Finland - Priva Air tubes bear fruit at Thor and Tobias Sigg in Finland
At the centre of the vegetable district of Närpes in Finland, father and son Thor and Tobias Sigg produce tomatoes and cucumbers in two hectares of modern greenhouse. The Priva Air tubes they recently had installed create a more balanced climate for their crops.
The principle of air conditioning with Priva Air tubes is simple - a fan blows greenhouse air though an air distribution tube under the crop. This starts the air moving in places where the risk of fungi is the greatest. André Kool, climate consultant at Priva, explains. ‘Fungi thrive in a “dead” climate and so air movement is a logical solution.
Condensation develops less quickly on the plants and they dry faster after sprinkling. Additional advantages are that moisture and CO2 are distributed more evenly throughout the greenhouse and that the horizontal and vertical temperature differences decrease. Result – much more equal crop growth.’
No spreading of diseases
Thor and Tobias Sigg had Priva Air tubes installed in half of their greenhouse area at the beginning of last year. Now, after one and a half years of experience and experimenting with the system, they are satisfied with the way things are going. The temperature in the greenhouse is more equal and CO2 distribution has improved greatly. The crops literally bear the fruits of those improvements and Thor and Tobias can see the crops developing more equally as well. The Siggs had some doubts about the tubes, however, at the start. ‘We thought the air movements might cause diseases to spread in the greenhouse,’ explained Thor, ‘but this has not happened as yet.’ The system causes air movement through the plants, which obviously has a positive impact on the microclimate and reduces problems with mildew during periods of high humidity.
Speed regulators
The fans that spread the air through the Priva Air tubes run constantly in the winter period to keep the air circulating. In summer conditions the Priva Intégro process computer automatically stops the fans when the ventilation delivers enough natural air movement in the greenhouse. Thor and Tobias are considering fitting speed regulators to the fans for even better control, enabling them to adjust the capacity of the air movement depending on the climatological conditions. André Kool again, ‘Speed regulators are a possible next step, but we offer many more options at Priva. It would always be advisable for growers considering air conditioning to consult with us first. Together we can then look at which solution is most suitable.’
For further information about Priva Air tubes, call +31 (0)174 522 600 or visit www.priva.nl/products
