40 seconds could assist concentration. Beyond the increase in concentration levels, greenwalls help to improve air quality, are aesthetically appealing, lower power bills and even act as an insulator.

In the study, 150 university students received a boring, repetitive task, which involved pressing a key as a series of numbers repeatedly flashed on a computer screen.

The students were told not to press the key when the number three appeared on the screen. They were given a 40-second break midway through the task to glimpse a city rooftop scene. Half the group viewed a green roof, while the others looked out onto a bare concrete roof.

After the break, students who glanced at the greener vista made significantly fewer errors and demonstrated superior concentration, compared to those who viewed the concrete roof.

The green roof provided a restorative experience that boosted those mental resources that control attention, the researchers concluded.

Dr Lee said just glancing at a green space could provide a boost for tired workers.

“We know that green roofs are great for the environment, but now we can say that they boost attention too. Imagine the impact that has for thousands of employees working in nearby offices,” she said.

“This study showed us that looking at an image of nature for less than a minute was all it took to help people perform better on our task.”

“It’s really important to have micro-breaks. It’s something that a lot of us do naturally when we’re stressed or mentally fatigued,” Dr Lee said.

“There’s a reason you look out the window and seek nature, it can help you concentrate on your work and to maintain performance across the workday.

“Certainly, this study has implications for workplace wellbeing and adds extra impetus to continue greening our cities.

City planners around the world are switching on to these benefits of green roofs and we hope the future of our cities will be a very green one,” she said.

In 2013, The University of Queensland introduced its new 56 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018

Greenwalls are turning up in cities all over the world.

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018. 57

Global Change Institute Building, which features the Greenwall Company’s unique greenwalls as the key design feature and achieved a six green star rating. A 70m2 panelled greenwall was installed over the air-conditioning vent. This formed part of the air filtration system, allowing the greenwall to clean and purify the air, which facilitates the idea of a “living building”.

The greenwall design also included a pond of native rainbow fish with waterplants and a vertical wetland to strip nutrients from the pondwater [a simple ecological system] truly embodied the university’s green ethos and ongoing commitment to sustainability in research and education.

More recently, The Greenwall Company have completed the installation of a greenwall at La Trobe University in Melbourne. On the Healthsciences building featuring a mainly native planting covering 20 sqm, Mark and the

Greening cities is a constant theme in these modern times.

58 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018

team worked with the students and the universities locally native plant nursery to incorporate plants grown on site.

ABOUT THE GREENWALL COMPANy: The Greenwall Company is pioneer of greenwalls and green roofs in Australia. Founded by Mark Paul, a horticulturist, designer and advocate for greening cities, The Greenwall Company use award-winning design techniques across both residential and commercial projects, bringing greenwalls to a new level of integration within the urban environment.

The company’s vision is to reclaim the urban environment, wrapping facades of buildings with epiphytic and lithophytic plants creating living, breathing architectural function. b

More information at: www.greenwall.com.au

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0407 308-867 or Freecall 1800 123-457 www.pestech.com.au

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018. 59

THE ROOT ZONE

60 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018. 61

ROOT ZONE TEMPERATuRE OPTIMISATION TECHNOlOGY (ROOTS) IN ISRAEl Emily Rigby BSc (Hons) describes an innovative solution for sustainable microclimate control for agricultural production.

During my recent Nuffield scholarship travel, I came across an innovative solution for climate control using Root Zone Temperature Optimization (ROOTS) technology for crop production in the Jordan Valley, Israel. The technology offers sustainable microclimate control for agricultural production that relies on proprietary Ground Source Heat Exchange (GSHE) (with the option of including heat pumps into the system) for optimisation of root zone temperatures.

The system utilises GSHE principles for both heating and cooling the root zone to produce relatively stable root zone temperature (15-30 °C) by reducing extreme fluctuations.

HOW IT WORKS Soil temperature affects root development. The soil temperature below 3 metres is relatively stable year-round – warmer in winter and cooler in summer – compared to fluctuations in top soil temperature. The ROOTS system uses GSHE coils inserted into the earth, connected to a circulation pump to discharge the water from the coils into lateral pipes installed near the roots – distributing the stable underground temperature to the root zone. The closed-cycle system, filled with water once, is able to maintain an optimum or semioptimum range of root zone temperatures.

