Greenhouse vegetable production is all about balance

Ever wonder what's the difference between a good grower and a great grower?

I recently made a post on Linkedin that brought out some amazing comments from professional growers. It also highlighted the fact that those new to our industry do not understand the terminology we commonly use. In fact, most of these terms mean something completely different to professionals from other industries looking to join the world of controlled environment agriculture. (Don't know exactly what controlled environment agriculture means? Follow this link.)

In Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA), we used the term "grower" instead of "farmer."  The difference between a grower and a farmer is minimal. Growers in controlled environment agriculture facilities often have more tools at their fingertips to control temperature (air temp and root zone temp), humidity, light, CO2, air flow, nutrients, water and oxygen. Farmers (depending on the crops) don't have the ability to control or manipulate the climate. They can (at times) control irrigation, but they mostly respond to variables outside of their control rather than attempting to predictively manage variables in order to achieve the best outcome.. 

Many of you know that while I am the owner, regular content contributor and chief editor of Urban Ag News, I am also the owner of Hort Americas. Hort Americas is a wholesale supply company focused on providing products and services to growers and operators of traditional farms, greenhouses and vertical farms. As a company, we have expertise in a few specific areas, including photon management (i.e., supplemental lighting with grow lights and light intensity management with shade paint), rootzone management (i.e., substrates and growing media such as rockwool, coir and peat moss) and nutrient management (i.e., traditional and organic fertilizers). And as someone who is often responsible for selling then helping growers successfully implement new technology, it is easy to understand how some people believe that one product can make the difference in their crop. BUT, after working with some great growers, I quickly learned what separates them from their peers.

What is the difference between a good grower and a great grower?

Great growers understand one key concept that seems fairly simple (and it is). They understand how to keep their crop balanced. They know that a healthy, balanced crop gives them the ability to direct plants' energy where it's needed and when it's needed to strengthen the crop at the right times. The result is consistent, high-quality yields that give management and sales teams the confidence to gain sales by promising then delivering uniformity and reliability.

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Source: Urban Ag News