grant to DryGair , for the past 8 years , Eef Zwinkels has been a key figure behind the popularisation of dehumidification systems in Dutch gardening . His part as Royal Brinkman ’s DryGair Product Specialist , as well as his past times as a Lycopersicon esculentum grower and H2O discourse specialist , have made him one of the industry ’s go - to guys when it comes to humidity control condition , as stated by DryGair .
DryGair talk with Zwinkels at GreenTech Amsterdam , in 2024 , touching on his experience and expertness , the popularity of dehumidification system , such as DryGair , and the future he sees for unopen environment horticulture .
From love apple raiser , to water specialist , to dehumidification expert"My roots are in tomato plant . My father was a tomato grower , " enunciate Zwinkels . " In 1977 , we construct a new facility , with a plastic greenhouse . Back then , energy was also very expensive , and we were already concerned in finding way to save energy . We now experience that we could save a lot with a double - level charge plate glasshouse . I think it was around 50 % . " He adds : " Unfortunately , too petty visible light arrive through the plastic roof cover and hailstone also passed through . After a few long time , the company closed down . I sometimes say now , that if we had guide and dehumidification then , we could successfully grow Lycopersicon esculentum in such a nursery . "
" After working with the tomatoes , I started my career at a water and electrical party . I dress and calculated pee technical treatments , like drip systems , etc . " He adds : " In 2013 , the company I worked for went bankrupt , like many companies at the metre . That ’s when I started my career at Royal Brinkman . "
Eef recounts his first experience with DryGair – " I was a weewee handling specializer until DryGair fare around . I was expect , as an ex-wife - grower , if it was something I could take electric charge of , and to see what it could do for agriculturist . I immediately found a few interesting lead . They install DryGair , and within a few hebdomad , I see what they could reach with it . "
cultivator ' struggles with humidity and humidity controlHumidity is an important component in see environment gardening , and humidity control is quickly becoming a requisite in almost any quickness , Dry Gair states .
Eef weighs in , " I see a heap of growers contend with humidity . They ca n’t lower their RH ( relative humidity ) easily , so they heat their greenhouse and unfold the windows . That ’s what everybody did . It ’s also what we did in the past , with our tomatoes . The pipe temperature was holy . But that costs a lot of money . "
He adds , " So humidity was a problem , and disease , such as botrytis , were far-flung . Today , many growers take in that they can avoid that . heating plant and discharge were never an ideal solvent . Today , with the DryGair units , agriculturalist have a steering wheel in their hands – you could progress to any RH you want . "
dissimilar humidness control proficiency put up different eesultsDryGair finds that humidity ascendancy has become a big marketplace , and that there are seemingly many unlike solutions .
" It ’s interesting . I see dissimilar systems on the market , such as sports fan scheme , which bring in air from outdoors , or from above the screen . " Zwinkels says . " The problem is that you have to heat up that gentle wind , which cost money . That ’s one thing . "
He continues , " The 2d problem is , that if there is n’t a significant difference in humidness between the tune deep down and out of doors , it wo n’t trim humidness . The system wo n’t work . We ’re back to trust on the conditions outdoors and afford the filmdom , and that ’s not a step forward . "
Eef highlights the benefits of active dehumidification , compare to other systems – " A dehumidifier like DryGair , on the other hired hand , murder wet by contract water from the air travel . It actively reduce the absolute humidness . So with DryGair , you could fill up everything , 100 % , and that prepare a big difference . "
Energy saving potentialAny piece of equipment you introduce to the greenhouse has an additional wallop , besides its independent function . Zwinkels answer : " That ’s especially true for DryGair . First and foremost , the organisation does an incredible job of keep open energy , around 50 % . That ’s a Brobdingnagian impact . "
" What I also hear from grower , is that they now dare to spring up a few degrees cold . That also pull through energy . In the past tense , they could n’t lower the temperature , because they would attain the dew point . "
" These are all interesting aspects and part of the new agency to grow , " Eef continues . " save vigour , sustainable growing – DryGair root fit very well in this new man . "
" high yield and stronger plants"Energy delivery apart , systems like DryGair were produce to control humidity to prevent disease and improve timber and output .
" That ’s dead on target , " says Zwinkels . " In term of the cultivation itself , the first affair I get word from growers was that they can close up the screen 100 % . That alone create a much more even climate in the greenhouse . So uniformness and body process are the greatest benefits I see for the plants . "
He explain : " The DryGair lover keep running , so the building block constantly circulates the air , creating an active mood . An active climate is better for the plant ’s nutritive uptake , such as calcium , which is an immobile element , only available through the uptake created by transpiration . So we see much warm crop . "
" Let ’s take tulips for example , " Eef tote up . " Tulips are a very popular crop in the Netherlands and a sphere that has been widely adopting DryGair . "
" In the past , growers would often suffer from stems founder . They were too debile . However , with DryGair , as the climate is more active , the stems grow much stronger . That means more viable flush , at a higher quality , fetching a gamey price item . This does n’t just apply to tulips . We see this in all prime . "
Returns and ROI ProjectionsIntroducing new machinery in the greenhouse can require a expectant investiture . So the regaining on investment full stop is always a determine factor when look at installing DryGair .
" ROI is highly of import , " Zwinkels says . " I have a few growers who bought a lot of units , which is a great investiture of course . However , I have a return on investment mannequin , which I use to make an ROI projection before the purchase is made . If I know the price of gas , and how much gas they unremarkably utilise , per substantial metre , per class , I can figure out how much they ’ll be able-bodied to salvage on muscularity . "
" Then there ’s the crop quality or the turnover , " Eef adds . " If you ’re growing secure plants , or if the cycle is faster , that means more plant . We can also approximate that in our ROI good example . "
" The only in operation cost of DG units is electricity . So the benefit only need to be greater than the price of electrical energy . My program says you’re able to realize back the price of DryGair in 2 - 5 old age , depend on energy prices and the craw value . "
Eef stresses the grandness of the return on invested capital model : " At the remnant of the day , there ’s no need to make this investment blindly . It ’s all calculated forward of time , and our projections are quite accurate . "
pitch to LEDAs a veteran and expert in the battlefield , Eef Zwinkels has insight into the futurity of protected gardening , both in the Netherlands and globally .
" I see a lot of growing potential for next DryGair installations . nursery are becoming more closed , and more and more growers are changing to LED light . LEDs are interesting because they save money on electricity , " he states .
" But I need to monish that they ’re different from traditional firing , " Eef adds . " LED are a colder luminance . They emit less heat radiation than the older SON - liothyronine lamps . As a result , you need to keep a higher temperature in the greenhouse . This gives some ' extra space ' for wet , but also bring forth more plant activity . Without these registration , growers endure from higher disease rates , such as botrytis . "
Eef adds : " More and more growers say to me ' Eef , DryGair sound good , but add up back when I switch to run light ' . We see interest grow Clarence Day by day ! "
To summarize things up , Zwinkels say : " Sustainability is possibly one of the biggest aspects bear on the future of greenhouse grow . Growers must induct in improving their sustainability and DryGair is perfect for the job . In addition to energy preservation , I see extra benefit on a regular basis , such as the reusable water the units produce , and the CO2 that remains in the greenhouse , because agriculturist do n’t call for to ventilate as much . Many growers do n’t even need to buy additional CO2 since integrating DryGair . "
For more entropy : DryGairwww.drygair.com
