greenhouses

Specifications of greenhouses

The Kingdom is always striving to take new and broad steps towards achieving Vision 2030 in the field of agriculture. Therefore, the expansion plan for greenhouses was drawn up in order to achieve the vision’s goals by producing more than 430,640 tons annually of agricultural products and crops by 2025.

So the expansion plan for greenhouses was approved using modern technologies in the agricultural sector, and it is expected that it will contribute, God willing, to pumping new investments exceeding 4 billion riyals until 2025, and achieving additional productivity exceeding 430 thousand tons annually, as part of the objectives of the agricultural sector to contribute to enhancing food security in The kingdom.

The development of agriculture in greenhouses

The man began with covered cultivation in the production of vegetable seedlings by planting seeds in basins with a certain direction, whereby he benefits from the sun’s rays for the longest period of the day, during the winter days.

It is covered with an organic fertilizer that gives it warmth at night, and the basins are covered with some small tree trunks with some wild herbs to prevent low heat from reaching young seedlings and eliminating them, in addition to igniting fuel near these nurseries to prevent frost from reaching their plants on days free of ice. Clouds with frost are expected. In doing so he was getting a somewhat early production.

And through that benefit that a person obtains, he developed his work so that he covered the ponds with glass panels instead of herbs, which helped in obtaining well-growing seedlings, and the person saw this benefit, and the feasibility of that work, whose results exceeded the previous ones, and the greenhouses spread, It was used for the purposes of breeding and crossbreeding some plants, and its equipment and devices were developed, and it was later used for early production, and it is still used in some parts of the world, but its high costs of establishment.

History of agricultural greenhouse use

And the inability of any person to establish it enabled man and made him use plastic for covering purposes, and it was the first experience during the years 1954-1955 in the United States of America and England, and since that date, specialized scientists have been studying plastic houses and the possibility of growing vegetables and flowers within them, and they have reached the possibility of replacing Plastic replaced glass in agriculture with a change in the shape of the structure and the development of its use. It was used for mulching purposes with low spending to produce seedlings, and then fixed and mobile plastic houses were used for the purposes of extensive agriculture and intensive production of economic crops, and all agricultural operations became carried out within the house automatically.

This is because most European countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, and countries in the Middle East with a temperate climate, depend on this agriculture in the production of vegetables mainly and flowers, and export the surplus of production to northern European countries, and the annual increase in the establishment of greenhouses in France, Spain, and Italy is estimated at 15- 20% This agriculture entered the Syrian Arab region in 1976 and it is now in continuous development, and an increase in area and production, because the farmer is beginning to see its benefit in agricultural production.

Definition of agricultural greenhouses

It is the production of vegetables and flowers within tunnels or plastic or glass rooms heated by solar radiation or heaters, while securing the environmental needs of plants and protecting them from air currents and agricultural pests, with the aim of supplying markets with their products outside their natural seasons.

Advantages of covered cultivation:

Cultivation in greenhouses is distinguished from cultivation in the open by the following:

  • Offers vegetables and flowers out of season and when they are not available.
  • The specifications of the products are good, as they are fresher in shape and less polluted with dirt particles, etc.. which helps to consume them entirely, and which increases the profit of this type of agriculture.
  • It reduces or prevents losses that result from changing weather conditions, so it is considered a guarantee against the symptoms of the natural environment in the event of successful management.
  • The productivity per area is much higher than that of outdoor cultivation.
  • Agricultural production can be intensified by about 200% as a result of the use of modern coverage in agriculture, which leads to securing market needs, exporting the surplus, and thus saving hard currency.
  • It increased the individual’s nutritional awareness due to its presence at non-times.
  • It allows for setting an accurate production program, and from here it is possible to contract the sale of products regularly.

The main factors for the success of cultivation in agricultural greenhouses

  • The soil on which the greenhouses are to be built should have a light texture, fertile, deep, well-drained, level, free of salts.
  • The area in which the greenhouses are to be constructed is free of strong wind currents, and good natural or artificial windbreaks must be available.
  • The greenhouses should be completely away from the shade, with a distance of not less than 5 m.
  • Provide a sufficient water source for irrigation.
  • The location should be in a place where it is easy to secure manpower.
  • The location should be close to the places of production disposal, such as large cities so that they have the ability to absorb most of the production.
  • An additional electrical source is available to ensure continuous heating and ventilation so that plants are not damaged by power outages.
  • Spare parts for heaters, irrigation systems, and home structures are available at nearby local markets.
  • Choose the variety that is suitable for the local taste and has high productivity.
  • Choose the appropriate date for production.
  • Availability of the necessary planting materials such as pots, turf, fertilizers, sprays, etc..
  • Good health control of plants, because this cultivation within industrial conditions has its own problems, and can only be recognized by those with experience in this field. And the spread of any pest within the homes is difficult to control later, and the availability of good experience helps to get rid of many problems at the beginning and before the escalation of the matter.

