Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses

PRACTICAL

PONICS & GREENHOUSES The Commercial Growers’ Magazine

2017

MARCH

ISSUE 177

www.hydroponics.com.au

AQUAPONICS IN CHINA: ancient techniques revisited THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN’

RESOURCES FOR GROWING

Update: medical marijuana in Australia

New training and education resources for growers

LET THE SUNSHINE IN

THE NEW HYDROPONICS

Aussie scientists invent world-first solar glass

A new concept in growing hydroponically

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

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

From The Editor

Managing Editor

Learning from the past

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

Contributing Authors Rick Donnan

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

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www.hydroponics.com.au ISSN 2202-1485 CORRECTION: Our last issue featured the wrong photo of Mr Michael Gunner, Chief Minister for the Northern Territory.

The photo incorrectly featured Mr Ken Vowles, Minister for Primary Industries and Resources.

Our apology for any inconvenience. Ed.

W

elcome to this issue of Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses.

Our lead story for this issue, Aquaponics in China traces the resurgence in popularity of aquaponics in that country – from the time when 6th century Chinese farmers reared ducks in cages with partially open floors positioned above a pond of finfish to the present day when a revolution in food security and sustainability is underway; one that is seeing growing numbers of Chinese middle-class consumers, concerned by food safety scares, turning to growing their own food via urban farming.

As the Chinese Government’s agenda to ensure China can continue to feed itself sustainably drives rapid changes towards high-technology agriculture, a new generation of youthful Chinese farmers, living in big cities, is learning about and embracing the ancient techniques of aquaponics – integrating and enhancing them with more modern, sophisticated growing methods and technologies.

Still on the subject of learning, our story Resources for growing looks at how Canadian company Cravo has developed new online training and education resources for growers using retractable roof houses while Home schooling hydroponics showcases the work of a respected South African professor and industry expert who has compiled an online compendium of his teachings in hydroponics and greenhouse training over the past 26 years.

Most would agree that the concept of learning from the past is all about building on past lessons to create a better future. Yet in every field, once in a while, unexpected breakthroughs occur, which seemingly come ‘out of the blue’. One such example is demonstrated in our story Let the sunshine in, which outlines how scientists in Western Australia have invented a world-first clear, energy harvesting solar glass that holds the potential to be used in greenhouses to produce crops in any climate or season.

Keeping to the same theme of innovation, our book review looks at how a revolutionary new method of hydroponic growing using the ‘membrane meniscus method’ dispenses with growing medium, air or water pumps.

It is claimed that by using this method, farmers can easily produce more than 600 spring onions, for example, in only one square metre.

Advocates of the method say it has the potential to revolutionise the way growers see hobby and commercial crop production.

These and other interesting stories await your reading pleasure!

Enjoy this issue!

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

A Magazine for

PRACTICAL

PONICS

Commercial Growers

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

TRADE DIRECTORY Bluelab ...............................13 Cultilene .............................19 Ecogrow................................7 Exfoliators.......................... 25 Extrusion Technologies Int .....61 GOTAFE ...............................21 Graeme Smith Consulting .......33 GreenLife Structures ...............4 Growhard ............................59 HHI.....................................41 Holland Gaas........................17 James Elder .........................54 Pestech ................................9 Powerplants ...................... IFC Priva ..................................40 Svensson.............................15 Disclaimer The information contained in this magazine

& GREENHOUSES ISSUE 176 :: MARCH 2017 ::

THE COMMERCIAL GROWERS’ MAGAZINE

Features Aquaponics in China . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Aquaponics has a long history in China and today it is seeing a resurgence in popularity.

The times they are a-changin’ . . . . . . 34 What is the current situation regarding the use of medicinal cannabis in Australia?

Aquaponics in China

Shaping up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 New evidence: plant tissues have a preferred growth direction that is key to producing complex shapes.

Let the sunshine in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 WA scientists have developed world-first solar glass, which could produce crops in any climate or season.

Practical

The New Hydroponics

Resources for growing . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Cravo’s new training and education resources for growers using retractable roof houses.

The new hydroponics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 An innovative hydroponic growing method set to revolutionise the way growers see crop production.

Home schooling hydroponics . . . . . . . 56 South African hydroponics and greenhouse expert has compiled a compendium of his life teachings.

The times they are a-changin’

whether in editorial matter or in feature articles or in advertisements is not published on

Departments

the basis that the Publisher accepts or assumes liability or responsibility to any reader of the magazine for any loss or damage resulting from the correctness of such information.

www.hydroponics.com.au

From the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 News & Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Reader Inquiries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Cover: From ancient times to today, aquaponics remains a popular practice in China.

Home Schooling Hydroponics

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . March . 2017. 5

AustrALiA strives For $315m in vegetABLe exPorts By 2020 The future is bright for Australia’s vegetable industry, following the release of an industry strategy that aims to increase the value of vegetable exports to $315 million, or 40 per cent, by 2020.

The Vegetable Industry Export Strategy 2020, being delivered by Horticulture Innovation Australia

(Hort Innovation) and developed in conjunction with AUSVEG, outlines a range of methods to help more growers and the wider industry export Australian vegetables to overseas markets.

Hort Innovation Chief Executive John Lloyd said: “The Australian vegetable industry has a huge appetite for export growth and there is a lot of untapped potential there.

Horticulture Innovation Australia is

Vegetables

6 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . March . 2017

working with growers and AUSVEG to do everything it can to drive this growth and develop a financially sustainable vegetable export sector”.

Mr Lloyd said currently, vegetables make up around five per cent of national export production and through relationship building, working with industry to get it export ready, boosting supply chain efficiencies and overseas activities, that figure could significantly rise.

“With all the necessary mechanisms in place, the Australian vegetable industry could increase its exports by 40 per cent within four years, and close to double exports within the next decade.”

AUSVEG National Manager, Export Development Michael Coote said data from the Global Trade Atlas and the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed Australia exported around 210,000 tonnes of vegetables valued at $227 million this past financial year. In comparison, the strategy outlines an industry target of 310,000 tonnes of vegetable exports by 2020.

“The Australian vegetable industry has invested significantly in export development to help growers successfully export fresh Australian vegetables. The development of these markets is critical to the longterm viability of the industry,” Mr Coote said.

“The strategy will ensure vegetable exports are treated as a long-term channel to market by delivering industry-specific export training programs for growers, increasing the range of opportunities for growers to connect directly with overseas buyers and exploring product development and collaboration opportunities to determine the best products or business models for export success.”

inCreAse Fruit ProDuCtion By oPtimAL wAter Dosing Substrate growing is gaining popularity among soft fruit growers.

This production method not only ensures higher production, but also a better consistency in quality.

The precise control of water and fertilisers is essential in the production of soft fruit to lift the quality throughout the chain at

Water dosing

a higher level.

The Moisture Balance Module is a special feature of the new Priva Soft Fruit computer. This optimal irrigation start solution determines every irrigation cycle fully automatically based on three important influences. The result: precise and timely dosing of water and fertilisers.

“With the Moisture Balance Module, growers can reach higher production and a better fruit quality.

This module determines the optimal irrigation start strategy based on three important influences: the quantity of water evaporated, the quantity of water used by the plant and the water content of the substrate,” said a Priva spokesperson.

“The berries can develop optimally because of the precise and timely addition of water and nutrition. Less water and less fertiliser usage is also a very large benefit, especially in areas where water is scarce, water quality is poor, or water is expensive. The Moisture Balance Module automatically adjusts the irrigation control in line with the growing conditions, the state of the plant, and the condition of the substrate.”

The Priva Soft Fruit Computer was introduced at the recent Fruit Logistica in Berlin.

For more information contact: Wilma van der Lely, Senior Communications Horticulture Priva International Tel. +31 (0) 6 5321 94 64 www.priva-international.com/en/

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . March . 2017. 7

Chief Executive John Lloyd $1.2 miLLion in CHemiCAL grAnts For HortiCuLture An estimated 7000 produce and nursery growers across Australia stand to benefit from increased access to chemicals after Horticulture Innovation Australia secured more than $1.2 million in agriculture research grants.

Horticulture Innovation Australia Chief Executive John Lloyd said the organisation was successful in securing 26 grants in the latest round of the Australian Government’s agriculture and veterinary (Agvet) chemicals program – which is a big win for industry.

“Pleasingly, this round of chemical research grants stands to benefit a broad range of producers from nut, citrus, berry, tropical fruit and vegetable growers to nursery product producers,” Mr Lloyd said.

“Now Horticulture Innovation Australia looks forward to getting on with the job of gathering the information needed for these uses to satisfy the requirements of registrant companies and the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) to support new label registrations.”

By law in Australia, any plant

protection chemicals used in agriculture must be assessed and approved by the APVMA. For this to occur, the APVMA must be satisfied with the chemicals’ safety and effectiveness, which requires the provision of specific data. These grants will be used to help provide that data.

“The costs for generating and collating the information required to meet regulatory standards are high and unfortunately many horticultural crops are too small individually for chemical manufacturers to bear the cost of registering products for use,” Mr Lloyd said.

“This Agvet grant funding will open up more opportunities for growers to better manage pests, weeds and disease, ensuring the sustainability and profitability of the industry, and quality products for consumers.”

in Hong Kong PAy $21 For A singLe strAwBerry!

According to a recent report in the South China Morning Post newspaper, a single strawberry promising the “perfect balance of sweet and tart” is being sold for $21 in a Hong Kong supermarket. The fruit is called a Kotoka strawberry

Exclusive strawberry

8 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . March . 2017

and it is imported from the Japanese city of Nara.

Catering for Hong Kong’s super rich and sold by luxury supermarket chain Citysuper, the strawberry is packaged in individual boxes.

Citysuper also sells watermelons for $188 each and a bunch of grapes for $118. However, it is the strawberry, which has so far drawn the most criticism, forcing Citysuper to defend the absurdly high price tag.

The supermarket says the fruit is of “premium grade” quality and claims that it is so rare and fragile its original Japanese packaging must be imported too.

