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Hydroponics and Greenhouses
Hydroponics and Greenhouses
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ISSUE
135
PATHWAYS TO PRODUCTION
NEW PARTNERSHIP
Published by:
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Steven Carruthers
casper@hydroponics.com.au
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Adam Reynolds
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Rick Donnan, Marilyn Steiner,
Stephen Goodwin, R.A. John White
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Editorial Information
Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses welcomes
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hydroponic,
greenhouse
or
IPM
focus.
www.hydroponics.com.au
ISSN 2202-1485
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Features
TRADE DIRECTORY
Agnova . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Aquarius Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Autogrow Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Besgrow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Biological Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
BOC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Coast Guard Netting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Product spotlights
Duralite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Ecogrow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Exfoliators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
aquaponics workshops.
Faber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .OBC
Faber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Practical
Galuku . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
Grodan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Hortworks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .IFC
New partnership
greenhouses.
business publishers.
Disclaimer
The information contained in this magazine whether
in editorial matter or in feature articles or in
Departments
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Reader Inquiries
Thanks for your letters
I have a few suggestions to help us better identify your problems, and hence give the most appropriate answers:
Some of your letters are very long. This is not a problem, but they will have to be edited down before publishing. Please keep your actual questions
short, and limit yourself to one, or at most two, questions. Please comment as to whether you are a hobbyist or a commercial grower, and what
crop you are growing. Please describe at least the basics of your system, especially whether you recirculate or not. This is vital information, but
often overlooked. Other useful information, if known, would be: media type, container size and depth, channel size, length and slope, solution volume
per plant. For irrigation and nutrient questions, please describe your typical irrigation pattern over a day, plus how and when your solutions are
Rick Donnan
made up. If you have had any analysis done, such as your raw water, please attach a copy. Include any extra information you wish.
Address your inquiry to: PH&G PO Box 225, Narrabeen, NSW 2101 AUSTRALIA Fax: (02) 9905 9030 Int: +612 9905 9030 Email: info@hydroponics.com.au
Question
From a New South Wales lettuce
grower. What acid should I use for pH
control?
I once grew lettuce in the soil, but have
recently bought an operating hydroponic
lettuce farm. The system is a
recirculating NFT (nutrient film
technique) system with channels on
tables. I have been given the previous
owners fertiliser formula, which had
been quite successful, and he also used
phosphoric acid for pH control.
I recently visited a tomato grower and
he is using nitric acid, which he said had
been recommended by you. Which acid
should I use?
Answer
Ions
When an acid is used for pH control,
the acid in the solution has split into
two charged ions. One is the positively
charged hydrogen ion, which is the
acid ion (the H in pH stands for
hydrogen ion). This is paired with a
negatively charged ion, nitrate in the
case of nitric acid, and phosphate in
the case of phosphoric acid. Both
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but
Reader Inquiries is intended to not only help the inquirer,
I recently had a can containing some two-stroke petrol, which had gone off. Having seen where spilt petrol/oil has killed
Issue 63: Hydroponics as an
the same problem.
may
who
growers
help
also
grass, I decided to use it as
a weed killer
usingother
a rough hand
sprayer. Later on
that same
hot dayhave
I sprayed another
agricultural production system
weed patch with Roundup herbicide at the recommended strength, using the same hand sprayer. It is now a week later
emails.
and
letters
your
welcome
We
Issue 103: Sustainable Aquaponics
and I can see the results.
Issue 117: Comparing Growing
Question
From an anonymous grower. How do pesticides work ?
Those weeds sprayed with the herbicide are wilting, and the entire plant has turned yellow. Different types of weeds
are coloured to different degrees, but all are obviously dying.
The weeds sprayed with the petrol are different. There are strong yellow spots on the leaves, obviously where the
actual petrol droplets have hit. The remainder of the leaf is still green.
Can you explain this difference?
See More
Article Index
I grow tomatoes in greenhouses south of Sydney. I use phosphoric acid to lower my pH. I have been adding increasing
amounts of acid to bring my feed pH down about 6.0, but it is still rising to about 7.0 in the run -off. I have been adding
some liquid ammonium nitrate to reduce the pH rise, but it has only reduced the pH rise by about 0.2 pH. I have had
some symptoms of what has been suggested is iron deficiency. That is, the young leaves are pale and the veins show
up darker on the pale leaf.
