Urban Farming U]lizing Soilless Controlled Environment Agriculture Techniques

30 Pages·2014·1.46 MB·English

by  John Hutchens

Urban
 Farming
 U+lizing

Soilless
 Controlled
 Environment
 Agriculture

Techniques

Presented

By

Jeff
 McDanel

Aiken
 Hydroponics
Soilless
 Controlled
 Environment
 Agriculture

HYDROPONICS

 A
 technology
 for
 growing
 plants
 (without
 soil)
 using
 a
 complete

nutrient
 solu+on
 (water
 +
 mineral
 nutrients)
 with
 or
 without
 the

use
 of
 an
 aggregate
 medium
 (e.g.,
 sand,
 gravel,
 perlite,
 rockwool,

etc.)
 to
 provide
 mechanical
 support
 for
 the
 roots.

CONTROLLED
 ENVIRONMENT
 AGRICULTURE

 Control
 of
 both
 the
 root
 zone
 and
 aerial
 environmental
 factors

(temperature,
 humidity,
 gas
 composi+on
 including
 carbon
 dioxide

around
 the
 leaves
 for
 photosynthesis
 and
 oxygen
 around
 roots
 and

shoots
 for
 respira+on,
 light,
 water,
 growing
 medium,
 and
 mineral

nutri+on)
 usually
 in
 a
 greenhouse
 or
 totally
 enclosed
 structure.
What
 Can
 Be
 Grown
 Using
 SCEA?

•  TOMATOES
 (mainly
 beefsteaks
 and
 TOV’s
 –
 tomatoes
 on
 the
 vine)

•  COLORED
 BELL
 PEPPERS
 (mainly
 yellows
 or
 goldens,
 also
 oranges,

reds)

•  LONG
 CUCUMBERS
 (also
 known
 as
 English,
 European,
 Seedless
 or

Burpless)

•  LETTUCE
 (several
 crops
 can
 be
 grown
 per
 year
 in
 hydroponics/CEA)

•  SPECIALTY
 SALAD
 GREENS

•  FISH
 (+lipia)
What
 Are
 The
 Poten+al
 Yields?

•  TOMATOES
 :
 300
 tons
 per
 acre

•  COLORED
 BELL
 PEPPERS
 :
 2-­‐4
 lbs.
 per
 square
 foot

•  LONG
 CUCUMBERS
 :
 1-­‐3
 lbs
 per
 plant
 per
 week
 (12
 week
 period)

•  LETTUCE
 :
 138,000
 heads
 of
 leduce
 /
 year*

•  SPECIALTY
 SALAD
 GREENS
 :
 33,000
 bunches
 /
 year*

•  FISH
 :
 12,000
 lbs.
 of
 whole
 +lapia
 per
 year*

*

 U+lizing
 aquaponic
 techniques
 with
 6
 -­‐1200
 gal.
 fish
 tanks,
 2
 –
 rah
 tanks,
 4
 –
 living

filter
 media
 beds
 (source:hdp://aquaponics.com/page/commercial-­‐systems-­‐pricing-­‐and-­‐
specifica+ons)
Site
 Loca+on
 Considera+ons

•  Solar
 Radia+on
 –
 Plants
 require
 sunlight
 in
 order
 to
 perform

photosynthesis.
 When
 plants
 experience
 cloudy
 days
 their

photosynthe+c
 rates,
 and
 therefore
 their
 ability
 to
 grow
 and
 yield
 a

product,
 such
 as
 tomatoes,
 cucumbers,
 peppers,
 etc.,
 will
 be

reduced.

•  Water
 –
 Water
 quan+ty
 and
 quality
 is
 crucial

•  Eleva+on
 –
 will
 effect
 the
 summer
 maximum
 and
 the
 winter

minimum
 temperatures.

•  Level
 and
 Stable
 Ground
 –
 The
 ground
 upon
 which
 the
 greenhouse

will
 sit
 must
 be
 graded
 for
 rou+ng
 surface
 water
 to
 a
 drainage

system
 or
 a
 holding
 pond.
 (Typical
 grade
 =
 ½
 %
 or
 a
 6
 inch
 drop

over
 a
 distance
 of
 100
 feet.)
 and
 compacted
 such
 that
 there
 will
 be

no
 sedling
 of
 the
 site
 aher
 the
 greenhouse
 has
 been
 constructed.
Site
 Loca+on
 Considera+ons
 (cont.)