Others have disagreed.

“That one heavily packaged strawberry sold in a box in Citysuper reminds me of something out of Mad Max — like it’s the last strawberry on Earth. It’s ridiculous,” said Gary Stokes, Asia director for the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.

A petition launched last month is currently calling on Hong Kong supermarkets to “stop the excessive and unnecessary use of plastic wrap and plastic containers for their produce.”

Almost 7,500 people have signed it so far. source: hongkongfp.com

new FooD PLAns in nZ mAKe LAw eAsier For Businesses The New Zealand Government is proposing changes to improve the written plans that it provides for businesses to manage food safety.

A recent consultation calls on food businesses to decide if the new version is easier to use.

The plans – called template food control plans – are used by businesses like restaurants, cafes and delis to comply with the Food Act.

“Since the law came into effect last year, we’ve been asking for feedback from food businesses. The new plans are based on what businesses have told us would work better for them,” said Sally Johnston, food and beverage manager at the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI).

“The new plans don’t change the rules. But they are shorter, simpler and easier to get to grips with.”

The Food Act takes a risk-based approach to managing food safety, introducing different rules for different businesses depending on

what they do. Higher-risk food businesses must use a food control plan. Plans set out what businesses will do to keep food safe and suitable.

Template food control plans are designed for food service businesses like restaurants, cafes and caterers, and food retailers like delis, butchers, fishmongers and bakeries.

They are also for other organisations that make and serve food, like rest homes and schools. These templates mean businesses don’t need to write their own plan from scratch.

“We think the new plans will be effective in achieving food safety and work better for those running busy food businesses. But we need businesses to tell us if we’ve got it right,” said Ms Johnston.

new soiL moisture AnD temPerAture sensor From DeLtA-t DeviCes The new SM150T Sensor from DeltaT Devices is ideal for measuring moisture content and temperature in soils and substrates. It has a wide range of applications across horticulture and agriculture, and is a reliable and cost-effective sensor for

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . March . 2017. 9

system integrators, who appreciate its ease of installation and simple interface (0-1 V DC output).

The SM150T is a dual purpose sensor – it can be used portably (with a readout meter) for instant moisture readings, or left installed in the soil connected to a logger – to provide moisture and temperature data. When installed it can be logged by any Delta-T Devices data logger and by many loggers from other manufacturers. The SM150T is engineered to withstand long-term burial – the sensor, connectors and cable are all environmentally protected to IP68. It also comes with a five-year warranty.

With a length of only 143 mm (rods 51 mm), the SM150T can be easily installed in grow-bags and plant pots - and its accurate and stable measurement (± 3% for 0-70% VWC range) and low power (18mA for 1

second) make it an excellent choice for irrigation system integration.

For portable applications the SM150T is available in SM150 Kit form, complete with readout meter and carry case. The kit is simple to use and rugged, making it easy to check the uniformity of growing conditions in substrates. The kit includes substrate calibrations for perlite, coir, peat, and mineral wool, as well as soils.

The SM150T is easy to insert and install – its sharp pins minimise soil disturbance, preserving the original soil structure around the measurement rods. For burial at depth the cylindrical shape facilitates installation in augured holes.

For more information visit: www.delta-t.co.uk/ product/sm150t-horticulture/

Sensor from Delta-T Devices

10 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . March . 2017

new metHoDs For ControLLing Ageing in PLAnts Researchers at Tohoku University have identified a previously uncharacterised type of autophagy, during, which a process termed chlorophagy removes collapsed chloroplasts in plant leaves.

Autophagy is the “self-eating” process of consuming unwanted elements in the cells of eukaryotes such as yeast, humans and plants.

These findings could lead to new methods for controlling the ageing of plants. Chloroplasts are responsible for CO2 assimilation as photosynthesis reactions that need solar energy. As chloroplasts cannot use all the energy received from strong sunlight on a sunny day, they accumulate photodamage. The removal of damaged compounds is known as an essential process for plant survival in nature. But how collapsed chloroplasts are removed has yet to be explained.

Dr Masanori Izumi, from Tohoku University’s Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences, suspects that the turnover of damaged chloroplasts might be accomplished by any process of autophagy. ”Chloroplast turnover is also important in the production of crops.

As crops like rice or wheat turn from green to golden before harvest, chloroplasts are consumed, then nutrients are released and recycled to produce grains as a result of aging. We want to understand the basic, overall mechanism involved in the breakdown of chloroplasts,” said Dr Izumi.

According to the study, when a cress plant known as Arabidopsis thaliana is exposed to light stress from ultraviolet-B (UVB) strong visible light or natural sunlight,

Chloroplast

chloroplasts are mobilised to the vacuole – an enclosed space where digestion occurs in plant cells. This phenomenon did not occur in the mutant plants lacking autophagy machinery, in which damaged chloroplasts showing abnormal shapes accumulated.

The team also discovered that the mutant leaves die more easily after exposure to UVB compared to the naturally occurring wild leaves.

“In the mutants, the production of a reactive oxygen species, hydrogen peroxide, was stimulated after UVB damage. Chlorophagy is likely to be important in suppressing the production of toxic compounds and enabling survival under light stress,” said Professor Izumi.

The researchers concluded that the chlorophagy process serves to remove collapsed chloroplasts under light stress conditions. This finding opens up new biological questions related to the regulation mechanism of chlorophagy, including how damaged chloroplasts are recognised and mobilised to the vacuole. The team believes that the identification of genes specifically regulating chlorophagy could help to create new approaches to manipulating chloroplast turnover during crop ageing.

retrACtABLe rooFs over stAtionAry inseCt net At the Cravo Demonstration and Training Center in Culiacan Mexico, researchers set out to prove how a retractable roof installed over insect net could increase yields and extend the harvest season compared to a conventional nethouse – simply by using the roof to manage rain and humidity and prevent crops from being exposed to excessive heat and cold. The experiment compared the typical yields in a conventional nethouse and those achieved at the Cravo Demonstration and Training house during the 2015-2016 harvest season. The varieties were selected based on those typically used in nethouses and all crops were grown in the soil using a simple drip irrigation using approximately 69 per cent less water per harvested kg than in the conventional nethouse.

Not only did Cravo achieve significant increases in yield, but also in 2015 an independent shelf life test proved that bell peppers from the retractable roof had: 13-21 per cent increase in fruit wall thickness (more kg/box) 40 per cent increase in fruit firmness (longer shelf life) 35 per cent less dehydration after 15 days of postharvest storage (longer shelf life).

“While some may think that these results are impressive, we believe there are additional strategies, which can help growers can hit the market even stronger when excessive heat is limiting,” said a Cravo spokesperson. “To prove that we can increase yearly yields even further, for the 2016-2017 season we advanced the transplanting two to six weeks compared to local growers where tomatoes and coloured peppers were transplanted and cucumbers were direct seeded on August 15 when temperatures are 40C-45C (104F-113F) and humidity is 80 per cent plus.

“Cravo is also comparing the impact of transplants grown in a retractable roof and in a conventional poly house we grew the young plants in both a conventional greenhouse and in a retractable roof house to understand the impact of young plant development on early harvest and total yield,” said the spokesperson.

“We will do a planting, which will target summer production while a second transplanting will be done on 1st March so that the harvest will begin when conventional greenhouses and nethouses have gone out of production.”

More information: click the link below

For more information contact: Masanori IzumiFrontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Tohoku University E: mizumi@ige.tohoku.ac.jpwww.lifesci.tohok u.ac.jp/en/teacher/masanori-izumi/ Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . March . 2017. 11

Labour Insight tablet

It is also possible to import the labour and production data into a payroll system. Overview screens make the performance of employees transparent. Labour Insight can be easily integrated into the daily business. The grower pays a small amount per registered employee per day.

Priva Labour Insight was recently introduced at Fruit Logistica in Berlin.

For more information contact: Wilma van der Lely, Senior Communications Horticulture Priva International Tel. +31 (0) 6 5321 94 64

HigH LABour Costs: A growing ConCern For soFt Fruit growers Currently, labour costs count for at least 30 per cent of the total operating costs of a soft fruit company and this share will continue to increase.

Priva offers a new cloud solution for registration of labour and production in the field: Labour Insight. This solution gives soft fruit growers insight into hours worked, production and performance per employee. The system converts all the labour and production data over multiple fields into comparable information. The grower pays per use, so the grower only pays for the days when the employees are actively registered.

The team leader registers the labour and production in the crop fields on his own device. Labour Insight converts all data including number of crops, activities, harvested boxes and staff performance into an online dashboard. This data provides insight at both team and individual level over multiple fields. This helps growers to optimise planning, budgeting and forecasting.

www.priva-international.com/en/

growers sHouLD Do tHe rigHt tHing By tHeir worKers Peak production horticulture body Growcom has supported the statement by Australia’s Minister for Immigration and Border Protection Peter Dutton that those who employ illegal farm workers and abuse working holidaymaker visa

12 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . March . 2017

programs should continue to be investigated and prosecuted.

This follows the recent detention and removal by the Federal Department of Immigration of nearly 30 farm workers on a strawberry farm on the Granite Belt.

Chief Advocate Rachel Mackenzie said while most growers are doing the right thing, there are a few bad apples who are tarnishing the horticulture industry’s reputation and driving down prices for fruit and vegetables by undercutting their neighbours.

“There are no excuses for growers doing the wrong thing, either directly or through unscrupulous Labour Hire Contractors where backpackers are underpaid and exploited and visa fraud committed.

There are plenty of opportunities for growers to educate themselves and get their operation in order through us,” said Ms Mackenzie.

“Growcom continues to work diligently with growers to ensure they are informed of their obligations.

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . March . 2017. 13

two Per Cent more LigHt witH new svensson CLimAte sCreen Giving two per cent more light without compromising on energy saving, the new Luxous 1147 FR from Svensson takes energy-saving climate screens to a new level. More light means increased and earlier vegetable production in the winter when prices usually peak. The screen can also be closed more hours during the day leading to further energy savings.