An analysis was done of my feed and the laboratory advised that it was generally OK, except that the phosphorus (P)
level was high. I would like to add more acid, but that will make the P level even worse.
Can you suggest what I should do ?
See More
know there are a few nurserymen who grow their stock plants in hydroponics. Would you suggest that this is a good
idea? If yes, could you give me some guidance on the fundamentals.
See More
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Postal Address: PO Box 225 Narrabeen NSW Australia 2101 Ph: +61 (0)2 9905-9933 Email: info@hydroponics.com.au
50 EW
FUNGICIDE
agnova.com.au
Flute is a registered trademark of Nippon Soda Co., Ltd
Product Spotlights
The Protected Cropping Australia trade
show recently held in Melbourne,
Australia, attracted 48 exhibitors from
Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Holland
and China, and showcased many
innovative and unique products.
Agro J hook.
The Caliber.
Metal hook.
Trellising accessories
Of course, Paskal Technologies is best
known for its trellising accessories, and
working with growers to select the most
appropriate trellising method for their
specific crops and needs. The companys
philosophy is straightforward: suit the
trellising method to the specific crop,
climate conditions, growing season and
available manpower. These varying
conditions set the tune for selecting the
most appropriate products and the most
promising method for a successful yield.
Accordingly, numerous trellising
products and systems have been
developed to meet the diversified needs
of growers.
Paskal products are designed for
growing top quality tomatoes, peppers,
courgettes and cucumbers, as well as
tomatoes and pepper seeds. They
include the new Agro J hook, a unique
supporting hook without causing damage
to the cluster. It is designed to prevent
the cluster stem from bending or
breaking. It also significantly helps
increase fruit size, which leads to higher
levels of productivity. Easy to install and
capable of supporting weights up to 5kg,
the specially designed structure
prevents it from sliding on the twine.
Additional truss support products
include the Super J, Arch and Flexible
Arch cluster supports.
Besgrow Market Development Managers Paul McGregor (left) and Garry Clark.
Multigrow greenhouse
control system
New Zealand-based Autogrow Systems
has been designing and manufacturing
greenhouse controllers for over 20 years.
During this time the company has
developed many advanced techniques for
reliably measuring and controlling some
of the more difficult aspects of
greenhouse operation. All of this
knowledge has been incorporated into
the new Multigrow system, making for a
very user friendly system.
By setting up a wi-fi system with
coverage over the main growing areas of
the farm, the grower can stroll through
the farm with iPad in hand observing
readings, changing settings and
calibrating sensors.
The Multigrow serves standard
interactive web pages so that any
computer, tablet or smartphone can have
full access, password permitting. This
brings a whole new level of convenience
to greenhouse control systems.
General features of the Multigrow
system include an astronomical clock
www.duralite.com.au
Technology basis
The WDP system has a modular design, which allows for
high flexibility in matching desired length of the pad wall
(usually a multiple of standard pad width 600mm).
The pressurised water is supplied at the top of the
CELdek evaporative cooling pad via a distribution header.
The distribution header has small calibrated holes
orientated upwards. This design feature prevents clogging
and ensures efficient water distribution over the entire
wall. This is true even in cases where the evaporative c
ooling pads are not perfectly horizontally aligned, for
example, due to ground movement.
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Checkweighing
Simplified
Gavita horticultural
lighting
Another innovative product showcased at
the biennial industry conference was the
Gavita GAN Electronic 600W High
Pressure Sodium (HPS) lamp, combined
with a highly efficient reflector. The
small footprint fixture is noted for its
reliability and efficient electronics, which
saves energy compared to
electromagnetic ballasts. The fixture is
also available in a dimmable version.
Gavita is among the oldest specialised
horticultural lighting companies, with 30
years of accumulated knowledge and
innovation. In 1994, Gavita introduced
their first GAN fixtures to the market,
and since then their innovations have
become industry standard. In 1995,
Gavita introduced the 600W HPS lamp; in
1998, the famous internal reflector lamp;
the Micro aluminium reflectors in 2002;
the first (adjustable) electronic ballast in
2003; and its solid state Light Emitting
Analytical services
Of course, trade shows are more than
about physical products. They are also
about services. Among service providors
showcasing their services at the recent
industry conference was AgVita
Analytical Pty Ltd, who analyse water for
hydroponics, irrigation, waste water and
spray water.
