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Operations | Structure: Greenhouse Farming

According to Wikipedia, a greenhouse (also called a glasshouse, or, if with sufficient heating, a hothouse) is a structure with walls and roof made chiefly of transparent material, such as glass, in which plants requiring regulated climatic conditions are grown.

Greenhouses are used to create a controlled environment for plants, mainly vegetables and flowers, where the can grow producing the best results possible. The controls that are implemented usually involve temperature control, ventilation, nutrient and carbon dioxide enrichment.


The supply of certain nutrients and carbon dioxide can cause plants to bring out extraordinary results. Tomatoes that are bigger and more tasty; bigger and more colourful bell-peppers. Plants produce more fruit when more than the usual carbon dioxide is supplied to the roots of the plant.

Another important factor in housing plants in greenhouses is that they can be sheltered from the storm and refreshed during a drought. See an excerpt below from one of our local newspaper that makes the same point.

Jamaica is no stranger to natural disasters and farms, in particular, can be devastated by even minor changes in weather. The greatest thing about greenhouse farming is that it minimizes weather’s potential impact. By moving all of the crops indoors, farmers no longer need to worry about wind and rain. Like traditional outdoor farming, there are many methods for indoor farming but the most important step is to get a good greenhouse. [1]

 Now, the main components of a greenhouse are:

  1. The frame or structure of house
  2. Panels that allow light to enter house
  3. Heating system (in cold climate) that runs heat to the root of the plants by using a "pipe and rail" through the floor
  4. Ventilation system
  5. Mist system using overhead nozzles to spread vapor (whether hot or cool)
  6. Carbon dioxide generators
  7. Irrigation and feeding systems (network of pipelines)
  8. Computers to automate and monitor environment

When developing a greenhouse, the commercial farmer not only has to think about implementing the core features to develop quality crops but he/she has to think about creating a comfortable environment for his employees. So ensuring that the necessary spaces are set up to allow freedom of movement to allow sowers, analysts and harvesters is key.

Greenhouses have been set up on small plots about 3,000 sq. ft. to plots as big as 30 acres. Of course, the bigger the plot the more units of greenhouses would have to be joined together, which eventually present greater logistical challenges of making use of available resources.

I will in next 3-4 years, pursue the challenge of starting a greenhouse on a 30,000 sq. ft. plot in Danver's Pen, St. Thomas. Something to look at. Meanwhile, I'll be gathering information on Jamaica's botanical resources and prepare a database of our endemic plants which can prove useful not only for me but for all farmers in this country.

References

  1. Components of the Greenhouse System for Environmental Control. (Simone Dalpe)
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