Headquartered in Sweden, Svensson is a leading company providing textile climate and environmental solutions designed for the contract and horticultural markets.

Luxous 1147 FR is the most transparent energy-saving climate screen from Svensson to date. Intense research and product development have resulted in a Luxous screen transmitting two percent more light without losing out on energy saving or humidity transport capabilities. This makes it possible to increase vegetable production by two per cent during the cold season.

During the night, Luxous 1147 FR also contributes to a better growth climate all year round as it blocks upward heat radiation. The heads of the vegetables remain warmer with less risk of condensation when the sun rises next morning.

The line of Svensson innovations launched at the Gorinchem Fair in The Netherlands continues. Last year, the New Harmony range was introduced and now it is time for Luxous 1147 FR. These almost invisible screens are produced in Svensson’s factory in Kinna, Sweden, and will be available for delivery soon.

Info at: www.ludwigsvensson.com

“Currently, we have Workplace Essentials Seminars running in major horticultural areas in Queensland. Growers who are not sure whether what they are doing meets their obligations should attend or ring us for advice. Growers need only visit the Growcom website – www.growcom.com.au/events/ – to find a workshop near them, including a meeting in Stanthorpe on 23 March,” she said.

“The Fair Work Ombudsman holds growers responsible for ensuring that people working on their farms, whether directly employed or via a labour hire provider, are receiving the correct entitlements. There is a clear avenue for action where intent to enter into a sub-standard arrangement can be shown (e.g. a grower accepts an arrangement for less than $22.13 per hour).

“Growers need to enter into a written agreement with a labour hire company which clearly establishes the respective rights and responsibilities of each party, including correct payment of wages, superannuation and WorkCover, as well as visa checking,” she said.

Ms Mackenzie said that Growcom called on the Queensland Government to support national recommendations on the regulation of labour hire companies through the Council of Australian Governments (COAG), rather than set up a statebased system.

“We applaud the work of Taskforce Cadena in disrupting and disbanding illegal worker operations in the horticulture industry. We also support the Fair Work Ombudsman’s pursuit through the courts of those who would exploit farm workers– especially the backpackers and seasonal workers who are so vital to our harvests – to line their own pockets.”

14 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . March . 2017

new APP reveALs Constituents A new app from Fraunhofer development engineers looks directly inside objects and displays specific constituents. It has numerous uses: For instance, apples can be scanned for pesticide residues. Applications will be added successively following the Wikipedia principle.

A Fraunhofer spokesperson said that an apple is labelled ‘organic’ but the customer doesn’t know if it really hasn’t been sprayed or, if the seller’s description is to be believed, if a car has never been in an accident.

“Unverifiable information has to be accepted in many situations. The HawkSpex® mobile app from the Fraunhofer Institute for Factory Operation and Automation IFF in Magdeburg will enable consumers to verify such information in the future.

The principle: take out your smartphone, open the app, aim it at the object being scanned – such as an apple – and get the desired information, for instance, whether an apple contains pesticide residues,” said the spokesperson.

According to the makers, although systems that perform such scans already exist, users usually have to clamp additional parts such as a prism onto the front of the integrated camera. This is costly and impractical and additionally interferes with a smartphone’s design.

“What makes our app special is that users don’t need anything for a scan other than the camera already integrated in their smartphones,” said Professor Udo Seiffert, Expert Group Manager at the Fraunhofer IFF. “The development engineers use a mathematical model to extract just about any information on an object,

Hawkspex mobile for example, its constituents, from its spectral fingerprint. Since hyperspectral cameras aren’t integrated in smartphones, we simply reversed this principle.

“The camera gives us a broadband

three- channel sensor, that is, one that scans every wavelength and illuminates an object with different coloured light,” said Professor Seiffert.

“This means that, instead of the

camera measuring luminous intensity in different colours, the display successively illuminates the object with a series of different colours for fractions of a second.”

Thus, if the display casts only red light on the object, the object can only reflect red light – and the camera can only measure red light.

Intelligent analysis algorithms enable the app to compensate a smartphone’s limited computing performance as well as the limited performance of the camera and display.

The first laboratory version of the app is now complete. However, the engineers are developing a variety of initial applications before it can be released to private users. The system first has to be taught with reference scans how to analyse whether apples contain pesticides.

A little extra light makes a big difference Introducing the most transparent climate screen ever: Luxous 1147 FR New Luxous 1147 FR provides two percent more light without losing out on energy saving and humidity transport capabilities. You get a better

Harmony Luxous Obscura Solaro Tempa

growth climate and a screen that on average can be closed more hours.

Find out more at ludvigsvensson.com Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . March . 2017. 15

“There are so many conceivable uses that the market will surely overrun us. That is why the development engineers are relying on an approach modelled after the online encyclopaedia, Wikipedia,” said Professor Seiffert.

“Once the app is launched on the market by the end of this year, active users will be able to contribute to the whole big thing and create new applications, for instance, that test pesticide exposure of heads of lettuce, by teaching the system such problems.”

This means users could use the app to scan different types of treated and untreated heads of lettuce and send the data to the Fraunhofer IFF. The development engineers would verify the measurements and release the app to all users.

The app also has extremely interesting commercial potential and can be used to develop sectors that would not normally benefit from high precision scanners. Examples include quality control of foods, the effectiveness of cosmetic products or even agriculture: Farmers, for instance, could easily obtain information on whether their crops are sufficiently supplied with nutrients or fertiliser is needed.

More information at: www.iff.fraunhofer.de

HeLP ControL PLAnt BALAnCe witH tHe new CuLtiLene APP Most growers want to get the maximum potential from their substrate, to keep plants balanced and at the same time minimise the use of water and pesticides. The new Cultilene Smart Root Zone Management App offers solutions to achieve this. This free app contains much information and can help growers in every growing phase with

suggestions and advice.

The Smart Root Zone Management App gives guidelines on target levels in the cube during propagation and in the cube and slab during production for tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers. Advice on roses will follow. Before production the Cultilene slab calculator helps to get the optimal substrate lay out. Also, the Cultilene SRZM App can calculate the correct dose size and the right place to make the drainage slits.

During production, the app suggests the target levels in the cube and slab. There are specific target levels for each growing phase and for each part of the day. There is special attention to ‘The Big Five’; water content, EC, pH, oxygen, and temperature. These five parameters are crucial for good and healthy roots, or Smart Root Zone Management.

Also, the SRZM App shows growers how to measure to check in a structured and accurate way. For this Cultilene has developed special measuring protocols, which are also in the app.

16 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . March . 2017

The free Cultilene Smart Root Zone Management App, is available for users of iPhone, Android and BlackBerry and can be downloaded from the App and Google Play Store from now on. In the stores you find the first version of an app that will grow and grow with information and tips with monthly updates.

Cultilene supplies stonewool substrate solutions and Albarino diffuse glass in 50 countries worldwide. As well as stonewool and diffuse glass, Cultilene supplies green walls under the name Cultiwall.

Cultilene is part of Saint-Gobain, a global leading supplier in the habitat and construction market, is represented in 66 countries and has more than 170,000 employees.

More information at: www.saint-gobain.co.uk/brands/saintgobain-cultilene/

ADvAnCes in inseCt netting systems Insect mesh is used primarily to eradicate insects from greenhouses, or to keep desirable insects within a greenhouse in an environmentally friendly way. No pesticides, better for environment and cleaner crops.

Accordion (harmonica) Insect Netting System from Holland Gaas offers more ventilation because of

its patented corners. There is no thick package of sheets in the top of the window, which could cause friction in the top corners or cause glass breakage.

The netting is situated between the profiles with a small package of sheets, so the light reduction is minimised (maximum 9 cm). Systems of other suppliers cause more light interception (minimum 14 cm).

The system boasts perfect closing of the netting system, as the rubber of the netting can be locked in the profiles of the greenhouse. The insect netting system fits perfectly in the developed greenhouse roof.

The Holland Gaas netting material is made of high quality material with an exceptionally high UV stability with 1150 KLangley.

More information at: www.hollandgaas.nl

new PALLet rACK trAy iDeAL For vertiCAL growing US company Botanicare specialises in providing expert advice and products for superior plant cultivation and to help growers produce better crops. Established in 1996, Botanicare is an industry-leading manufacturer in several innovative hydroponics categories including; plant nutrients, supplements, soilless grow media, hydroponics systems and grow trays.

Botanicare has just launched a new addition to its pallet rack tray range, which allows for vertical grow setup and reduces cultivation footprint by up to 50 per cent. The newly introduced, commercial duty, 4x8 pallet rack tray is easy to set up and designed to fit standard 42” wide x 96” long pallet racking or shelving.

“The Botanicare pallet rack tray is the ideal solution for vertical propagation, allowing growers to take advantage of overhead space and reducing the cultivation footprint by up to 50 per cent,” said a company spokesperson.

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Help us help you make our world a greener place.

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

Botanicare pallet rack tray

Changing our world one step at a time.

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . March . 2017. 17

The Botanicare pallet rack tray measures 92.5” long, 48” wide, 6.125” tall (tray height, 6.125" trough height), and weighs 31 lbs. It can accommodate up to sixteen 10” x 20” prop flats. Made of ABF professional-grade plastic, the tray features sturdy, reinforced corners and smooth rolled edges for greater safety, strength, and durability. This 4x8 pallet rack tray is also outfitted with an inclined trough that hangs slightly over the edge collecting runoff and directing it toward the bulkhead recess to reduce unwanted standing water.

“This state-of- the-art tray is made in the USA and maintains the crafting superiority found in every Botanicare product, making it perfect for vertical commercial growing, large scale microgreen or propagation productions,” said the spokesperson.

For more information email: info@botanicare.com or visit: www.botanicare.com

AnD now…roBotiC Bees!

A recent article in the New Scientist outlined how a drone that can pollinate flowers may one day work side by side with bees to improve crop yields.

