Skills for Controlled Environment Horticulture

from www.aces.edu

The Protected Cropping Industry

• Modern face of horticulture• Fastest growing food producing sector in

Australia• Equivalent to 20% of total value of vegetable

and flower production• Combining all sectors industry contributes

around $1 billion to the national economy• Employs over 10,000+ people throughout

Australia• Industry expanding at 4 – 6% per annum

How it Works

FERTILIZER CONCENTRATE TANKS

B C DA

ACID TANK

pH

E.C. pH SENSORS

COMPUTER

WaterIn

PUMP PUMP

MIXINGTANK

DOSING PUMPS

The Problem with Protected Cropping

• Unique production systems

• Heavily technology based

• Current programs focus on soil-based production

• Lack of training imposes limits on industry growth and profitability

Pathways to Production

• Horticulture Aust Ltd (HAL) funded

• AHGA, NSW DPI & GOTAFE

• Took existing units and modified

• Created new units• Identified additional skill

sets• Meetings with growers

provided feedback

Skills for Controlled Environment Horticulture• Skills Victoria

funded• Formed advisory

group• Brought together

group of Bellarine Peninsula growers

• Identified priorities for training

• Pilot program

National Greenhouse Waste-Water Recycling Workshop • HAL funded• Partnered with consultants, Graeme

Smith & Rick Donnan• Series of 1 day workshops delivered

to key areas across 6 states

Recirculating System

FreshWater

Nutrients and acid

Growing System

BatchTank

@ 1.5 EC

DrainTank

Sterilisation

RecycleTank

Pre EC ProbeControls 3-way Valve

to 1.1 EC

@ 2.6 EC

3.7 EC

30%

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