February 2022 - 11

DUETS
are dedicating to this project, what
kind of control does it have? What
crops do you want to grow? Are
they short term or long term crops?
The answers to these questions
will determine what needs to be
changed or adjusted and can give
us insight into what might need to
be learned. However, most of the
time, pest management will look
very different when we focus on
edible crops versus ornamentals.
The toolbox contains many more
options for pest control when
growing non edible plants as
compared with what we can use
on food crops.
All good growers will answer
yes to the question, " Do you manage
your nutritional regimen? " , but it
is another area where there are
significant differences that need to
be addressed when recirculating
systems are involved. And certainly
there are ornamental growers that
use much higher technology than
some vegetable growers so my
experience always comes back to
understanding their facility and
priorities as they move into edible
crops.
Another factor that will almost
always be a discussion point is
the cost of the changes and the
return on investment (ROI). This
will obviously be a much deeper
conversation and require some
homework on the grower's part but
certainly something that anyone
considering entering the CEA space
should dive into.
Peter: Got it ... pest management,
crop nutrition and system
investment ROI are among the most
common topics CropKing discusses
with inquisitive growers. I'll push
this topic one more step. Share with
us your observations on the rapid
expansion of hydroponic production.
What type of activity are you seeing
between traditional greenhouse
ornamental growers compared to
in-ground, outdoor edible crop
growers venturing into hydroponics?
Also, we are seeing many new
growers entering this exciting ag
sector either in greenhouses or
indoor vertical farms. What are you
seeing in this group?
Paul: So this is a big question,
Peter. The rapid expansion of
hydroponic production is being
driven by a couple of different
segments of the market. You
have the indoor vertical farms
raising large amounts of capital
and building out projects that
are " unique " and " innovative "
but maybe not profitable at the
moment. Then you have existing
greenhouse space being converted
to hydroponic edible crops - this
is probably the smaller segment.
Existing greenhouse space
typically means it is not new, which
often indicates it may not have
the most up-to-date tech or the
necessary equipment to transition
to food crops. So, if these growers
" test " the market and decide it
is worth pursuing, they may opt
to build new facilities rather than
retrofit existing production space.
John enjoys a hike with friends
while his Autofog treats his
greenhouse.
What will you do with the
time the AutoFog saves you?
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GREENHOUSE PRODUCT NEWS 11
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February 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of February 2022