Around three-quarters of the world’s crop species, from rely on bees and other insects to pollinate them, however, a huge decline in the numbers of bees is occurring due to pesticides, land clearing and climate change.

Flowering plants need pollination to reproduce with stamens producing pollen that fertilises female parts, known as pistils, to make seeds. In self-pollinating flowers, the stamen sheds pollen directly onto the pistil.

In cross-pollination, however, pollen is transferred from one plant

to the next via visiting bees. Crosspollination has advantages over self-pollination, as increases genetic diversity and improves the quantity and quality of crops.

At Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Eijiro Miyako and his colleagues have used the principle of cross-pollination in bees to develop a drone that transports pollen between flowers.

Like bees, the drones can fly between lily flowers, collecting and dispersing pollen. The manually controlled drone is four centimetres wide and weighs 15 grams. The bottom is covered in horsehair coated in a special sticky gel. When the drone flies onto a flower, pollen grains stick lightly to the gel, then rub off on the next flower visited.

While the tiny drones are impressive, the scientists from Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology say the innovation is in the special gel covering them.

Dr Eijiro Miyako experimented to

Drone bee

18 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . March . 2017

see if ionic liquid gel could pick up pollen-like material from one flower, and then deposit it to a second flower.

In a paper published in the journal Chem, the team said their research was successful, and demonstrated robot pollinators could counter the problems caused by declining honeybee populations.

“We hope this will help to counter the problem of bee declines. But importantly, bees and drones should be used together,” said Dr Miyako.

Katja Hogendoorn, a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Adelaide and an expert in crop pollination, said the invention was a promising development.

“It is an intriguing idea of course, it’s not new as an idea, it’s a start — they’ve achieved it with a very big flower, mind you,” she said.

Dr Hogendoorn said there was a dire need for sustainable solutions.

“If the bees are struggling, how can we make them survive while still being productive in agriculture?” she said. b Enjoy the video below:

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tHe netHerLAnDs: soon to Be Home to euroPe’s First LArgesCALe CommerCiAL vertiCAL FArm Philips Lighting, a global leader in lighting, has announced that Staay Food Group, a leading fresh fruit and vegetables company, is building the first of its kind vertical farm in Europe, in Dronten, the Netherlands, using Philips GreenPower LED horticultural lighting. The facility will serve one of Europe’s biggest supermarket chains and be used for testing, and optimising processes for future, larger vertical farms.

The farm will serve one of Europe’s biggest supermarket chains with fresh-cut lettuce grown using LED horticultural lighting. The 900m2 indoor vertical farm will have over 3,000m2 of growing space and produce pesticide-free lettuce.

With upcoming stricter regulations on the residual pesticide levels in a bag or bowl of lettuce, retailers will

need to provide exceedingly high quality, pesticide-free lettuce.

Staay, Philips Lighting and vegetable breeder Rijk Zwaan collaborated and undertook intensive research over the past three years to determine the best combination of lettuce varieties and growth recipes in order to improve crop quality and yields. Having the right growth recipe ready prior to the start of operations at the vertical farm will help Staay achieve a faster return on investment.

“Our plant specialists at our GrowWise research centre in Eindhoven are testing with seeds of a selection of the most suitable lettuce varieties, to define the best growth recipes and to optimise the crop growth even before the farm is running,” said Udo van Slooten, Managing Director of Philips Lighting Horticulture LED Solutions.

“Producing lettuce for the freshcut segment indoors not only means avoiding all pesticides, it also means much lower bacterial count

Staay Food Group is building a first-of-its-kind vertical farm in The Netherlands, producing crops such as lettuce

20 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . March . 2017

and therefore longer shelf life at the retailers. With the lettuce being packaged at the same spot as where it is grown, we save on transport before distribution to retailers,” said Rien Panneman, CEO of Staay Food Group. “Also, by avoiding weather fluctuations, we maintain an optimised and stable production environment to guarantee consistent and optimal product quality.”

The vertical farms in Europe, using LED-based lighting have so far been research centers or specialist producers serving restaurants. The new Staay facility in Dronten will be the first in Europe to operate commercially, serving large-scale retail. The facility starts operating in the second half of 2017.

For further information contact: Philips Lighting; Horticulture LED Solutions, Daniela Damoiseaux, Global Marcom Manager Horticulture Tel: +31 6 31 65 29 69 Email: daniela.damoiseaux@philips.com www.philips.com/horti

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

getting BACK tHAt greAt tomAto FLAvour A University of Florida researcher has led a global team on a mission to identify the important factors that have been lost and put them back into modern tomatoes.

In a study published in the journal Science, Harry Klee, a professor of horticultural sciences with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, identifies the chemical combinations for better tomato flavour.

“We’re just fixing what has been damaged over the last half century to push them back to where they were a century ago, taste-wise,” said Klee, stressing that this

technique involves classical genetics, not genetic modification.

“We can make the supermarket tomato taste noticeably better.”

Step one was to find out which of the hundreds of chemicals in a tomato contribute the most to taste.

According to Professor Klee, modern tomatoes lack sufficient sugars and volatile chemicals critical to better flavor. Those traits have been lost during the past 50 years because breeders have not had the tools to routinely screen for flavour, he said.

Researchers studied what they call “alleles,” the versions of DNA in a tomato gene that give it its specific traits. Professor Klee likens the

Searching for the original tomato taste

22 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . March . 2017

concept to DNA in humans.

Everyone has the same number of genes in their DNA, but a particular version of each gene determines traits such as height, weight and hair colour.

“We wanted to identify why modern tomato varieties are deficient in those flavour chemicals,” Professor Klee said.

“It’s because they have lost the more desirable alleles of a number of genes.”

As breeding takes time, and the scientists are studying five or more genes, Professor Klee said the genetic traits from his latest study might take three to four years to produce in new tomato varieties.

Thanks for your letters

Rick Donnan

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Include any extra information you wish.

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

Q: From an indian grower.

How do plants take up nutrients?

Please refer your answer to the reader’s question in the February 2017 PH&G issue.

You have mentioned that in osmosis only water moves from lower concentration to higher concentration and salts do not get through the membrane. If this is so, then how do nutrients reach plants? I am a grower and a regular reader of your magazine. Thanks a lot.

A: thank you for your email. this is a very useful question.

I had overlooked that someone not having detailed knowledge of plant mechanisms might reasonably expect that nutrient ions just go with the water flow. Particularly in the case of uptake by the roots, this is not so.

The mechanisms for water uptake and nutrient uptake are quite different. The mechanisms for moving water and ions through the plant are also different, although there is much more interaction here,

ion uptake mechanism The uptake of nutrient ions by the roots is an entirely different process to water uptake. Ions are not taken up by osmosis.

On the root cell walls are sites, which directly take up nutrient ions, a different site for each nutrient. These are called ‘transporters’ for the anions and ‘channels’ for the cations. For most ions, these sites occur along the entire root, but for some ions, especially calcium, the sites are just behind the root tip. These uptake sites respond to signals 24 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . March . 2017

from the plant, such as ‘get more potassium’.

In hydroponics, around the roots is the root zone solution.

The strength of this root zone solution will influence how much nutrient is taken up. The stronger the solution the easier it is for individual nutrient ions to get to their specific sites. Conversely, the weaker the solution there will be less opportunity for ions to reach their sites. Referring back to my February answer on osmosis, you will notice that the water uptake and nutrient ion uptake mechanisms reinforce one another. That is, strengthening the root zone solution the will reduce the water uptake by osmosis and also increase the ion uptake. Conversely, weakening the root zone solution will increase the water uptake by osmosis and reduce the ion uptake.

To maximise the uptake of individual nutrient ions, the ratio of the ions in the root zone solution must be optimised.

The Dutch horticultural research stations have published recommended optimum root zone solution analyses for a wide range of crops in hydroponics. These optimised recommendation take account of the relative rate of uptake of individual nutrient ions. That is, for example, the relative strength is boosted of those nutrients, which are slower to be taken up.

If the root zone solution analysis gets well out balance, the nutrient uptake will be adversely influenced. For example, if the concentration of a particular nutrient ion is well below the recommended level, its ions won’t get enough opportunity to reach their sites. This effect is compounded by the other ions increasingly blocking access to the sites. The

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end result leads to a nutrient deficiency of that ion.

It is interesting and important to note that plant yields will actually be significantly reduced by deficiencies (and toxicities) well before visual symptoms of the problem can be detected.

ion transport within plants Ion movement inside the plant is different again. Once inside the root the ions have a mixture of mechanisms, that is, they can. move both through and between cells and also with the water flow in the xylem. The xylem can be simply described as a leaky pipe system, which takes the water from the roots to the leaves, mainly for transpiration. Typically about 90% of the water uptake by hydroponic plants is for transpiration (to keep the plants cool). The remainder is used for photosynthesis and as part of the plant structure. Most plants typically grown in hydroponics are composed of more than 90 per cent water.

The other leaky pipe system in the plant is the phloem.

This takes water from the leaves, which carries the products

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of photosynthesis and distributes them to the rest of the plant, including the roots. These products are known as ‘assimilates’, which are initially sugars, but then converted into a huge range of plant chemicals, such as proteins, celluloses starches, etc, etc. Together with assimilates, the phloem water also carries many ions, helping to distribute them around the plant. Some of these products and ions are exuded from the roots and possibly change the pH of the root zone solution.

Calcium is unique in that its ions only move in the water stream in the xylem. Once calcium ions have found a place in the plant structure (a major function is strengthening cell walls) that is where they stay and can’t move elsewhere even if badly needed.

Potassium is another interesting ion, which has major roles in activating about 60 different enzymes used by the plant and also helps to control the opening and closing of the stomata in the leaves. However, potassium ions don’t become part of any plant structure. They remain only completely in solution within the plant. b RD

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . March . 2017. 25

AQUA

PONICS IN CHINA in tHe FACe oF FooD sAFety sCAres AnD tHe DemAnDs oF An exPAnDing PoPuLAtion, CHinAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cities Are inCreAsingLy emBrACing tHe ConCePt oF AQuAPoniCs As A metHoD oF urBAn FArming to ensure FooD seCurity into tHe Future.