The only energy used is for operating a water circulation pump, although heat pumps may be used with hybrid systems as needed for greater temperature control. This technology is applicable to both protected cropping and open field cultivation, as it is suitable for application in soil, elevated growing gutters and grow bags.

BENEFITS The ROOTS system provides cost-effective, temperature control for year-round production with significant improvements to crop yield and quality with vast energy savings compared with other climate control technology. The system allows for early/late planting and early/extended harvest through mitigation of extreme heat and 62 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018

Israeli greenhouse.

Heating the root zone reported increased yields of 10 to 140 per cent, for trials with cucumber, lettuce, melons, flowers, basil and strawberries.

By Eddau â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Own work https://commons.wikimedia.org/

Results for cooling the root zone reported yield increases between 20-45 per cent; trials included cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce and melons.

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018. 63

The Jordan Valley, Israel.

AGRICULTURE IN THE JORDAN vALLEy The Jordan Valley is several degrees warmer than adjacent areas, and its year-round agricultural climate, fertile soils and water supply made it a site for agriculture dating to about 10,000 years ago. By about 3000 BCE, produce from the valley was being exported to neighbouring regions.

The area’s fertile lands were chronicled in the Old Testament. Modern methods of farming have vastly expanded the agricultural output of the area. The construction of the East Ghor Canal by Jordan in the 1950s (now known as the King Abdullah Canal), which runs down the east bank of the Jordan Valley for 69 kilometres, has brought new areas under irrigation. The introduction of portable greenhouses has brought about a sevenfold increase in productivity, allowing Jordan to export large amounts of fruit and vegetables year-round.

According to agricultural consultant Samir Muaddi, the Civil Administration helps Palestinian farmers and the Palestinian agriculture ministry market their produce in Israel and ensure its quality. Seminars are held on modern agriculture, exposing the farmers to Israeli and international innovations.

The Jordan River rises from several sources, mainly the Anti-Lebanon mountains in Syria. It flows down into the Sea of Galilee, 212 metres below sea level, and then drains into the Dead Sea. South of the Dead Sea, the Jordan Valley turns into the hot, dry Arabah Valley.

Source: Wikipedia

64 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018

cold stress. In summer, the GSHE system reduces and in the winter, raises the root zone temperature by up to 11° Celsius.

ENERGy SAvINGS The ROOTS system is able to sustain and maintain stable root zone temperatures year-round in most moderate climates, at 20 per cent of the operating cost of conventional air heating systems. Conventional airheating methods (e.g. using water from a boiler circulated in above ground pipes) lead to significant losses in energy.

GSHE root zone heating targets the root zone with pipes imbedded in the soil heating the root zone only. If combined with a solar pump the system is 100 per cent environmentally friendly.

RESULTS The ROOTS system has been developed and tested on various horticultural crops, in different locations under different weather conditions. Results for cooling the root zone reported yield increases between 20-45 per cent; trials included cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce and melons

(in greenhouses or net houses, in soil of tuff beds).

Similarly, heating the root zone reported increased yields of 10 to 140 per cent, for trials with cucumber, lettuce, melons, flowers, basil and strawberries (in greenhouses). Increases to product size, quality and reduced time to harvest were also reported.

This new innovative technology is currently in commercialisation phase and shows promise for a sustainable, cost-effective climate control solution for crop production.

Thanks to Boaz Wachtel, Roots SAT and Shamay Foreiler, Jordan Valley Herbs Ltd. b

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Emily Rigby BSc (Hons) is Research Manager at the Cedar Hill Corporate Group and President of the Australian Society of Horticultural Science.

Emily is also a 2016 Nuffield Australia Farming Scholar.

For more information contact Emily at: E. Rigby.Research@gmail.com M. + 61 (0) 400 008 161 Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018. 65

SuMMER FOGGING 66 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018

WITH SUMMER HERE, NOW IS THE TIME TO THINK ABOUT INSTALLING FOGGING SySTEMS. According to Powerplants, a quality fog system will help growers lower the air temperature and increase relative humidity of their crop. Powerplants offers a wide variety of products and service in horticultural technology, operating in all sectors of the horticulture industry including: berries, soft fruit, cherries, field vegetables, nurseries, protected cropping and cut flowers.

