It's summer, let's cool down!

It's time for our annual summer break, and, at least at the time of writing, the weather is lovely and sunny. A good moment to stop and think about ways to cool down… in the greenhouse, that is. In recent years, the greenhouse acreage with fogging systems has risen rapidly. That's not strange, according to Ruud van Aperen of MJ Tech. "You can control your cultivation better this way."

Drops of less than a micrometer in size, that play a pivotal role in controlling the greenhouse climate… how does that work? Ruud van Aperen of MJ Tech explains. The company makes installations which spread a very fine mist across the crops. "In warm, arid regions it's one of the few ways to create a good climate with proper growing conditions. Cooling can also be done using other applications, but then it's tricky getting similar conditions throughout the greenhouse. With the mist, you can cool adiabatically in the whole operation." In the best case scenario, the temperature can go down by quite a number of degrees. "But in any case, it will give you more control over cultivation." And that's the reason why the fogging systems are deployed in colder regions as well. "The mist provides an additional tool to retain control over the climate."

From Dutch strawberries to American orchids
In recent years, the acreage of misted horticulture in the Netherlands has mainly increased thanks to the expanding strawberry cultivation. What's more, the sector has seen strong professionalization. A fogging system is an important part of that. The strawberry growers were followed by an increasing number of tomato growers. "In the end, it's all about optimizing yield. If you can have more control over the climate and RV with an installation, you can take major strides in cultivation, thus improving the output."

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In warmer climates, the benefits of the system are self-evident. "In cucumbers, you can take the spike out of the temperature. That has an effect on production and quality. This is also an issue in orchids." There's also the relatively new discipline of lettuce cultivation on gutters. "In sensitive cultivations like these, a good climate is important. With an environment that's too dry, you quickly get blemishes, but an environment that's too moist gives rise to fungi and diseases."

And then there are the unexpected applications, like in chrysanthemums. "There they fog in order to get the pollen out of the air. Then employees don't have to sneeze as much, and they're less affected by hayfever."

Application
Because of the various applications, the exact calibration and power of the installation is a major concern for MJ Tech. "Across the globe, we installed hundreds of hectares of fogging, and we hear how important it is to have peace of mind in that respect. With our installations, we can stand out. We produce everything in-house. That way we deliver powerful installations that can be tailored exactly to the grower's needs."

For more information:
MJTech BV
Ecustraat 7
4879 NP Etten-Leur
Netherlands
Tel: 0031 (0) 76-597 45 03
Fax: 0031 (0) 76-597 50 76
E-mail: info@mjtech.nl