Kukhona ijika lokufunda ekukhuliseni imifino ye-hydroponic, kodwa ukufundisa amakhasimende akho kubaluleke kakhulu.
“Ukumema abapheki bethu namanye amakhasimende ukuthi azosivakashela kusizile,” kusho u-Lois Smucker waseSmucker Farms e-Orrville, e-Ohio. U-Lois nomyeni wakhe, u-Glen, bane-greenhouse eyi-30-foot by 124-foot futhi batshala i-hydroponic, imifino yesizini epholile unyaka wonke.
“Abapheki ngesinye isikhathi bacabanga ukuthi uyisitolo esikhulu futhi bangashintsha ama-oda abo ngokushesha,” kusho uLois. “Siyabatshela ukuthi, 'Uma ushintsha imenyu yakho, udinga ukusinikeza isaziso samasonto ayisishiyagalombili noma singase singabi nawo umkhiqizo owanele kuwe' futhi bakuhle ngalokho. Kuyasiza ukuthi babone ukuhlinzwa kwethu.”
AbakwaSmuckers badayisa eNorth Union Farmers Market eCleveland nasezindaweni zokudlela nezitolo zokudla okuyinqwaba. AbakwaSmuckers basanda kwabelana ngolwazi lwabo eHydroponic Greenhouse Workshop e-Ohio State University's Ohio Agricultural and Research Development Center eWooster, Ohio.
Ukuhlukahluka komkhiqizo kubalulekile.
“Sithole amakhasimende azothenga amakhanda amaningi olethisi kuphela,” kusho uLois. AbakwaSmuckers baqala ukutshala i-basil ne-arugula, futhi bathola ukuthi bangathengisa umkhiqizo ophindwe kabili. “Singakwazi ukuvuna amakhilogremu angu-40 e-arugula ngesonto futhi singayidayisa yonke ezimakethe zabalimi nakubapheki,” kusho uLois. I-Smuckers iphinde ikhulise ulethisi we-Romaine, ulethisi we-Bibb kanye nolethisi wamaqabunga. “Sishintshile ngokuhamba kweminyaka, kuya ngokuthi amakhasimende nabapheki bafunani,” kusho uLois.
Amakhanda olethisi athunyelwa anezimpande ezivuliwe - ngisho nasezindaweni zokudlela. Ukulungiswa ngaphambi kokuthunyelwa kuwukudonsa noma imaphi amaqabunga afile noma aguqukile, ukuhlanza izimpande futhi uhlole amakhanda ukuze uthole izimbungulu.
“Abapheki bathanda izimpande ngoba ulethisi uhlala isikhathi eside,” kusho uLois. "Kwakumele bafundiswe ukuthi ungayibuyisela emanzini uma iqala ukubuna."
Amarekhodi okukhiqiza abaluleke kakhulu ukuze ahlangabezane nesidingo. I-Basil ingase ihambe izinyanga ezintathu ngaphambi kwesidingo sokutshala kabusha. I-Arugula ingase ihambe amasonto ayisithupha. Kuhlala kunesivuno esisha esizayo, kodwa kufanele wazi ukuthi isilimo singavunwa nini ngokushesha kunalokho obekuhloselwe ukuhlangabezana nesidingo esicindezelayo. “Sesisebenzele ezinye izindawo zokudlela iminyaka engu-10 futhi ngingasiza ukufundisa umpheki omusha ukuthi bazodinga malini,” kusho uLois.
AbakwaSmuckers bakha i-greenhouse yabo yokuqala ngo-1997 njengoba behlukanisa ipulazi labo kude nezolimo zezilwane. Ngokushesha kwengezwe ishede lokupakisha. Ipulazi selineminyaka engaphezu kuka-100 emndenini kanti isizukulwane sesihlanu - abazukulu bakaLois' noGlen - bayasiza epulazini. “Sibafundise ukuthi izintwala zibukeka kanjani,” kusho uLois. "Bangakwazi ukugaqa ngaphansi kwamatafula kalula kunathi."
I-propane yayiwumthombo wokuqala wokushisa, kodwa ithangi kwakudingeka ligcwaliswe izikhathi eziyisithupha ngonyaka. Ngokushesha ipulazi lashintsha laba isibasi sombila esine-propane njengesipele. AbakwaSmuckers bazikhulisela owabo ummbila futhi manje bathenga ithangi elilodwa le-propane ngonyaka.
Izinga lokushisa le-greenhouse lilawulwa ngekhompyutha. Ukukhanyisa kuhlelwa amahora angu-14 okukhanya kwelanga unyaka wonke. Ama-solar panel afakwe ku-2016 ukuze aphathe izindleko zamandla, ayesebenzisa kalula i-$ 1,800 ngenyanga ezinyangeni zasebusika. I-Solar yehlise izindleko zokusebenza zafinyelela ku-$100 ngenyanga.
Uhlelo lwangempela lubiza u-$88,000, kodwa isikweletu esikhulu samandla kanye nesibonelelo se-USDA kwehlisa izindleko ngendlela emangalisayo. Isihluthulelo sokuthola isibonelelo se-USDA kwakuwukuthi uhlelo lwamandla elanga aluxhunywanga ezindlini zasepulazini futhi wonke ugesi okhiqizwayo owokulima. Umphakeli wezinto zokusebenza uqapha uhlelo ekude futhi aphendule ezidingweni zokulungisa ngaphandle kokubizwa.
