Lecture 2

Component in PEA – continue..

Soil based cultivation (conventional):
- low productivity
- prolonged/repetitive cultivation - accumulation of salts
- cheap method of cultivation
soilless culture:
- efficient & high productivity
- reduce environmental hazards
- high running cost
- concern on chemical accumulation in leafy
vegetables (e.g nitrate)
organic:
- low productivity
- cheaper running cost
- gain attraction among society
selection of system: type of high or low value crops
high value leaf vegetables (lettuce, mini Kai Lan (B.
alboglabra), Pak Choy (B. chinensis) : NFT-trough
system/aeroponics
fruit vegetables & crucifer : soilless culture of
coconut coir cust (CCD), Oil Palm Empty Fruit
Bunch (EFB), sawdust, burnt paddy rice husk
Program Inkubasi Usahawantani 2012- Modul Tanaman
Program Inkubasi Usahawantani 2012- Modul Tanaman
Program Inkubasi Usahawantani 2012- Modul Tanaman
Program Inkubasi Usahawantani 2012- Modul Tanaman
to develop mechanised and automation for
plant environment control and cultural
practices
organic cultivation under PEA
yield improvement by root and aerial
manipulation
Program Inkubasi Usahawantani 2012- Modul Tanaman
 Protected Environment : requires a kind
of structure to control the plant
microclimatic variables (greenhouse,
rainshelter, controlled environment
chambers etc).
 “greenhouse" means a structure
covering ground for growing a crop that
will return a profit to the owner risking
time and capital
 However, a "greenhouse" can mean other
things to other people. A greenhouse may be a
hobby, a structure for research, a profitable
business enterprise or an attempt to prove a
point.
 In commercial practice, structure must be
economically practical for the particular
environment (country, climate, social order,
etc.) in which it stands.
 Greenhouses are a means of overcoming climatic
adversity, using a free energy source, the sun.
 Structure : depends on climate
 in certain parts of the world, heating may not be
required. Practices and economics, therefore, are
different than in a climate where both heating and
cooling are necessary.
 In some places, one may need supplemental
irradiation since solar energy can be deficient
during periods of the year.
 To emphasize, the practices carried out in the structures,
and the structures themselves, will depend on the
economic, political, and social strictures of the
location.
 The lack of a supporting, developed technology may
mean maximum use of cheap labor with a simple and
cheap structure.
 On the other hand, the presence of a suitable,
supporting technology, readily available capital, a
good economic climate and political stability, with an
educated and trained workforce, will usually mean
advanced, sophisticated technology
 The greenhouse controlled environment
offers many opportunities for the design and
operation of the crop production system
 For successful production – need controllable
processes e.g. nutrient (supply side) and
control of the environment (demand side).
Design
Materials : supporting frame
:plastics covering
: insect netting
 Types of plastic covering ,
advantageous and disadvantageous
 next slide
Protected structure designs
Natural Ventilation
 The principal, and least expensive method used
in greenhouses to prevent excessive
temperatures is natural ventilation, caused by
pressure differences through ventilators arranged
on the top of the structure, on the sides.
 variations, which depend upon climate and local
technology.
 Refer to page 29-32, Pengeluaran Tanaman
hidroponik, Mohd Razi Ismail, 1994.
 Ventilation: methods help to replace the warm
inside air in greenhouses with cold outside air and
thus help in the removal of trapped heat from
greenhouses.
 This air circulation may be accomplished naturally
due to difference in density between the outside
and inside air.
 If the ambient temperature and insolation level are
high, then natural ventilation becomes ineffective
and fan induced ventilation using blowers or
induced draught fans are used
Fan-pad evaporative cooling systems - draught
fan(s) is installed in one side wall and the
cooling pad on the opposite wall of the
greenhouse.
• Water is circulated through the pad using a
pump to keep it wet and air is forced to pass
through the wet pad due to suction from
induced draught fan(s).
