Turkey: 50°C waste water sufficient for Ultra-Clima technology

Almost a year ago the first Ultra-Clima was completed in Turkey. This 3.8-acre greenhouse has been built next to one of Turkey’s largest sugar mills, Konya Seker, which commissioned construction of the greenhouse and provides the necessary heat and CO₂.

General manager of the Konya Seker greenhouse, Mr Murat Benli, confirms he is very happy with the results. At first he was worried that the waste-water temperature of 45 to 50°C would not be sufficient to heat his greenhouse during the cold winter period. However, since Ultra-Clima® uses highly effective convection heating technology as its primary heating source, there have been no problems in that regard.

As Murat Benli was already experienced with conventional greenhouses and now has worked with Ultra-Clima greenhouses, he is able to explain the differences clearly. He sees a clear difference in profitability. The Ultra-Clima® greenhouse is more efficient in CO₂ dosing, the crop is stronger and better protected against insects because of the positive pressure, and overall running costs are lower.

Murat Benli: “With the Ultra-Clima greenhouse you need to take into account that everything goes fast. So you need fast workers, fast logistics, fast management, fast marketing. Everything needs to be fast because the plants grow fast in Ultra-Clima!”

Since planting on 5 December 2014, a little over 70 kg/m² of tomatoes on the vine have thus far been harvested. A further 5.5 kg/m² are expected to be harvested through to the end of the season. This will bring the total yield in the second season to over 75 kg/m² of the gross surface of the Ultra-Clima® greenhouse, with a total of 41 clusters of tomatoes.

With the help of Dutch crop consultants from Vortus, Murat Benli will also be trying interplanting in the near future.

For more information:
KUBO Greenhouse projects B.V.
T: +31 174 286 161
F: +31 174 213 609
Email: info@kubo.nl
www.kubo.nl