In greenhouse technology, one size does not fit all

Added on 22 August 2022

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In greenhouse technology, one size does not fit all

I've never been a fan of the one-size-fits-all mentality where we place things into groups and expect that everything in that group is the same. Just like the hem of a one-size-fits-all nightgown puddles around the feet of a four-year-old girl while showing off the belly of her 32-year-old mother, one-size-fits-all seldom, if hardly ever, fits all.

The same is true for greenhouse operations. The solutions, the equipment, the greenhouse technology there are plenty of possibilities out there. Yet, operations seem to have the most success when they take from that array what will work for the unique needs of their operation and customize those solutions or innovations.

In June, I had the opportunity to visit several Dutch greenhouse growers in conjunction with a trip to the Netherlands to attend the GreenTech tradeshow. Thank you to Ton Koers of Schoneveld for setting up these visits. We toured various-sized operations using different levels of greenhouse technology, mechanization, and automation. In every case, the goals and needs of the operations drove the investments in these areas.

The Schoneveld breeding and production facility in Wilp, the Netherlands, included electric cars and bikes, a closed water system with 100% reuse of raw materials, a microdosing unit, LED lighting, and a vertical fan (Hinovator) in combination with a ventilation jet system to provide outside fresh air replacement from the greenhouse ridge to the cultivation rooms. Schoneveld also cooperates with its neighbor for biogas and hopes to eventually combine natural gas with hydrogen gas for heating. This greenhouse was built for the future. Much of what it is equipped with reflects the company's commitment to sustainability, something it has incorporated into the DNA of its business profile.