Powerplants was founded in 1994 by Carl van Loon, and has a long history of advancing Australia’s horticultural industry. The company’s partners are farmers, growers, supermarkets and government authorities, and their key goal of improving Australia’s plant production and food sustainability is at the forefront of their workmanship.

Employing around 30 people Australia wide, Powerplants’ food production technologies is a major part of their business. They design, install and service systems for growing food such as tomatoes, capsicums, cucumbers, eggplants, lettuce, herbs, flowers – anything that grows in the ground or grows in a greenhouse is their focus. The company works with growers to produce better quality crops without pesticides, fungicides and sprays – by giving the plants a perfect climate to live in.

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018. 67

BENEFITS OF FOG SySTEMS “We manufacture technology supplies and accessories locally in Australia in our own premises to provide our customers with innovative tailored solutions. You can focus on growing your business, while we take care of all your service and maintenance requirements,” said a Powerplants spokesperson. “Having a fog system in your greenhouse is the best way of controlling the humidity level to provide the optimum conditions for your plants.

For plant propagation ideal conditions are around 80-85% RH. For general plant production or fruit production, around 70% RH is ideal for most plants.

“A fog system not only helps you with controlling the humidity level. Importantly, it also cools the air evenly across the entire greenhouse. It is the most accurate tool for humidity control in greenhouses,” he said.

“By doing this, your plants will be happy, less stressed and the quality and quantity produced will be improved ongoing – so the cost factor of the initial outlay will be quickly negated, as your crops will improve significantly with a new installation.

“Not long ago also, the Powerplants team successfully installed several of the company’s state-of-the-art Harmony Screens at Enza Zaden, an international vegetable-breeding company,” said the spokesperson.“This vegetable grower was thrilled with the outcome, and they have already seen many positive changes to their crops.” Enza Zaden Australia is based at Narromine, New South Wales. The team at this station works mainly on breeding programs for onion, cauliflower, broccoli, lettuce and pumpkin, which are sold on the domestic and international seed markets.“Being based in Central NSW, Enza Zaden faces extreme weather conditions all the time, but with their new screens installed they are already seeing improvements in: light reflection, airflow and cooling – therefore achieving improved plant growth

Powerplants installed new screens at the Enza Zaden operation at Narromine NSW and the company is already seeing improvements in light reflection, airflow and cooling.

68 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018. 69

and seed yield for longer periods of the year,” said the Powerplants spokesperson. “Powerplants can offer a European high pressure fogging system that produces the best Fogging nozzles around the globe; thanks to a qualified team, precision machining experience and state-of-the-art machining environment. All the parts are being manufactured in house, with a fast setuppush in fitting for greenhouses. This eliminates welding of stainless steel tubes and reduces installation time.

The fog systems available can have either nylon or stainless steel lines, that both feature quick connect fittings that never let go or drip, making installation a breeze. Stainless steel lines provide a professional and clean finish that remains unobtrusive for your greenhouse.

Nylon fog lines have great flexibility and can be shaped to any space and provide fog where you need it most. Both fog lines can be supported by a stainless steel rope, with specialised stainless steel wire hangers.

“Powerplants can provide various levels of control for your fog system. On the most basic level it can be a timer or manual control but can also be as complex as being run off humidity and temperature sensors,” said the spokesperson.“Powerplants can offer a variety of European pumps that have a range of 0.5LPM, to pump stations of over 200LPM ensuring we have the ability to find a solution for you.

“A fogging system is perfect for tomatoes and other fruit and vegetables that require an even temperature all year round. We fit all parts including: fog pump, control board and pump/filter, fog pipework and fittings,” he said. b “Powerplants provides and promises top level technical support and customer service. We guarantee the option to have a technician on site within 24 hours of a major breakdown.

Our emport line is open 24 hours, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year.“ For more information or for a quote call 03 8795 7750 or visit: www.powerplants.com.au

70 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018

With the new installation, Enza Zaden is now seeing improved plant growth and seed yield for longer periods of the year.

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018. 71

Revolutionary new plant-free fibre product

Nanollose’s Managing Director Alfie Germano.

Early stage plant-free, microbial cellulose.

ASX listed technology company Nanollose Limited (ASX: NC6) has created what it believes to be the world’s first plant-free viscose-rayon fibre.

The new technology marks a significant breakthrough for the global clothing industry that until now, has had limited eco-friendly plant-free rayon fibre solutions available to them.

