Striving for optimal greenhouse control

Added on 21 December 2023

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Strategies growers can use to reduce the energy inputs needed. After labor costs, energy is typically the second largest expense in greenhouse crop production. Mechanization and automation can help reduce labor requirements as long as the technology is cost-effective. The economics of such technology investments will depend on the number of units that need to be processed and the resulting quality of the end product.

Finding the right solutions can be challenging, especially when unanticipated outside factors (e.g., politics, war, pandemic) directly or indirectly impact greenhouse operations. While the choices between labor and technology are important, this article will focus on strategies growers can use to reduce the energy inputs needed to successfully grow greenhouse crops.

TEMPERATURE CONTROL

Plants perform best when their environment is maintained within an optimal temperature range. This range can vary depending on plant species and variety and involves the temperature of the surrounding air, the temperature of the canopy and the temperature of the root zone. For convenience, many greenhouses are controlled based on the air temperature because it is relatively easy to get an accurate reading.