Ankara, Turkey
May 28, 2023
This project is located in Ankara, a large-scale greenhouse complex in Ankara, specializing in cucumber and pepper cultivation. Ankara’s summer is characterized by intense heat and low environmental humidity, and sudden cold waves at night can cause unstable fluctuations in humidity. Such fluctuations are devastating for cucumbers, which require 60-80% relative humidity to support pollination and fruit development, and peppers, which need 50-70% humidity to prevent rot at the flower tips. The leaves in the greenhouse often wither, 25% of the cucumbers are bent and deformed, and 18% of the peppers have a reduced yield due to dryness.
Before cooperating with GoldRainirrig, the greenhouse relied on manual watering and occasional spraying. Workers will adjust the water volume based on visual estimation, usually over-compensating, which leads to overly moist soil, breeding fungal diseases, or insufficient spraying, causing the humidity to drop sharply during the hot midday. This inconsistency prolongs the growth cycle of crops.
GoldRainirrig’s solution solve both soil moisture and air humidity issues simultaneously: We installed dedicated greenhouse drip irrigation pipes designed to deliver water directly to the root zone without wetting the leaves, reducing the risk of disease, and paired it with automatic nozzle foggers connected to real-time soil moisture sensors. The sensor is placed 15cm deep in the key planting bed to continuously track the soil moisture content. When the concentration drops below 20%, the drip irrigation pipes will be activated to replenish water for the root system, while the nozzle foggers will release fine water droplets to increase the air humidity. If the humidity exceeds the target range, the nozzle foggers will automatically shut down to prevent the accumulation of excessive moisture.
The impact is immediate. Even in the hottest summer in Ankara, the greenhouse can maintain a stable relative humidity of 62-75%, which is ideal for both crops. The defect loss rate of cucumbers has dropped to 8%, and that of peppers has decreased to 6%. The quality of the crops is also better: cucumbers grow straighter, have a crisper texture, which increases market demand, while peppers are brighter in color, with a uniform red/yellow mix and thicker flesh.
For the greenhouses in Ankara, the upgrade is not merely about humidity control. It transforms a variable and high-risk operation into a reliable and high-profit one, ensuring its role in providing food for the fresh produce market in the region.