By CHristine Brown-PAuL

wHen it Comes to tHe Question, ‘wHo inventeD AQuAPoniCs?’ exPerts Are DiviDeD into two grouPs; one FAvouring tHe Argument tHAt it wAs tHe AZteCs From tHe 1400s onwArDs wHo First grew CroPs on ArtiFiCiAL AgriCuLturAL isLAnDs At tHe sAme time As tHey reAreD FisH, using tHe wAste to FertiLise tHeir CroPs in A system tHey CALLeD “CHinAmPAs”.

An alternative view is that 6th century Chinese farmers who reared ducks in cages with partially open floors positioned above a pond of finfish were the founders of aquaponics. The farmers also reared catfish in another pond into which water from the finfish pond would be drained. In this arrangement the finfish were fed with duck droppings while the catfish were fed with the waste from the finfish. Any leftover food was used to supply the nutrients to the rice in the paddy fields.

China, it is argued, was the original source of many high-tech agriculture systems we see today. It is estimated that currently, China has 70 per cent of all global aquaculture production and is home to a vast array of different types of fishes. For many centuries, aquaponics has been practised in China, with the traditional ‘dyke pond systems’ where numerous species of fish were grown in deep ponds, while vegetables and tree crops were grown around the ponds utilising the nutrient-rich fish water. These traditional systems were highly sustainable and biologically sophisticated.

today, food production in China is witnessing a revolution that is being driven by two main factors Firstly, a growing number of Chinese middle-class consumers are concerned by the number of food safety scares and are demanding high quality, safe, and preferably organic food. Many are turning to growing their own via urban farming.

The second factor is that the Chinese Government’s agenda to ensure China can continue to feed itself sustainably is driving rapid changes towards hightechnology agriculture. A new generation of youthful Chinese farmers are picking up the baton from their forebears but are keen to learn about more modern, sophisticated methods of growing, including organic agriculture, and sustainable methods such as integrated fish and vegetable aquaponic technologies.

Living green in China A collaboration between Israeli company LivinGreen and 28 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . March . 2017

Chinese company AgriTech is seeing a closed-system farm approach being implemented commercially in China to raise fish such as tilapia, catfish and carp together with tomatoes, Goji berries, lettuce and more.

Working as a special consultant to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Mr Cohen has taught some of his techniques to farmers from neighboring states, including Jordan. Together with consultants from Ireland and Italy, he wrote the field guide on aquaponics for the FAO. Mr Cohen’s mission is to use today’s hightech tools and knowledge of advanced methods in ecology to build better aquaponics systems beyond the hobby farm. He is creating systems that are easy to manage, control and give maximum yield.

“We have a biogas-integrated system for places where we can’t get fish,” Mr Cohen said.

“It’s a very flexible system. But it needs to be adjusted to the right place. Now we are fine-tuning a practical method to make aquaponics tools the best they can be.”

Mr Cohen estimates that just a fraction of the water is needed to grow crops such as lettuce and tomatoes compared to landbased farming. Very little energy is also needed.

The system is powered by a small pump to circulate and monitor the water, and this can be fueled by biogas or solar panels.

Beijing and beyond As increasing numbers of people migrate from rural China to the cities, many of them find residence in large cities such as Beijing.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics of China, in 2012, more than 163.36 million people moved from their hometowns to other locations to work.

Urban farming, the science of growing fresh produce in limited spaces, is gaining popularity in many Chinese cities.

An aquaponics set-up in a Beijing market, showing how fish and vegetable can grow in symbiosis.

Moti Cohen from LivinGreen says just a fraction of the water is needed to grow crops such as lettuce and tomatoes compared to land-based farming.

Tilapia is a popular fish choice for aquaponics. China has 70 per cent of all global aquaculture production.

In Beijing, urban farming company High Rise Homestead works to help Beijing residents to ‘grow their own’ at home, supplying products such as frames that train plants to grow upward, kits for growing produce on inclined surfaces and vertically stacked planters. These are ideal for use on windowsills, balcony gardens and areas limited in space.

Co-founder of the company, Dannan Hodge said that urban farming, including hydroponics and aquaponics is becoming increasingly popular.

“You know what’s going on with your food, there are no pesticides or herbicides – nothing that will negatively affect your health,” she said.

“A lot of farmers who do traditional farming have vegetables they grow for sale and vegetables they grow for their own consumption. They grow them differently because they know the chemicals they use are hazardous.”

Ms Hodge says the most popular plantings on balconies are vegetables because they’re simple to grow, even strawberries, cherry tomatoes and gourds.

“It really does inspire people to eat healthy – you can’t grow a bag of chips,” she says. People - especially children - get excited to see their own food grow, food that they planted and will harvest themselves.

“There is also a health benefit where people are 30 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . March . 2017

inspired to become more conscious consumers,” she said.

Elsewhere, US-born Tim Quijano, a fellow from the Princeton in Asia organisation, has recently started giving DIY lessons on setting up aquaponic ecosystems.

“What got me started was that I had this fish tank in my apartment that I moved into this year and I thought how I could do something fun with this,” he said.

“I like having new projects and learning new things. It just hit me one night that I could learn something about aquaponics. I spent many hours on YouTube researching growing my own food”.

Pointing out recent food safety scares and the migration of workers from the countryside to the cities, Mr Quijano says that there is an abundance of agriculture knowledge in Chinese cities.

“I live in a large apartment complex and the grannies that are there, they have set up little makeshift greenhouses with a stick of bamboo and a tarp. There’s so much knowledge and there’s such an appreciation for it,” he said.

shanghai: the life aquatic In 2006, Australian company Blue Farms developed the first certified organic integrated barramundi and vegetable system in Australia, subsequently partnering

with their licensee, Green Camel, to establish a commercial scale barramundi and vegetable production system at Cobbitty near Sydney in 2012, selling certified organic produce under contract to Coles.

Technical Director of Plant Production at Blue Farms Hogan Gleeson, together with the company’s Technical Director of Aquaculture, Andrew Bodlovich have now commenced developing the first Blue Farm in China.

A site has been selected west of Shanghai, with construction of the glasshouse expected to commence early in 2017.

When developing the Blue Farm system, both men studied the traditional Chinese dyke ponds and other traditional agricultures, to understand the principles of integrated fish and vegetable production.

“It is going full circle – we learnt so much from the traditional integrated farming systems – it is very satisfying to now be introducing high-tech organic protected cropping systems into China to meet the huge demand there for high quality Rooftop aquaponics and safe food,” said set-up in Shanghai.

Mr Gleeson.

“The market for this type of food production is ideal in China.

Chinese consumers are surprisingly informed and aware about food quality – probably more so than in Australia,” said Mr Bodlovich.

“We were surprised at the demand here for organic food – consumers are willing to pay top dollar for quality food they can trust.”

However, a lack of local experienced greenhouse growers has been an impediment to Blue Farms’ expansion in China.

“There are many low tech greenhouses in China – more than anywhere else in the world, but very few Chinese growers have experience with more sophisticated European style glasshouses,” Mr Gleeson said.

“I have seen many high-tech glasshouse projects in China that have been well-built, but generally they are operating far below their potential due to lack of grower experience with the technology”.

Meanwhile, west of Shanghai is Suzhou, a city known for its canals, bridges and classical gardens. It is also home to Zhang Qian, a former chip designer for Hewlett Packard in Houston USA who decided to return to China and become an aquaponics farmer Today, Shang is a pioneer in China of aquaponics techniques to plant organic vegetables on a large scale.

In his Verdant Organic Farm in Suzhou, Zhang has three large tanks – each six metres in diameter – where he raises xiangyun fish and triploid crucian carp. Each tank contains about 500 kilograms of carp, a figure that can double when the carp grow up. Because the fish are raised in clean, nutritious water without any antibiotics, they are of high quality. The fish food is a special formula that includes probiotics.

The tanks, which receive clean water of minerals and active substances needed for vegetables after double filtration, are used for high-intensity breeding of the fish.

“The water is even better than our potable water,” Zhang said.

The carps’ excretions, after being biodegradated and fermented in the water, are pumped to the nearby greenhouse and become the rich nutrition to fertilise the vegetables there.

The water then is recirculated to the aquaculture system.

“The nutritionadded water after constant recirculation will become increasingly clean,” Zhang said.

“And what’s more important, the nutrients in the water can grow quality organic vegetables with production levels that are several times the normal culture method.”

Water from the three fish tanks can irrigate around 1,000 square metres of vegetables. The soil is organic and imported from Germany. After the mid-term testing, more tanks and a larger planting area are planned.

A 20,000-square-metre planting area is planned for next March, and if the project goes well, it will be enlarged to 200,000 square metres in about a year.

Zhang chose Xiangcheng District Agricultural and Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . March . 2017. 31

High-tech Park as his location.

“I’ve been to many places in China, but Suzhou is the best,” he said.

Located near Shanghai and with its own booming economy, Suzhou has a huge market and the local government gives a series of preferential policies to his farm including start-up funds, offices, land and housing subsidies for Zhang’s expert team.

Last year, Zhang’s Verdant Organic Farm was the only agricultural project listed among 63 entities in “Suzhou’s

Many believe 6th century Chinese farmers were the founders of aquaponics, which today is seeing a resurgence in popularity.

32 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . March . 2017

Pioneering Talents Program,” sponsored by the local government to encourage entrepreneurs.

“It will be my lifetime cause,” Zhang said, adding he prefers to be called a farmer.

“I always have a dream that in the near future all the Chinese will no longer worry about the food safety problem and everyone in China can have healthy, nutritious, safe and cheap vegetables.

“I think this eco-green, organic culture with higher yield is what the Chinese just need right now,” he said. b

LivinGreen’s and AgriTech’s Aquaponic operation is raising fish such as tilapia, catfish and carp.