This gives the Nanollose Limited a large opportunity in offering a sustainable alternative for plant-based fibres such as viscose-rayon, which are commonly used, but have significant environmental impacts.

Viscose-Rayon (also referred to as “rayon”) is a wellestablished fibre made from cellulose predominantly derived from wood pulp, and used to make everything from home furnishings to clothing. However, there are significant environmental concerns surrounding production as a considerable amount of trees are cut down, chipped and then treated with hazardous chemicals followed by an energy intensive purification process to source the cellulose required for rayon production.

Nanollose’s Managing Director, Alfie Germano, said: “Each year a huge amount of trees are cut down to

produce wood-based fibres like rayon. Today’s breakthrough takes Nanollose one step closer to commercialising our sustainable fibres as a very real alternative so we positively impact and reduce the cutting down of trees and use of toxic processes to create clothing.”

Unlike conventional rayon, Nanollose’s sustainable alternative is derived using microbes that convert biomass waste products from the beer, wine and liquid food industries into microbial cellulose, in a process that takes less than one month and requires very little land, water or energy. The microbial cellulose is then converted into rayon fibres using the Nanollose technology.

As brands, retailers and manufacturers increasingly seek environmentally sustainable fibre resources, Mr Germano says interest in the company’s technology has been significant.

“Over the past three months interest in our fibre technology from multiple textile, apparel and fibre manufactures has been significant, and the next step will be around accelerating towards producing sufficient quantities of rayon fibre samples for these groups.

72 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018

A mistake two decades ago led to the discovery of the fibre Initially discovered by scientist Mr Gary Cass, the Nanollose technology actually materialised from a mistake he made by flooding a vat of wine with oxygen more than two decades ago.

What remained from the spoilt batch was a textile-like substance after Acetobacter bacteria had fed on the wine. Following this discovery, Mr Cass spent years contemplating potential uses for the fibre.

In 2006, Mr Cass teamed up with Perth fashion designer Donna Franklin and released the world’s first dress made from wine, a project they called ‘Fermented Fashion’.

Then in 2014, Mr Cass founded Nanollose to advance development of the eco-friendly natural fibre. Auer teaming up with Australian organic chemist Dr Wayne Best in the same year, the pair created of a dress made from beer, which showcased at the world EXPO 2015 in Milan, and a dress made from Sparkling Wine that has gained exposure at fashion events as “Sparkling Couture.”

Founder Gary Cass. Top: Plant-free rayon fibre.

“We then aim to collaborate with these global partners who can expedite our development program, and provide technical support and scale for turning fibre into fabrics, which will then go into making clothing,” he said.

Mr Germano, who has held multiple VP positions at some of the largest global apparel brands including VF & Gap Clothing, has seen the industry change drastically over the years and believes sustainability is the future.

“My 30-year tenure in the textile and apparel industry has opened my eyes to the environmental concerns that plague the industry. I believe we are at an inflection point where the industry will begin to increase their search for sustainable alternatives.”

In April this year, retail juggernaut H&M released their sustainability report, outlining several new goals including a commitment to use 100% recycled or other sustainably sourced materials by 2030 and to become climate positive throughout its entire value chain by 2040.

And Zara joined the movement with the launch of their new sustainable line ‘Join Life’ modelled by Sasha Pivovrova.

“The entire industry is experiencing a green wind of change that is customer driven; every day we see

headlines showing this shift is becoming more solidified, and we believe we have a solution,” Mr Germano said.

In additional to this, as an important first step to protecting the intellectual property of this fibre breakthrough, Nanollose has filed a provisional patent.

About Nanollose Nanollose Limited (ASX: NC6) is an innovative Australian company that uses a low cost and eco-friendly fermentation process to grow fibres that could become a sustainable alternative to conventional plant-derived cellulose fibres. The company’s process, which uses streams from various large-scale industries like sugar, wine and food, has the ability to produce ‘Plant-Free’ cellulose. Cellulose is the hidden building block polymer most consumers know nothing about, but forms a huge part of items used in their everyday life such as clothing, paper and hygiene products. b For more information contact: Alfie Germano, Managing Director Suite 5 CPC, 145 Sterling Highway, Nedlands WA 6009 +61 (0) 411 244 477 alfie.germano@nanollose.com - www.nanollose.com Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . January & February . 2018. 73

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