1. Could you tell a bit about yourself? What education you have, and what is your function at Rijk Zwaan Australia.
I've been working for Rijk Zwaan Australia for seventeen years. I am the Sales Manager for the high tech greenhouse segment. I have a Bachelor of Science - Botany and Chemistry and I am a certified chemistry teacher.
2. How did you experience your first attendance to the ModulAIR platform?
The experience was great. The platform is an excellent opportunity for growers to discuss the semi-closed ModulAIR greenhouse, particularly about the working of ModulAIR greenhouse in the different climates all over the world. This edition contained a number of presentations with subjects directly relating to the semi-closed ModulAIR greenhouse. It was very good to be informed about the developments at Van der Hoeven with regard to ModulAIR greenhouses and to get a detailed explanation about the air streams, air pressure, and the right way to ventilate etc.
Van Dijk Heating presented an update about structural modifications which benefit the air circulation in the ModulAIR greenhouse, and we were happy with the in-depth presentation of Godfrey Dol and the presentation of Barry Feenstra of Sundrop Farms, also the location of the third ModulAIR platform.
Sundrop Farms has 20 hectare of ModulAIR greenhouses and is situated in South Australia, at a location which is very hot and dry in the summer. Sundrop Farms presented detailed research in which the ModulAIR greenhouse is compared with a traditional greenhouse, particularly in the field of climate control. The research was about air exchange, moisture deficit, air streams, and the speed of ventilators. Vincent Kickert, R&D Manager at Van der Hoeven, had answers to all questions which were raised during the presentation of various subjects with regard to the ModulAIR greenhouse, and the challenges they encountered on the road to mastering the new way of growing in a semi-closed greenhouse.
Sundrop Farms has 20 hectare of ModulAIR greenhouses and is situated in South Australia, at a location which is very hot and dry in the summer. Sundrop Farms presented detailed research in which the ModulAIR greenhouse is compared with a traditional greenhouse, particularly in the field of climate control. The research was about air exchange, moisture deficit, air streams, and the speed of ventilators. Vincent Kickert, R&D Manager at Van der Hoeven, had answers to all questions which were raised during the presentation of various subjects with regard to the ModulAIR greenhouse, and the challenges they encountered on the road to mastering the new way of growing in a semi-closed greenhouse.
3. How does Rijk Zwaan see the future of semi-closed greenhouses, in Australia and in the rest of the world?
The technology of semi-closed greenhouses and their extension is a recent development. Now we know that successful semi-closed greenhouses are built and managed in climates which are not suited to traditional greenhouse horticulture. The number of semi-closed greenhouses worldwide keeps rising. Rijk Zwaan pays close attention to the required plant types within the company. In general you could say that semi-closed greenhouses require sturdy, generative plant types.
4. In the most semi-closed greenhouses tomatoes are still grown. Which crops do you think could be suitable for growing in a semi-closed greenhouse?
Depending on the respective yields and operational cost of various crops at specific locations, it is likely there will be a growth in other crops such as cucumbers, bell peppers, and lettuce in semi-closed greenhouses. In certain climates the semi-closed greenhouse has, in comparison with traditional greenhouses, higher concentrations of CO2, improved air movement and quick growth of crops, resulting in high yields.
For more information:
Van der Hoeven
www.vanderhoeven.nl
info@vanderhoeven.nl
Rijk Zwaan
www.rijkzwaan.com
Phil Ritchie
0438 592 425