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . March . 2017. 33

THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGINâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;: medicinal cannabis in Australia in FeBruAry tHis yeAr, tHe AustrALiAn FeDerAL government APProveD tHe imPortAtion oF meDiCinAL mArijuAnA. wHAt is tHe Current stAte oF PLAy in AustrALiA regArDing its use?

34 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . March . 2017

exact numbers vary depending upon the source but the results are unanimous. in 2017, more Australians would vote in favour of legalising medicinal cannabis than would vote against it. in keeping with global trends, it is a sentiment that’s also now reflected in both our state and federal legislation.

The end of 2016 saw federal laws come into effect that allows Australian patients and doctors to legally access cannabis for medicinal use. The Office of Drug Control is now able to issue licences and permits for cultivation and cannabis itself has been removed from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and reclassified as a Schedule 8 controlled drug.

Globally, in the USA medicinal cannabis is now legal in 28 states, and an additional 16 states have laws that allow for limited medical use. Eight of those states allow legal recreational cannabis use.

In Canada, the first nation to legalise marijuana for medical use (2001), the federal government has now officially recommended legalisation and regulation of cannabis for recreational use with legislation being drafted that will allow cannabis to be sold in a similar

way to alcohol, through the various provincial liquor control boards retail outlets.

In France, eight months out from a federal election, five of the seven presidential candidates are in favour of legalising or decriminalising the use of cannabis and in Germany, parliament has already voted unanimously for an amendment to drugs regulations that makes cannabis legal for severely ill people.

From March this year prescriptions for cannabis products in Germany will be covered by patients’ health insurance.

wHo CAn get PresCriPtions?

Individual states and territories can make access available to specific types of patients. For instance, the Victorian Government announced in 2015 that it was legalising access to medicinal cannabis in “exceptional circumstances”, including cases of children with severe epilepsy.

The TGA is not specific about which illnesses might be eligible for special access, but medicinal marijuana has been used to treat people with epilepsy, chronic pain, cancer and HIV/AIDS.

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . March . 2017. 35

northern territory: In the recent Northern Territory Government election, neither major party had a defining position on medicinal cannabis.

AUSTRALIA

Where is medicinal cannabis legal? western Australia: Medicinal cannabis products “may be prescribed by a specialist doctor”.

Cultivation applications have been lodged by two Perthbased companies.

south Australia: Following the Commonwealth changes, f 2016, South Australian laws allow medicinal cannabis to b authorised medical practitioners and dispensed by pharm The South Australian Government has committed to worki practitioners and other experts to develop the details of an to give patients safe and legal access to medicinal cannab

tasmania: The Ta Controlled Access medicinal cannab This is fundament Tasmanian govern particular conditio The cannabis used Scheme is grown supplier of legal o

36 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . March . 2017

from 1 November be prescribed by acists. ing with medical n access scheme is products.

smanian Government will establish a s Scheme to allow Tasmanians who require is for serious, unresponsive conditions. tal to the approach of other states as the nment has stopped short of deciding which ons medicinal cannabis can be used for. d in NSW’s Terminal Illness Cannabis in Tasmania, which is also the largest opiates globally (around 50 per cent).

Queensland: Doctors can now legally prescribe medical cannabis for certain conditions, further clinical trials are ongoing.

The Queensland Government is also conducting research into the use of medicinal cannabis in severe paediatric epilepsy.

new south wales: The first state to have been given approval to grow cannabis under license from the federal government, NSW allows ‘compassionate use’ of medicinal cannabis for terminally ill patients. A number of five-year trials are ongoing for wider availability for a range of illnesses including the treatment of severe paediatric epilepsy.

Australia Capital territory: The ACT Government is currently working to develop a Medicinal Cannabis Scheme, but has flagged that the production of medicinal cannabis in ACT would not be practical.

The University of Canberra is commencing a trial of medicinal cannabis for the treatment of melanoma.

victoria: The Access to Medicinal Cannabis Act 2016 passed the Victorian Parliament on 12 April 2016, enabling access to medicinal cannabis for certain groups of patients in “exceptional circumstances”. Children with “severe intractable epilepsy” were the first to get access. The Victorian government has also passed a bill that enables the manufacture, supply and access to medicinal cannabis products, and established the Victorian Medicinal Cannabis Access Scheme. Their horticultural trial for cultivation of medicinal cannabis has entered its second phase, and the government is confident of being on-track to supply medicinal cannabis for severe paediatric epilepsy in 2017.

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . March . 2017. 37

2017 HemP, HeALtH & innovAtion (HHi) exPo & symPosium

Grow Hard Australia

Hemp Embassy Medican

Hemp Gallery Australia

After making headline news across the country last year when thousands of Sydneysiders descended upon Rosehill Gardens seeking information and awareness around all the crucial benefits the Hemp plant offers now and into the future, Australia’s largest experiential cannabis event, the Hemp, Health & Innovation (HHI) Expo & Symposium is back for 2017!

Held over two days: Saturday May 27 and Sunday May 28 at Sydney’s Rosehill Gardens, organisers say that the HHI Expo & Symposium is unlike any event.

“The HHI Expo & Symposium will feature the largest ratified hemp crop in the Southern Hemisphere, interactive activities for all ages, an array of over 80 exhibitors from around the globe, the 2017 Australian Cannabis & Hemp Symposium,” said an event organiser.

“HHI is Sydney’s opportunity to taste, touch, feel and experience it all; in a safe, family friendly environment.

Experiential and educational, alongside workshops, displays and performances showcasing everything from hemp fabrics, textiles, clothing, bedding, art, beauty products, building materials, health products, natural medicinal products, gardening and hydroponic equipment and more, the HHI Expo & Symposium will also bring to Sydney the world’s leading neuroscientists, doctors, vets, academics, research associates and entrepreneurs as well as celebrities, activists, patients and politicians for presentations, conversations and Q&A sessions.

Tickets start at $14.50 and are on sale now from hhiexpo.com.au. This year HHI Expo will be offering free entry to veterans, simply present your DVA or retired ID card upon entry.

Visit Facebook/HHIExpo, Instagram@hhiexpo and Twitter/hhiexpo for all the news, info and special announcements. Click here for 2016 TV clips and media coverage.

The HHI Expo & Symposium has also said that, due to popular demand, 2017 will see the event hit the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre in South Wharf on the weekend of Saturday 2 December & Sunday 3 December. b More information at: www.hhiexpo.com.au

38 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . March . 2017

Premier Mike Baird HHI Expo 2016

Premier Mike Baird HHI Expo 2016

Advanced Horticulture Systems

Inflatable Medicinal Cannabis Bottle

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . March . 2017. 39

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Shaping up uK sCientists HAve PuBLisHeD new eviDenCe tHAt PLAnt tissues CAn HAve A PreFerreD DireCtion oF growtH AnD tHAt tHis CHArACteristiC is essentiAL For ProDuCing ComPLex PLAnt sHAPes.

44 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . March . 2017

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . March . 2017. 45

scientists at the john innes Centre, norwich in the uK have published new evidence that plant tissues can have a preferred direction of growth and that this characteristic is essential for producing complex plant shapes. the john innes Centre is an independent, international centre of excellence in plant science and microbiology.

The work, carried out by Dr Alexandra Rebocho and colleagues in Professor Enrico Coen’s laboratory, contributes a new piece to the puzzle of how plant shapes are formed, and could have wide implications on our understanding of shape formation, or ‘morphogenesis’, in nature. Improved understanding of how genes influence plant shape formation could inform research into crop performance and lead to better adapted, higher yield crop varieties.

The pioneering research, published in eLife, required an integrative approach, using diverse techniques including computer modelling, 3D-imaging, fluorescence imaging and a range of genetic techniques.

“Plant organs, such as leaves, petals, and fruits, each start out as a tiny ball of cells that grow into a specific final shape. The precise shape of these organs has been modified over millions of years of evolution in relation to specific functions such as attracting pollinators or catching sunlight,” Dr Rebocho said.

“One of the prevailing theories of how complex plant shapes develop, upon which this new research builds, is the theory of ‘tissue conflict resolution’. At the heart of shape development are internal differences in how tissue regions grow, and it is the resolution of these conflicts that produces shapes. These tissue conflicts are not contentious, but precisely coordinated, with their resolution leading to a particular flower or leaf shape.

“Within the ‘tissue conflict resolutions’ theory, growth outcomes depend on groups of cells, called tissues. In isolation, individual regions of tissue would simply grow equally in all directions, or elongate in a preferred direction,” Dr Rebocho said.

“In reality, tissue regions do not occur in isolation. The adhesion and cohesion between adjoining regions, each following their own growth patterns, creates stresses, which cause the tissues to buckle, curve or bend to a compromise state.

“These three-dimensional, out-of-plane tissue deformations are found extensively within the plant and animal kingdoms, and underlie some critical processes of animal development, including gut folding, neurulation, and development of the cerebral cortex,” she said.

“There are three proposed types of tissue conflict resolution: areal, surface and directional.

Areal conflict is between two areas of tissue within a surface, and surface conflicts occur between adjoining, but distinct, surfaces. Both areal and surface conflicts have been previously shown to be important for shape development.

“The new paper provides evidence for the third category: directional conflict. Tissues, or collections of tissues, can have a set of directions, or ‘polarity field’, caused by asymmetrical distribution of proteins within cells. Tissue regions may respond to this directionality, i.e. grow faster parallel or perpendicular to the local polarity field,” Dr Rebocho said.

“Much like surface and areal conflicts, adjoining tissues with differing specified directions of growth will lead to conflicts. When combined, resolution of the three types of conflict can produce vastly diverse and complex shapes.

“This research moves us one step closer to understanding how genes can influence the remarkably intricate and beautiful plant shapes we see all around us.” b Source: John Innes Centre.

Reference: Alexandra B Rebocho, Paul Southam, J Richard Kennaway, J Andrew Bangham, Enrico Coen.