The main steps of production under the covers:

After selecting the planting site

According to what was mentioned previously, you must pay attention and implement the following to get the best results:

First: Preparing and preparing the land for cultivation:

The soil must be light, loose, well-drained, and free of rhizomes and weeds. So the soil must be excavated if its type is clay soil, and it is purified from the rhizomes of weeds and the remnants of the previous crop if used for the first time. It is smoothed with discs, after which the structures of greenhouses are erected on it.

Second: Soil sterilization:

After constructing the structures and adding fertilizers prescribed for each house, the greenhouse soil is sterilized, which is considered the most important agricultural process in eliminating harmful pests in the soil. The process is carried out in several ways, including:

Heat sterilization: It is a good method, but it is flawed because it eliminates all living organisms present in the soil, including beneficial ones, and has high costs, especially if the number of houses is small.

Sterilization uses some chemicals, and the following is an explanation of the most important of these materials:

a- Sterilization using methyl bromide

Methyl bromide is a gaseous substance that disperses in the soil. It is packed in large gas cylinders or in small cans. Each one weighs about 680 g. This substance is used to eliminate all weed seeds, fungi, and nematodes present in the soil.

It is used in cultivated soils with suitable moisture, and it is used in proportions ranging from 50-100 g / m2, depending on the type of soil. If infected with the pests mentioned above, the soil can be cultivated after sterilization for 3-4 days. Do not use this substance to sterilize the soil to be cultivated with a clove or exotic seedlings, and it is not recommended to use this substance by anyone because it is a very toxic and dangerous substance. Any leakage of gas through the plastic cover leads to the death of the agricultural worker. Therefore, executing workers are advised to wear protective masks and rubber gloves while wearing rubber shoes to protect them from the danger of this substance on their bodies.

B- Alfabam

A liquid chemical disinfectant used to eliminate wilting diseases endemic in the soil and snake worms. In addition to eliminating the seeds of some grasses and weeds in the soil. This substance is used at a rate of 100 cm 3 of it per 2 liters of water. It is sprayed on 1 m2 of tilled and tilled soil. After spreading the material evenly over the entire area, it is sprayed with water until it reaches a depth of 20 cm in the soil. The soil is covered with plastic, and the doors and windows are closed and left for about 20 days. Then she plows with a plow the handles of his weapon with the same material until its fumes evaporate. It is not recommended to cultivate the soil before a month has passed since the start of sterilization.

This substance is irritating to the mucous tissues and causes tears, so those in charge of the operation are advised to wear protective masks, gloves, and rubber shoes.

C- Bazamide

Basamide is a fine powder similar to ammonium sulfate, used at a rate of 50-60 gm2 of soil. Where it is spread on the soil on a regular basis and mixed with it by means of the certifier, then the soil is watered with irrigation water or with a large sprinkler to moisten the upper part of the soil—and covered with plastic after irrigation until sterilization is done well. It is forbidden for workers to enter the house for fear of inhaling the escalating fumes and being poisoned.

The soil is hoeed after three weeks of sterilization and left for about a month to ventilate and release fumes from the material.

Third: Choosing the appropriate category:

Variety plays an important role in production under the covers. Seed production companies produce many varieties of agricultural crops with different trade names. It is not possible to identify these items and their specifications only through experience, research, and referring to specialists in this field.

This and each of the vegetable crops that are grown in greenhouses has its own production specifications that must be paid attention to when planting the crop before purchasing the seeds. It is also necessary to know the local taste and the need of the local market as well, in order to choose the appropriate variety in shape, size, hardness, and exportability. In addition to other specifications in terms of the extent of the variety’s resistance to dangerous and endemic diseases in the soil and the specifications of the vegetative growth of plants, etc..

Fourth: Building and designing a water treatment plant

In the agricultural irrigation industry, the importance of water management cannot be underestimated. Water is known to be one of the sources that promote the growth of food production. However, agriculture is known for its high consumption of water resources. The fact that water resources are decreasing is an unavoidable and realistic issue facing the world today. Due to this reason, water treatment system solutions must be developed to convert water from seas and wells into a large amount of pure water. Treated wastewater is also on the horizon, leading to significant progress in reducing concerns about agricultural irrigation water.

Learn about the effect of magnetic treatment on irrigation water here.


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