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Eng
13 Mar 2020

Greenhouse innovations vertically and horizontally

Simple greenhouse constructions can turn into a very profitable small business with supplies all year round. New items in the greenhouse industry are already working on the Ukrainian market, which will help to save on resources and space and at the same time increase productivity.

A couple of years ago, the first Ukrainian entrepreneurs began to follow global trends in the greenhouse industry. And if yesterday they started to erect prototype designs at home, but today they are already high-tech companies focused on mass retail. On the agricultural market, there are several of the most effective greenhouse systems that can accelerate crop growth, minimize mechanical problems and control the microclimate. The use of a particular technology depends on the type of plants that the entrepreneur undertakes to grow.

Several enterprises are already operating in Ukraine, which began to introduce such systems and at the same time do not stop experimenting. Producers agree that it is better to use seeds for planting for foreign selection: they are more stable, productive and able to give the expected yield. Seeds of the Dutch companies Rijk Zwaan and Enza Zaaden are most in demand. Their representatives also actively advise manufacturers, introduce new varieties and help in the development of various types of greenhouse technologies.

Hydroponics - soil independent

The hydroponic method is most often used for growing berries and greens, and this happens regardless of external weather conditions. The automatic system independently manages the process: it controls such important parameters as temperature, humidity, degree of illumination or shading, prepares and circulates the nutrient mixture. The profitability of the greenhouse business in hydroponics reaches 45%, while the return on investment is 4-5 years.

The hydroponics method is successfully practiced by the enterprise in the Lviv region "Zeleny Koshik". The founder of the greenhouse complex Natalia Mariychuk notes that she chose hydroponics after consulting with experts and finding the best solution for minimal investment. But for full-fledged work, the old premises with an area of 465 square meters. m it was necessary to repair and equip, which required additional investment. They didn’t save on seed, either - this is the basis of the basics. “We decided to use seeds of foreign selection: Dutch, Italian and Israeli. We experimented with domestic ones - their quality does not stand up to criticism, ”says the owner of Green Koshik.

Growing greens takes place in three stages. In a special tank - GrowBox - maintain high temperature and humidity, sow seeds in peat. After germination, after 2-3 days it is moved to the greenhouse. There, in special rafts, plants receive a nutrient solution and special lighting. Two weeks later, the grown greens are placed in the growing chamber, where the plants ripen. Such a system practically does not require human labor. Initially, the company produced up to 3 tons of greenery per year, now this figure is 10 tons. The company sells locally grown produce to local restaurants and retail chains.

The first aeroponics concepts
Aeroponics system involves fixing plants in special closed or half-closed boxes, while the roots are in limbo and are sprayed with aerosol. The first in Ukraine, such a system was introduced by Green Garden in the Kiev region. We began to develop the idea with simple constructions of pumps and pipes through which mineral substances were supplied. Over time, began to experiment and expand production. “To understand how profitable it is to grow a particular culture on aeroponics, it takes a year. Regarding berries, we decided to grow them, but dill and parsley on aeroponics do not grow very well. When we have a complex of 7 greenhouses, we can grow raspberries, herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers. There are also varieties of lettuce that grow better in summer, and there are those that are in winter, ”said owner Vadim Tsirul.
In the Green Garden greenhouse, boxes with plants are arranged in vertical rows. Pentagonal pipes are taken as a basis, where 14 holes with a total of 70 pieces per pipe are placed on each face. This allows you to get 5-7 times more products compared to traditional soil cultivation. The vertical installation system of the boxes allowed to reduce the volume of the working space, as well as save on heating and the number of staff. Due to the introduction of aeroponics, Green Garden managed to significantly reduce production costs. An automatic irrigation system provides hydration every hour for a minute. Sprayed organic liquid contains all the micro and macro elements necessary for nutrition. The greenhouse on the boiler is heated, a constant temperature is maintained at a level of 19-21 ° C. The entire microclimate is regulated through a special mobile application, data is duplicated to the central office.
Green Garden owner Vadim Tsirul says that Ukraine has not yet made equipment for such systems, and foreign is quite expensive. Therefore, the concepts of constructions were built independently, read on the Internet. The owner says that a franchise is already working on vertical shelves, which they are ready to share with others.
Harvested salads are often harvested, so the sowing of seeds takes place weekly. Boxes are sown on demand in the market - lettuce, basil, arugula or other herbs. Each box holds up to 1800 seeds. The seeds are germinated on organic cotton, after which the grown sprouts are planted in the general system, where the plants ripen for 20-25 days.
With the expansion of the assortment, Green Garden came out with deliveries to large supermarkets. At the same time, demand for green products is increasing, which requires increasing production volumes.

Dry hydroponics - savings on everything
This technology involves growing on special foam cassettes, which greatly help to save space and energy. Mass production in dry hydroponics is implemented by the Ukrainian Galicia Greenery, which built the country's first smart greenhouse. The first phase of the greenhouse occupied 3.4 thousand square meters. m, in 2017, the second part was opened, now the total area is 8 thousand square meters. m, where they grow 6.5 thousand kg of lettuce per week. Seeds are sown in foam trays, then sent to the germination chambers for 3 days - dark rooms with a constant temperature and humidity level. Trays are stored vertically and do not take up much space. For a day, you can sow salad in 300 cassettes, with 24 cassettes in each cassette. seed. Seeds are used pelleted, having 100% germination, it is more convenient to sow them. Peat substrates, like seeds, are used in imported production, this guarantees quality at all stages of production.
After germination, cassettes with sprouts are transferred to a special pool with a recharge solution and the necessary ph level for 1-1.5 weeks. Pools help save money, because water is not absorbed by the soil, and special microelements do not allow pests to spoil the roots. The greenhouse uses an irrigation system that moisturizes until plants begin to feed through the root from the reservoir. On average, lettuce grows in the summer period of 28-32 days, in the winter - 45 days.
“The software monitors the weather conditions in the greenhouse in real time. We equipped our own weather station where humidity, temperature are measured, inside and outside - the direction and strength of the wind, precipitation, ”says Sergey Olenchuk, director of Galicia Greenery. Sensors also react to sunlight: when there is an excess, special blinds are pushed in, with a deficiency, additional lighting is turned on. Since salads require 17 hours of bright day, in winter, until the end of March, the lighting is turned on around the clock, and from April, when the day is longer, the lighting is turned off.
The company sends the grown products to stores across the country. The main sales products are salads and herbs, less often and depending on the season there are orders for spices.