Generation of shape complexity through tissue conflict resolution. eLife, 2017; 6 DOI: 10.7554/eLife.20156

46 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . March . 2017

Professor Enrico Coen, John Innes Centre

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . March . 2017. 47

RESOURCES FOR GROWING new trAining AnD eDuCAtionAL resourCes For growers using retrACtABLe rooF Houses Are now AvAiLABLe For Free onLine.

48 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . March . 2017

Fast growing lettuce and herbs grow under a Cravo retractable roof with insect screening and a sophisticated hydroponic system.

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . March . 2017. 49

it is generALLy ACCePteD tHAt retrACtABLe rooF greenHouses CAn HeLP ACHieve inCreAseD yieLDs By oPtimising tHe growing environment AnD ProteCting CroPs From exCessive CoLD, HeAt, rAin, HAiL AnD winD. tHey ALso ALLow growers to moDiFy wHere tHey grow AnD How LArge A ProDuCtion FACiLity tHey neeD to meet Customer DemAnDs. Over the last 35 years, Canadian-based company Cravo has developed the retractable roof production system (RRPS). Cravo is regarded as the world leader in retractable roof greenhouse/shadehouse technology.

Currently, the company produces four different models to suit a range of application from field fruit and vegetable production to nursery and young plant production.

“At Cravo, we believe that the profitability of producing crops and the return on investment on invested capital can be increased by combining the advantages of both nature and a protective environment, and that this combination will also make it easier for growers to meet current and future market demands,” said a Cravo spokesperson.

“We love to help our customers improve their production systems to increase their profitability. Our retractable roof technology allows growers in warm and hot climates to produce high quality fresh fruits and vegetables especially during times of the year when it is difficult to grow,” said the Cravo spokesperson.

“Our goal is to help growers achieve superior financial results by combining their market opportunities along with local weather conditions, plant physiology, computer control strategies and retractable roof house models and covering options.

“While we are leading the world in retractable roof technology, we are committed to continuing our investments in building a bigger knowledge base to help growers meet the increasing challenges and opportunities of today and tomorrow,” he said.

As part of Cravo’s initiative to introduce its retractable roof greenhouses and production systems globally, some time ago Cravo entered into an agreement with Powerplants to develop the Australian market. Growers in Australia will now be able to benefit from the combination of Cravo’s 30 years of retractable roof experience along with Powerplants 18 years of experience in greenhouse projects throughout Australia.

Based in Victoria, Powerplants is now the exclusive Australian dealer for Cravo.

50 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . March . 2017

According to Powerplants President - Carl Van Loon, “Cravo retractable roof greenhouses are a perfect complement to our glass house solutions since we can now offer a wider range of structures. The weather in Australia has been very erratic causing huge losses for open field growers. The Cravo houses are a lower cost solution allowing growers in the open field to increase their profitability by protecting hectares of crops in minutes from excessive cold, heat, wind, rain and hail.”

The retractable roof greenhouses are ideally suited for growers of high value vegetable crops, berries, stone fruits, and flowers.

The Retractable Roof Production System (RRPS) was developed by Cravo specifically for mild and hot climates.

This production system allows growers the opportunity to utilise the benefits of both the natural outdoors, a greenhouse and a shade house simply by opening and closing the roof as outdoor conditions change. The RRPS allows growers to increase yield and quality while extending the harvest season to reach the higher price shoulder seasons while still maintaining the lower production costs of an open field grower.

According to Powerplants: “in every case, the retractable roof houses have been installed in all climates and have withstood the extremes of heat, cold, hail, snow, wind, and rain. In all models, the Cravo retractable roof system allows crops to benefit from being grown in the natural outdoors, a greenhouse and a shadehouse while eliminating the negatives of each.”

tHe sCienCe BeHinD retrACtABLe rooF ProDuCtion systems To help growers learn how to take full advantage of both nature and protection using the retractable roof houses, Cravo has created a series of educational videos and a new website.

“Our new website is now acting as a library for what we have learned over the last 30 years from our customers producing vegetables, berries, cherries, flowers, ornamental and trees for reforestation,” said the spokesperson.

According to Cravo, growers only need to invest in as little as one hour to quickly learn how the retractable roof houses can: • Quickly increase or decrease plant and soil temperatures without supplemental heating or cooling.

• Optimise water uptake to prevent nutritional deficiencies and improve the plant’s natural defence mechanisms make it easier to achieve the optimal plant balance to increase yield, quality and shelf life

extend or shift the harvest forwards or backwards to hit the premium price windows.

The series of educational videos are designed to give a detailed explanation for how automatic retractable roof cooling houses, greenhouses, field and orchard covers can improve not only how and when growers can grow but also how they can change where they can grow.

The videos demonstrate how to integrate the science of weather, the impact of a roof covering, nature and plant physiology. It is recommended that the videos are viewed sequentially to ensure a full understanding of the information presented.

toPiCs For eACH oF tHe six viDeos inCLuDe: • Introduction to the Retractable Roof Production System • Plant Temperature: why leaf, fruit and soil temperatures are often significantly different than air temperatures in the direct sun, and how a roof covering

alters plant temperatures.

• Water loss or transpiration: how the rate of water loss from plants changes when plants are outside in direct sun compared to when plants are in a protected environment.

• Hydration, dehydration or water stress: how plants respond based on whether they are experiencing low water stress, optimal water stress or severe water stress.

• The difference between a retractable cooling house and a conventional greenhouse • Automating the retractable roof and walls: creating the best possible growing conditions by combining plant physiology, nature, protection and a black plate temperature sensor. b These educational resources can be accessed for free at: Cravo’s website at: cravo.com/en/crops/overview For more information about Cravo or Powerplants visit: www.cravo.com and www.powerplants.com.au

Rob Pohlman at Pohlmans Nursery Queensland is one of Australia’s leading plant producers. Pohlmans invested in a Cravo A-Frame retractable roof greenhouse.

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . March. 2017. 51

THE NEW HYDROPONICS Leeks can be grown at a very small fraction of the labour costs

BooK review: Andrew Parker has spent eight years developing a new concept in hydroponic growing, which is now at a stage where he says it can outperform high-tech growers at a small fraction of their production costs.

Andrew Parker is a research engineer in the field of mechanical design and developments. Having started his career in the UK as an apprentice fitter and machinist he subsequently gained the Higher National Diploma in Mechanical Engineering before emigrating to Australia in 1968.

In 1983, he became a lecturer in mechanical engineering at the University of New South Wales, a position he held for many years.

It was after this period that Andrew developed an interest in hydroponics with both engineering and horticultural principles in mind and the outcome of his work led to the publication of his 192-page e52 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . March . 2017

book, The New Hydroponics, which outlines the membrane meniscus method, a new concept in growing.

The membrane meniscus method is revolutionary in that it does not require a growing medium, air or water pumps.

“Membrane culture is presented in The New Hydroponics as a concept: where roots grow within a meniscus of nutrient solution,” Andrew said.

“The membrane method has passed through several developmental phases and the images in my book were also produced during this period.

“The single most important aspect of the book is the concept of membrane and meniscus and its further development,” he said.

In a nutshell, the membrane meniscus method (or membrane method) is an innovative hydroponic growing method. Advocates of the method say it has the potential to revolutionise the way growers see

hobby and commercial crop production. It is claimed that by using this method, farmers can easily produce more than 600 spring onions in only one square metre.

“Crops can be produced in a small space where a range of 36 Asian vegetables for example, can be grown in as little as one square metre, and in summer they grow very fast,” Andrew said.

“Within the pages of The New Hydroponics, new techniques are introduced that may increase the production efficiency of longer-term crops where tomatoes, for example, can be grown at 60kg/m2/year without a high-tech greenhouse or small army of workers for their daily maintenance.

“Some plants such as pak choi grow from seedling to harvest in just 25 days while medium lettuce takes only 21 days. In the book, a new method of leek culture is described where you can grow 200 medium-size plants in one square metre or up to 400 of the much soughtafter ‘pencil leeks.’ Up to five crops a year can be produced with almost zero maintenance, which not only makes them commercially viable but also a potential competitor for tomatoes,” he said.

“Leeks can be grown at a very small fraction of the labour costs.”

How Does tHe memBrAne menisCus metHoD worK? Unlike NFT or DWC systems, the membrane meniscus method does not require additional aeration in a reservoir and the extremely thin layer of liquid surrounding the roots provides a consistent supply of nutrients and oxygen.

“The method should not be confused with pot plants or seedlings that are fed by a capillary mat. Nor should it be compared to the so-called ‘Imec’ system currently being developed in Japan, as there are no functional comparisons in either case,” Andrew said.

The membrane meniscus method works by using a very slow inlet that drips into a mat at the base of a tray.

The nutrient solution flows slowly through the buffer mat and drips out the other side of the tray. As the buffer mat absorbs the moisture, the nutrient solution flows vertically upward through the wicking action of the roots.

The roots grow directly on top of a fabric membrane above the buffer mat and develop into a thick root mass.

“The membrane method provides sustenance to plant roots through a film of nutrient solution that is present on the surface of a membrane. As roots grow around its surface, nutrient rises from the membrane and forms a

Even beetroot and other root crops can be grown via the membrane meniscus method.

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . March . 2017. 53

memBrAne menisCus metHoD

TESTIMONIAL The membrane meniscus method is an innovative hydroponic growing method that proponents say has the potential to drastically change the way growers view hobby and commercial crop production. Using this strategy, farmers can easily produce more than 600 spring onions in just one square meter! Sounds too good to be true?

Read on to discover an entirely new way to grow. Pages 142-152

thin liquid film around the roots,” Andrew said.

“This film is known as a ‘meniscus’ and, as plants mature, their roots grow across each other to eventually form a ‘root mat’.

However, as the root mat grows in thickness, the meniscus will rise further above the membrane so that it continually coats the roots with a thin film of liquid nutrient. All of this happens naturally and automatically.”

When plant roots are coated with a thin film of nutrient, they are effectively growing in fresh air, which provides life-giving oxygen through the process of diffusion.

