An over view of greenhouses industry

Greenhouse is a structural building covered with a transparent material (glass or plastic) l that admits natural light for plant growth and is typically heated by solar energy. [Colorado ppt] The US greenhouse industry has been steadily growing over the past decade but still in its early stages. Because of the need for more intensive production due to limited land, water and labor, has pushed sales over $3 billion and is estimated to reach over $4 billion by 2020. This is according to Rabobank's Food & Agribusiness Research and Advisory (FAR) group.

Modern technologies reduce negative effects on the environment, to considerably improve the energetic efficiency and increase the production per unit area.” (1) improve greenhouse structures and coverings for better light transmissivity; (2) hydroponic cropping with recycling of greenhouse effluents for optimal growth; (3) the use of highperformance culture media that fulfill the root needs of the plant; (4) the enrichment of greenhouses with carbon dioxide to increase yields; (5) the use of photosynthetic lighting in winter to secure year-round production; (6) the computational management of climate (temperature, light, moisture, Co2), and of irrigation and fertilization control; (7) the use of rootstocks resistant to pathogens and more efficient in using water; (8) the biological control of insect pests and diseases; (9) genetic improvement and genetic engineering for the development of new varieties; (10) the mechanization of operations to optimize labor; and (11) the conservation of energy and the use of renewable energy.”

Main areas in the North American for greenhouse market are southwest and northwest of U.S.A., British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario.

Lettuces, chicory, spinach, crucifers, chard green onion and garlic tops are suitable be grow in winter greenhouse.

Brassicas that head (such as cabbages and broccoli) are more likely to develop large, tight heads if grown in the late-winter greenhouse rather than in the fall.

Root crops such as beets or carrots are not suitable for fall greenhouse—they will grow, but do not receive sufficient energy in the shortening days to “make root.” Growing carrots, beets, potatoes, and daikon in the late winter greenhouse can have excellent results.

All warm-weather crops can get a much earlier start in the late-winter, early-spring greenhouse. Tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants can be plant as early as mid-January to the end of February.

Business opportunities:

Foliage: Last 10 years, the increasing demand for production of bedding and foliage plants has contributed to the expansion of greenhouses. “This is because people are spending more time at home and furnishing their homes with more flowering and foliage plants. They are also doing more planting with bedding plant”

Vegetable: Even Greenhouse produce is estimated to only represent 1 to 2 percent of overall US fresh fruit and vegetable production. Take tomato as an example, production of greenhouse tomato of 2005 is near 4 time of that of 1995 in Canada. From 2005 production of greenhouse tomato had begun to surpass that of field tomato. The similar situations also happened in the U.S... Greenhouse tomatoes today account for as much as 70 percent of sales. The price of greenhouse tomato dropped about 50% in the same period. Other vegetable like cucumber and bell pepper in North American market also experience the same situation. The main competitor for greenhouse vegetable is field vegetable. The amount of field vegetable such as bell pepper and cucumber imported oversea had double during the past decade. However, the cost of oversea shipping is climbing and labor cost in filed vegetable supplier such as Mexico, China is not cheap any more. At the same time the development of technology can improve the quantity and quality of vegetable in greenhouse. This can make greenhouse vegetable has bright future. Therefore the market for greenhouse supplier can have a stability growth.

Source:

http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/greenhouse-crops

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101228180902.htm

http://www.colostate.edu/Dept/CoopExt/Adams/gh/ghoverview.htm http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/horticulture/greenhouse/structures/types

http://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/Greenhouse+Crops.html

Bauerle, W.L. and Short, T.e.d. .H. 1984. An overview of the North American greenhouse industry. Acta Hort. (ISHS) 148:43-48 http://www.actahort.org/books/148/148_3.htm