Fogging and Misting System - This method of
evaporative cooling uses very small water
droplets (2-60 ìm in diameter for fogging
range) which are sprayed into greenhouse air
under high pressure using nozzles.
 A fraction of water droplets evaporate while
coming in contact with air and due to high
latent heat of vapourization of water, air
temperature gets reduced.
Roof Evaporative Cooling - is the technique in
which water is circulated on the roof surface
resulting in the formation of a water film.
 This water film helps to lower the sensible
heat gain of the greenhouse air, thereby
reducing its temperature.
Shading, Whitening and Covering Material - The entry
of excessive solar radiation is prevented using shade
nets or thermal screens placed on the roof and or side
walls.
 Shading is also done using paints, but the problem
is that they get washed away during rains.
 In this section various literature related to shading,
whitening and covering materials for greenhouse
application have been reviewed and presented
 can help you use water efficiently
 a well-designed drip irrigation system loses
practically no water to runoff, deep percolation,
or evaporation
 Drip irrigation reduces water contact with crop
leaves, stems, and fruit – can avoid onset of
diseases
 Irrigation scheduling can be managed precisely
to meet crop demands, holding the promise of
increased yield and quality.
1. Drip systems are adaptable to oddly shaped fields or
those with uneven topography or soil texture
2. Drip irrigation can be helpful if water is scarce or
expensive. Because evaporation, runoff, and deep
percolation are reduced
3. irrigation uniformity
4. Precise application of nutrients- fertilizer costs and nitrate
losses can be reduced.
5. Nutrient applications can be better timed to meet plants'
needs.
6. Proven yield and quality
7. drip irrigation system can be automated. Eg. automated
drip irrigation,
1. High capital investment
2. Drip tape or tubing must be managed to avoid
leaking or plugging.
3. Drip emitters are easily plugged by silt or other
particles not filtered out of the irrigation
water. Emitter plugging also can be caused by
algae growing in the tape or by chemical
deposits at the emitter.
4. Drip tape causes extra cleanup costs after
harvest. You'll need to plan for drip tape
disposal, recycling or reuse.
Drip irrigation systems with a prefilter, pump station with backflow prevention, and chemical injection site. The
chemical injection site can be before or after the main filter station. A pressure control valve is recommended to adjust
the water pressure as desired before it enters the drip lines. A water meter can be placed after the pressure control or
between a solenoid valve and each zone. An air vent provides vacuum relief. Vacuum relief is necessary between the
solenoid valve and the drip tapes to avoid suction of soil into the emitters when the system is shut off.
 Main problem -individual variance
among in emitters
 20-50% larger amount of solution is
supplied by the dripping than is actually
needed by plant.
 Place emitters on individual plants-if
use I emitters for 2 plants , used mat to
spread water and nutrient.
 Installation to be cleaned between 2
cultures.
 Use nitric acid of pH 1 , pump through the
pipes from the mixing vessel until solution
coming out has reached pH 2.5.
 Pump disconnected and nitric acid is allowed
to act on pipes over night.
 Day after, pump is connected again and
installation is flushed with water
 avoid acid solution contact with substrates.
 determine flow rate of emitters
 2-4 litre per hour at pressure of I bar.
 Limit dripping turns to 75 ml. Emitters with
flow rate of 2 litre per hour will have to used
about 2-3 minutes, not taking the 20%
overdosing into account.
 Less refined installation-safe to work with
dripping turns of 3 - 4 litre per hour for 3
minutes to obtain 200 ml per dripping time-
depend on crops.
 For efficient use of fertilizer: determine
standard of drip duration - light
intensity/temperature variation/relative
humidity.
 during high temperature and sunny
weather- drain in excess of 50%, in contrast
with low light/high RH , drain only 20%.
 Record excess every day to establish
standard.
 1. Discuss factors that limit design and
construction of greenhouse in the tropics?
 References: Journal
 1. Biosystems Engineering
 2. Gartebauwissenschaft
 3. Journal of Agricultural Engineering
Research