Umsebenzi usebenzisa imisele yemifino yawo ye-hydroponic futhi esiza ukuphatha umswakama. “Asinalutho phansi ngoba asinawo utamatisi,” kusho uLois. “Sithola ukugeleza komoya ngaphezulu nangaphansi kwesitshalo futhi asinawo umswakama omningi phansi.” Amapayipi agijima ubude be-greenhouse phakathi nendawo.
Izithombo ziqalwa ku-rockwool. "Singathola ukuhluma okungamaphesenti angama-99," kusho uLois. “Sitshala imbewu ngesandla, okuyinto ekhathaza kancane, kodwa abazukulu bafunde ukusiza ngalokho.” Izithombo ziniselwa ngesandla ezigabeni zokuqala ekuqaleni, bese kuba ukuchelela nge-trickle.
Kukhona i-propane-fired, ijeneretha ye-CO2 yokuthuthukisa i-CO2.
Abakwa-Smuckers bafunde ngokuhamba kwesikhathi ukuthi bawuphatha kanjani umthombo wabo wamanzi onamandla amakhulu okuvimbela i-calcium carbonate ekuwo. “Besinezithombo osekuphele izinsuku ezimbili zingakhuli,” kusho uGlen. "I-EC (i-electrical conductivity) iqhubekile nokuhlola KULUNGILE, kodwa ngenxa yamanzi aqinile izitshalo bezingayitholi i-nitrogen eyanele."
Umzamo wokuqala wesixazululo kwakuwukwengeza i-sulfuric acid ngenxa yokusebenziseka kalula nokuphepha. Ubuthi besulfure baqala ukubonakala futhi kwatholakala ukuthi amanzi aqinile ayenokuqukethwe okuphezulu kwesibabule. Umzamo olandelayo wawuwukusebenzisa i-nitric acid ukuze i-pH yehle iye ku-6.5, kodwa kuningi okwakufanele kusetshenziswe ukulimala kwezimpande. Isixazululo ekugcineni kwaba ukusebenzisa umanyolo we-nitrogen ukulawula i-pH yamanzi.
“Isimo sakho samanzi sizohluka ngokuphelele kunesethu ngakho-ke kuzomele uzifundele amanzi,” kusho uGlen. AbakwaSmuckers bathanda ukugcina i-pH iphakathi kuka-6.5 no-7.0 ukuze baqinisekise ukutholakala komsoco owanele. I-culvert engama-intshi angu-18 isetshenziselwa ithangi lokucwilisa elinamahora amabili isikhathi esihle sokucwilisa nakuba ubusuku bungcono.
I-electrical conductivity (EC) ihlala cishe ku-1.3 futhi ayihlukanisiwe ngomjikelezo wokukhula. “Izitshalo ezehlukene zithanda ama-EC ahlukene,” kusho uGlen. Impendulo yesitshalo ku-EC inquma ukuthi isitshalo sibekwe kuphi endaweni ebamba ukushisa.
Kwafakwa ukhonkolo endaweni ebamba ukushisa ngokushesha ngemva kokuba yakhiwe ukuze isize ekulawuleni izifo futhi kuvinjwe izintuthwane ezingase zilethe izintwala.
I-IPM nayo ibe nejika lokufunda ku-greenhouse. Ukusebenzisa amakhadi anamathelayo nezingilazi zokukhulisa, ukuqonda imijikelezo yempilo yezinambuzane nezifo kanye nezimpawu, nezindlela zokulawula ukukhomba konke kuyingxenye yenqubo. Izinzuzo bekufanele zihlonzwe, futhi, ikakhulukazi kuma-aphid.
“Siqale sazama ama-ladybugs,” kusho uGlen. Inkinga ukuthi kufanele ufanise i-ladybug ethile ne-aphid ethile. “Kuyasebenza,” kusho yena, “kodwa akuzange kusebenze kahle ngempela.” Ama-ladybug ayenqwamana ezindaweni ezishisayo phansi nakwezinye izindawo ezifudumele lapho kubanda.
Kukhona iminyovu edla ama-aphid. “Izintwala zaba zinkulu futhi kwadingeka sisebenzise uhlobo oluhlukile lomnyovu ukuze sithole izintwala ezinkulu,” kusho uGlen. "Kufanele ucace kakhulu mayelana nokuthi yiziphi izinambuzane ofuna ukuzilawula futhi uqhathanise isilawuli nesilokazane."
AbakwaSmuckers basebenzisa insipho ebulala izinambuzane. Bafafaza ama-aerosol e-pyrethroid ukuze bawise inani lezinambuzane ezimeni ezimbi kakhulu.
“Kuningi okufanele sikufunde,” kusho uLois. “Siye emakilasini kwasiza lokho. Kukhona izinsiza ezingakusiza.”
– UDean Peterson, Intatheli ye-VGN
Ngenhla: U-Lois Smucker, kwesokunxele kanye nomyeni wakhe, uGlen, batshala imifino ye-hydroponic unyaka wonke eSmucker Farms. Banwebe umugqa wabo womkhiqizo ukuze ufake i-basil, i-arugula, i-ulethisi ye-Romaine, i-lettuce ye-Bibb kanye ne-lettuce yeqabunga. Isithombe: Dean Peterson