January 2023 - 20

TECHNOLOGY
greenhouse 1 foot because, in
my mind, there are always two
greenhouses that are closed. Air
is never getting out of that top
20%, so I would rather be able
to crack every roof. You run a
more efficient greenhouse when
you can do that.
AUTOMATING FOR
EFFICIENCY
These days, a grower should
expect to invest $25 to $30 per
square foot in their greenhouse
facility; the days of $10 per
square foot are over if you
want to include anything
more than just the structure
itself. Much like the type
of greenhouse structure needed to efficiently produce
the best crop, the investments in automation will vary
depending upon what makes sense for the crop you
want to grow.
There are some turnkey efficiencies that could work
across multiple crops, including environmental controls,
heating, irrigation, ventilation, lighting and blackout
curtains. For example, greenhouse vegetables, cannabis
and ornamentals - like mums and poinsettias - need
light deprivation and supplemental lighting at some point
in production, so investments in blackout curtains and
lighting are essential, whereas ornamentals producers
won't need them unless they're producing young plants.
In addition to saving time and labor, automation also
reduces input costs and offers more opportunities to be
environmentally sustainable. When investing in lighting,
look at all your options, from HIDs to LEDs, to determine
longevity and short- and long-term benefits. There is a great
deal of research available on the different light spectrums
and how the colors aid in growing higher-quality crops.
Further, LEDs may offer better energy efficiency overall,
while traditional lighting such as HID or HPS puts out heat
along with light, which can be helpful in colder climates.
Selecting the right irrigation based on the crop you're
producing can significantly reduce the amount of water
and nutrients used, but it may require deep investments
in equipment and infrastructure at the start. Growers
producing propagation material can benefit from a boom
for misting and light watering. As the plant grows, you'll
want to incorporate sprinklers, drip irrigation or even flood
floors. We like flooding at our operation in Huntersville,
North Carolina, because it gets the water to the roots. At
our facility in York, South Carolina, we use drip tape, which
20
JANUARY 2023 GPNMAG.COM
All growers want the
newest toys, but the
key is to be a smart
businessperson.
allows us to get the water right to the plant. We use 80%
less water in our mums today than we did five years ago,
when we were just overhead watering, and we're saving
70% on feed because we are putting the feed into the plant
where it belongs, which has reduced runoff.
It's easy to get carried away with the new automation
technology coming into the market. Ultimately, the right
investments depend on the crop you're growing, how you
plan to implement the technology for that crop, and the
resulting efficiencies that will quickly produce a return on
your investment.
All growers want the newest toys, but the key is to be
a smart businessperson. Know how much money you can
invest and how much revenue you can bring in, and make
sure you can make those numbers jive with each other.
Art VanWingerden is co-CEO and a co-owner of Metrolina
Greenhouses. He is active in designing new automation
equipment and technology, working closely with equipment
manufacturers to develop solutions. He can be reached at
arvanwingerden@metrolinagreenhouses.com.
http://www.GPNMAG.COM
January 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of January 2023