In order to achieve representative
water sample, a composite sample made
up of 5-10 sub samples needs to be
taken. The sampling method will depend
on the source of water to be analysed,
and local guidelines may apply. Specific
water sampling standards and
guidelines are available from Standards
Australia (www.standards.org.au).
When using bottles other than those
supplied by AgVita, clean 500ml plastic
water drink bottles are suitable. They
should have a watertight lid and durable
to avoid damage in transit. Triple rinsing
with the source water to be analysed is
recommended to ensure it is clean before
sampling. Rinse water should be disposed
of away from the sampling site. Bottles
need to be identified with a completed
label available from AgVita Analytical.
For further information contact:
AgVita Analytical Pty Ltd, PO Box 188,
Devonport, Tas 7310
Ph: (03) 6420-9600 Fax: (03) 6427-0230
Email: info@agvita.com.au
Website: www.agvita.com.au
In search of a high
yielding truss tomato
with good colour and
uniform fruit?
Endeavour RZ is a Rijk Zwaan truss
tomato variety that is setting a new
benchmark for both yield and quality.
As a high yielding, large truss tomato
variety producing fruit in the 140-160g
range for long-term greenhouse crops,
Endeavour RZ has shown itself to be a
variety that offers growers many
benefits. Its well-balanced plant habit
provides growers with a labour-friendly
crop that has good setting of flowers and
an open plant habit with a head that
follows the string.
Pathways to Production
he controlled environment horticulture industry is the
fastest growing food producing sector in Australia, where
hydroponics and greenhouse technology has emerged as
a commercial alternative to soil-based systems.
According to AUSVEG (2010), of the 9000 vegetable growers in
Australiadirectly employing 100,000 people39% are
involved in controlled environment horticulture. These
New Partnership
The keynote
Aquaponics workshops
or businesses, he noted.
The vast majority of
practitioners arise from the
hobby sector of aquaponics.
Few commercial
practitioners come from
either established
hydroponics or recirculating
fish farming, he said.
Dr Lennard stated that most
information available on
aquaponics is based on tilapia,
Dr Wilson Lennard.
which is a banned fish in
Australia. The main freshwater
species farmed in Australia are Barramundi, Jade Perch,
Murray Cod, Silver Perch, Goldern Perch, trout, catfish, eels,
yabby and ornamental fish.
Dr Lennard said he would like to see comparative quality
tests between aquaponic and hydroponic-grown produce. At
first I thought this was a bridge too far, like trying to compare
the quality and nutrition of produce grown in hydroponics to
soil and organic produce, but during the panel discussion that
followed at the end of the workshops, the experts highlighted
there were some unique benefits in aquaponics produce that
they would like to measure and quantify.
The third workshop was presented by Paul van der Werf,
who gave a realistic perspective to the integration of
aquaculture and hydroponics.
Mr van der Werf is President of the NSW Aquaculture
Association and Director of the Earthen Group
Aquaponics Workshop panel - (LtoR) Dr Nick Savidov, Dr Wilson Lennard, Paul van der Werf,
Dr Mike Nichols, Prof. Jurgen Kleinwachter, Hogan Gleeson and moderator Graeme Smith.
Like
Final remarks
The information presented in the keynote address and the
aquaponics workshops was fascinating. In the years ahead, we
are going to hear a lot more about new solar energy technology
for commercial greenhouses, the Blue Economy, retail
farming, urban roof-top greenhouses, and the development of
new edible plants and synthetic foods, among many other new
food production technologies. b
Neoseiulus californicus
Australian growers to benefit from new
production method for Neoseiulus californicus
Neoseiulus californicus is a predatory mite that primarily attacks spider mites, but
also feeds more generally on many leaf inhabiting mites, other small insects and
pollen. Following several years of development work, this predatory mite is ready to
take on a greater role in Australian IPM programs.
By MARILYN STEINER & STEPHEN GOODWIN
30 . Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses . September . 2013
BIOL O GICAL
SERVICES
Heat stress on the plant head can scorch or limit the expansion of the
leaves, cause infertility of the immature truss, flower drop or poor set
in the flowering truss and blossom end rot in the set truss, with
possible consequences on yields four to six weeks later and possibly
even reduced performance for the remainder of the plants life.
Swelling tomato fruit set prior to the heat set stress, do not
completely avoid damage risks.
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