“Almost anything from seedling to fully mature plants can be grown, including tomatoes, capsicum, cucumbers and salad greens. Even beetroot, radish, turnips and other root crops can be grown on the membrane, with only a small amount of root media,” Andrew said.

According to Andrew, the method provides an ideal approach for amateur growers as well as those more experienced.

“For the amateur, this method provides a new, simpler approach to growing a wide range of food at minimal cost. For the commercial grower, membrane culture offers a new low-cost alternative to current hydroponics practices and it facilitates new techniques for crops that were previously considered economically unviable,” he said.

The membrane meniscus method offers many attractive features; chief of all is its practicality and ease of use for both hobby and commercial growers. Its simple, accessible design facilitates easy routine inspections, adjustments and cleaning.

Maintenance is also simple – all growers need to do is to make quick visual checks over the plant system and make sure the drip feed is not clogged.

Andrew is a member of the Hydroponic Gardening Society of Victoria, a group of enthusiastic horticulturists who regularly meet to share their knowledge, view their gardens and discuss hydroponics. b For more information or to download a free copy of The New Hydroponics visit: www.membranemeniscusmethod.com

54 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . March . 2017

Radish does well on the membrane meniscus method, with only a small amount of media.

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . March . 2017. 55

HOME SCHOOLING HYDROPONICS over tHe PAst 26 yeArs in soutH AFriCA, ProFessor gert venter HAs run A HyDroPoniCs AnD greenHouse trAining Course. now He HAs ComPiLeD A ComPenDium oF tHese teACHings For tHe BeneFit oF growers everywHere.

Professor Gert Venter

Hydroponically grown strawberries

in 1996, ProFessor emeritus gerHArDus (gert) venter retireD witH FuLL ACADemiC BeneFits From tHe university oF PretoriA in soutH AFriCA AFter eigHt yeArs As CHAir oF tHe DePArtment oF AgriCuLturAL AnD FooD engineering.

On top of his high academic profile, Professor Venter also has extensive experience in both government and private business practice. The field of experience includes the design and installation of industrial combustion systems for the mining and paper industries in South Africa, research and development of agricultural machinery and other products.

Professor Venter is a respected agricultural engineer whose experience in the fields of agricultural engineering, agriculture, horticulture and the greenhouse industry stretches over a period of more than 50 years. He offers consultancy services as an experienced agricultural specialist with in-depth knowledge of specialised products and development resources to the agricultural industry to supplement farming companies’ in-house research.

“Since retiring from the University of Pretoria, I have focused on local and international HGT consulting, training, planning and design services. I now also include conversion of waste and sewage into electricity and other 58 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . March . 2017

forms of energy in my operations. These technologies can be applied to mitigate the ever-increasing cost of electricity and to reduce our dependence on fossil fuel and other non-renewable sources of energy,” Professor Venter said.

“My clients include government departments, mining houses, financial institutions, banks, private companies and private individuals. I was invited to participate in many international congresses and conferences over the years and was invited to take part in greenhouse related activities by several European countries and Universities over the years”.

His farming experience includes growing his own maize and groundnut crops; apple, pear and plum production for export; intensive hydroponic tomato, lettuce and flower production; cattle and pig farming; as well as all related technical matters.

“My primary focus lies in optimising the viability of farming, greenhouse, and hydroponic operations by increasing crop yields and reducing inputs through the invention and use of environmentally-friendly products,” Professor Venter said.

“Spectacular results are often obtained by exploring innovative approaches and novel techniques, all based on solid value engineering principles.”

ComPenDium oF KnowLeDge Professor Venter became involved the greenhouse and hydroponics industries soon after his retirement from the University of Pretoria. His involvement included greenhouse design, a compilation of business plans for multi-million Rand projects, consulting and training.

“I have trained more than 4,000 attendees at hydroponics and greenhouse short courses over a period of 20 years. I structured the two-day short courses to meet the demands of people aiming to enter the greenhouse industry for the first time, as well as those who needed to upgrade their knowledge,” Professor Venter said.

“My main focus was on the latest technologies, techniques and developments in this exciting field of crop production, focusing on minimised energy and cost requirements.

“It was important to develop, upgrade and present our Hydroponics and Greenhouse Training Course, however, the ever-increasing costs of transport, accommodation, suitable venues, catering, notes and handbooks made me realise that it was time to make the course available on the Internet. “ Professor Venter is the author of more than 200 scientific and semi-scientific publications that cover a broad range of subjects in both local and international publications. His popular Successful Hydroponics is a comprehensive practical guide to scientifically based hydroponic crop production.

Bringing his wealth of knowledge and expertise together, Professor Venter has just released a compendium consisting of 12 handbooks. These cover all aspects of hydroponics, starting with a general introduction looking at its history; and covering aspects such as water purification, production methods, substrates and growth media, general hygiene, nutrients and nutrient solutions, pest and disease control, pasteurisation, sterilisation and solarisation etc.

“The information included in these manuals is much more comprehensive and contains more detail than I could accommodate in a two or three-day short course,” Professor Venter said.

“This compendium of handbooks on hydroponics and greenhouse technology is easy to read and understand.

60 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . March . 2017

You can read some of them almost like vintage comic books, which I enjoyed reading when I was still a child some 70 years ago.

“The images selected were chosen to reduce your reading time to a minimum, but some of the important subjects, e.g. water disinfection etc. needs more text.

The water book is written in a conventional manner, as it is practically impossible to cover every aspect of this critical field with images, tables, graphs, etc. alone. That specific book contains detailed practical and scientific information on water, and the purification requirements for hydroponically grown plants in greenhouses and tunnels. The focus falls on water treatment, purification and chemical requirements of water for open and closed hydroponic systems,” Professor Venter said.

“The information contained in this series could be of great value to anybody involved in, or interested in growing plants in greenhouses using hydroponics.

Owners and managers of seedling nurseries or other types of plantations, nurseries and landscaping, can also maximise their yields and returns on investment by applying the information contained in this series of publications.

“You now have the option of either ordering the whole short-course on hydroponics, or you can select individual handbooks covering specific topics of interest from time to time,” he said.

“The Hydroponic Internet Training Course consists of handbooks numbers one to 10, but you growers are also welcome to look at handbook number 12, which is a comprehensive textbook on the production of cucumbers.”

Professor Venter said he would soon follow up with handbooks covering all aspects of CEA (controlled environment agriculture).

“Topics covered here will include greenhouses and greenhouse designs, climate control, plants’ light requirements and lighting systems, ventilation and aeration requirements, carbon dioxide enrichment, greenhouse management and many other aspects,” he said. b More information at: www.gertventerhydroponics.org/ lessons-and-clinics or contact Professor Venter at: profgventer@gmail.com

www.gertventerhydroponics.org

PRACTICAL

PONICS & GREENHOUSES

MAKING OUR WORLD GREENER

Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . March . 2017. 61

A world-first invention in clear, energy harvesting glass has been developed by western Australian scientists. it is expected that if it used in greenhouses it could produce crops in any climate or season.

Greenhouses powered by nanotechnology developed in WA could turn the driest of deserts into productive agricultural land thanks to a $1.6 million grant from the Federal Government’s Cooperative Research Centre.

The grant will be used to build a 300sqm greenhouse using transparent glass that can generate 50 watts of power per square metre of surface area.

Researchers from the Electron Science Research Institute (ESRI) at the Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth have developed a revolutionary new type of solar glass that is embedded with nanoparticles that work to draw out 90 per cent of the ultraviolet (UV) and infrared rays from the sun, transferring the rays to solar cells embedded on the edge of the glass panels.

The rays are converted into energy, while allowing 70 per cent of visible light to pass through while blocking 90 per cent of solar UV and IR radiation.

Potential uses for the harvested energy include providing power for lighting, heating, cooling, or water desalination and irrigation.

This solar-glass, developed by the ESRI in collaboration with ClearVue Technologies, will provide enough power to run heating or cooling for the greenhouse, as well as desalination to provide water.

ESRI Director Professor Kamal Alameh said being able to convert unwanted radiation into electricity could be a huge cost-saver in greenhouses.

“In a closed environment you don’t need a lot of water, so you don’t need a lot of energy to filter the water if you have underground water,” he said.

“You also don’t need a lot of cooling and heating because we use these thin-film coatings to actually block the unwanted radiation, so that we can save on the energy used for cooling and heating.

Professor Kamal said the solar-glass could be tailored to produce the perfect growing conditions for particular plants.

“Being able to selectively control light radiation, thus

LET THE SUNSHINE IN

62 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . March . 2017

The energy harvesting glass has been trialled as a self-sustainable bus shelter in Melbourne.

maximising the crop yield, while producing and storing electricity for water desalination, irrigation, heating and air conditioning, will enable greenhouses to operate in a closed environment,” he said.

“This is particularly significant for parts of the world that are too hot and dry for traditional greenhouse agriculture.”

ClearVue Technologies Chairman Victor Rosenberg said the key to the greenhouse project was the development of advanced glazing technology. He also said that the glass would provide farmers “safety and security of product” and reduce the need for chemicals.

“With a closed environment under good controlled conditions, we want to get to the point where we can actually reduce the use of pesticides, fungicides and any other of the chemicals that are used because at the end of the day you do swallow them and you do eat them,” he said.

Professor Kamal said due to its designed self-

sufficiency, there were no limitations to where such a greenhouse could be built, which could see agricultural production in areas currently too hot or dry to produce crops.

“The applications for our advanced solarglass technology could go far beyond greenhouses. It could be used in the construction industry, for public amenities like bus stops as well as for specialty products,” he said.

“If you have underground water that’s all we need to basically produce a crop.”

Professor Kamal said the solar-glass produced roughly 35 watts of energy per square metre of glass, which he believed was sufficient due to the amount of visible light the plants would receive. b

Professor Kamal Alameh has been working with ClearVue Technologies chairman Victor Rosenberg to create the product, which has been five years in the making.

Photographer Michelle Stanley ABC Rural.

www.clearvuepv.com Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . March . 2017. 63

PRACTICAL

PONICS & GREENHOUSES