Mind your water when managing greenhouse crops

Added on 07 June 2023

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Mind your water when managing greenhouse crops

Improving resource efficiency in controlled-environment agriculture (CEA) systems is essential to ensure sustainable food and crop production and preserve the planet’s precious resources. In its upcoming “CEA Energy & Water Benchmarking Report” to be released in June, Resource Innovation Institute (RII) found that greenhouse operators growing leafy greens, for example, are using drastically varying amounts of water to produce their crops. The most efficient greenhouse operators can grow crops using less than 3 gallons per pound produced (gal/lb.), while others are using more than 20 gal/lb.

With water scarcity becoming an increasingly critical issue, greenhouse operators must take steps to reduce both their water use and water waste regardless of the crops they grow. As resource costs continue to climb, there also is an economic incentive for CEA producers to adopt the most efficient systems and practices to maintain profitability.

Here are some best water-efficiency tips and practices to help your business mind its water usage.

Knowing Is the First Step

The first step greenhouse owners (or any CEA facility operators) need to take when trying to optimize their water efficiency is to track their current water use. While it may seem obvious, many operations only track the entire water volume that their facility uses through their utility’s water meter or sewer discharge meter. This setup leaves growers unaware of where the water is being used most, and where it is potentially being wasted.