Arid regions are characterized by low rainfall, low humidity and high temperatures during summer. The largest problem is temperature during the day time inside the tunnel during summer months. According to Arbel, Segal, et al. (1990), greenhouses found in arid areas have specific needs that should achieve the following: Low cost of construction and maintenance [...]
Ventilation is the exchange of air inside the greenhouse with air taken from outside the greenhouse using either natural or forced methods. Ventilation efficiency is critical in successful crop growth. The most common problem encountered in hot arid climates is to cool a greenhouses down in comparison with Northern Europe where greenhouses need to be [...]
LDPE HDPE Difference is crucial when designing a good system. You can either save a lot of money initially and waste a lot later when your irrigation system starts popping. The irrigation pipes ensure that water is supplied to the plants. The most common used pipes are the LDPE types. They range between 1 and [...]
Hydroponic pumps are at the heart of your irrigation system. Many people tend to neglect this area just because they do not understand what is involved in selecting the right hydroponic pump and the requirements for pumps used in hydroponic conditions. It must be emphasized that the pumps used in hydroponic systems have different requirements [...]
Installing a sump on small closed hydroponic systems is also easy. The same basic concrete sump can be build but a simple ‘T-piece’ as described in the figure below can also be as effective. However, floating particles in the water will not be removed with this method. The water in the ‘inline sump’ must not [...]
The irrigation water of hydroponic systems must be filtered to keep foreign objects out of the system. Open systems are relatively easy to filter since the water moves in one direction, so it is used only once. With closed systems the situation is entirely different. Not only is the water polluted with organic material from [...]
The correct gravel depth is important for the development of the roots system. Too shallow gravel will not only restrict root development and volume, but will also cause the development of algae on the surface of the gravel. The algae attract fungus gnats which feed on the roots of plants. The reason why the gravel [...]
A basic layout of a dripper irrigation system is provided using bags. Note the position of the filters in relation to the pump and water supply. Solenoid valves can be installed but the position will depend on the size of the block or number of plants that need to be irrigated at a time. The [...]
There are two basic types of dripper systems used in bag culture; 1 mm spaghetti pipes and 8 mm pressure regulated dripper (also called a PC dripper) which is much more expensive. There are advantages and disadvantages of both these types. The 1 mm spaghetti pipe is very cheap and easy to install. If blockages [...]