•  Microclimate

 *La+tude
 –
 Unless
 the
 global
 climate
 changes
 dras+cally,
 sea
 level

at
 the
 poles
 will
 be
 colder
 than
 sea
 level
 in
 the
 tropics…
 la+tude

makes
 a
 difference!

 *Large
 bodies
 of
 water
 –
 will
 tend
 to
 moderate
 the
 temperature

(e.g.,
 coastal
 areas
 tend
 to
 have
 smaller
 day/night
 temperature

differences
 than
 inland
 areas).

 *Trees,
 mountains
 or
 other
 obstruc+ons
 –
 may
 cast
 shadows
 on
 the

greenhouse,
 especially
 in
 the
 morning
 or
 ahernoon
 hours.

Mountains
 can
 also
 effect
 wind
 and/or
 storm
 paderns.

 *Clouds
 and
 fog
 –
 Note
 that
 certain
 areas
 (e.g.,
 on
 the
 lee
 side
 of

certain
 mountain
 ranges,
 or
 near
 coastal
 regions)
 may
 develop

clouds
 or
 fog
 during
 certain
 +mes
 of
 the
 day
 or
 year
 that
 will

reduce
 poten+al
 sunlight.
Site
 Loca+on
 Considera+ons
 (cont.)

 Microclimate
 (cont.)

 *High
 Wind
 Areas
 –
 High
 winds
 can
 “suck”
 heat
 away
 from
 the

greenhouse
 structure
 and
 therefore
 increase
 the
 hea+ng
 energy

demands.

 *Blowing
 dust/sand
 –
 High
 winds
 can
 “kick
 up
 dust
 or
 sand”,

especially
 in
 desert
 regions,
 which
 can
 damage
 some
 greenhouse

glazings.

 *Snow
 –
 The
 weight
 of
 heavy,
 wet
 snow
 on
 a
 greenhouse
 could

crush
 it.

 Pest
 Pressure
 –
 Choose
 a
 site
 away
 from
 exis+ng
 agriculture

produc+on
 areas
 which
 could
 harbor
 insect
 pests
 in
 the
 fields.

Insect
 pests
 of
 concern
 include
 white
 flies,
 aphids,
 spider
 mites
 and

thrips
Site
 Loca+on
 Considera+ons
 (cont.)

•  U+li+es
 –
 Availability
 of
 u+li+es
 should
 include
 telephone
 service,

three-­‐phase
 electricity
 and
 fuel
 for
 hea+ng
 and
 carbon
 dioxide

genera+on.

•  Roads
 –
 Need
 access
 to
 good
 roads
 to
 transport
 the
 “product”.

Good
 roads
 close
 to
 a
 large
 popula+on
 center,
 or
 to
 a
 brokerage

center
 aids
 wholesale
 and
 retail
 marke+ng.

•  North-­‐South
 Orienta+on
 –
 The
 greenhouse
 should
 be
 oriented

north-­‐south,
 and
 the
 plant
 rows
 within
 the
 greenhouse
 should
 be

oriented
 north-­‐south.
Site
 Loca+on
 Considera+ons
 (cont.)

•  Capability
 of
 Expansion
 –
 Purchase
 more
 land
 than
 you
 an+cipate

using
 in
 the
 beginning
 so
 that
 you
 have
 the
 ability
 to
 expand
 your

opera+on.

•  Availability
 of
 Labor
 –
 The
 grower
 needs
 people
 who
 will
 want
 to

work
 as
 laborers
 and
 who
 are
 “trainable”
 to
 become
 a
 retainable

workforce.

•  Management
 residence
 –
 The
 grower/manager
 residences
 should

be
 close
 to
 the
 greenhouse
 so
 that
 they
 can
 get
 to
 the
 greenhouse

quickly
 in
 case
 of
 emergencies.
Types
 of
 Greenhouse
 Structures

•  Hoop
 House
 or
 Quonset:
 A
 semi-­‐circle
 design
 usually
 covered
 with

a
 single
 layer
 of
 polyethylene
 film
 or
 with
 a
 double
 layer
 of
 film

separated
 by
 an
 air
 layer
 maintained
 by
 a
 small
 fan
 for
 insula+on.

Used
 for
 low
 crops:
 poded
 plants,
 leduce,
 etc.