Technical Specifications for Modern Greenhouse Construction
Following the success of glass-covered greenhouses beginning in 1982, the General Authority for Agriculture and Fisheries issued Decision No. 29 of 1985 regarding the licensing regulations for the construction of new greenhouses. To publicize this decision, a lecture was held at the Agricultural Engineers Association hall, and I summarize the main points discussed as follows:
Decision Specifications: The use of glass of any kind is not recommended because it requires a heavy and costly structure, and due to glass’s susceptibility to breakage, difficulty in transport and installation, inability to withstand hail, and inability to ensure a tight seal for the greenhouses. It should be noted that greenhouses use fewer pesticides and fertilizers compared to any other agricultural system and produce several times more than other systems. For example, a greenhouse in Kuwait produces 25–35 kilograms per square meter, while in the Netherlands, production has reached 115 kilograms per square meter. Greenhouses have been in use since the 17th century, and currently, the Netherlands has 10,305 hectares of greenhouse farms in Europe (one hectare equals 10,000 square meters). It should be noted that the first and largest greenhouse in Kuwait was established in 1982 with an area of 2 hectares, and it is still operational and producing.
As mentioned in the technical specifications, the use of cover materials such as polycarbonate and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) sheets is not recommended; the best covering material is fiberglass. Now, following the issuance of these specifications, the results are: 1 – Continue installing glass greenhouses. 2 – Most greenhouses are currently covered with polycarbonate. 3 – The disadvantages of fiberglass were not mentioned, namely its lack of fire resistance, which led to entire greenhouses burning down in the 1980s.
Burgan Agricultural Company has supervised and implemented the construction of numerous greenhouses within Kuwait. At the end of the lecture, it was agreed to re-examine the technical specifications, but this has not yet been done.
Specifications of the modern greenhouse: glass, tall, well-ventilated
The General Manager of the Chinese company King Beijing, “Loki,” warned against continuing the current method of constructing greenhouses on many farms in Kuwait, which lack the most basic engineering principles, such as the use of cold-galvanized steel pipes driven directly into concrete or soil—exposing the steel to rust and corrosion—as well as poor welding in the construction of the greenhouses, which causes them to rust and disintegrate over the years, emphasizing the importance of management and technical supervision by a specialist with experience in greenhouse cultivation and maintenance.
Meanwhile, agricultural expert Muhammad Ibrahim Al-Farih pointed out a second mistake in this regard, which is the construction of low-height greenhouses in Kuwait, ranging from only 2.3 to 3 meters. Such heights are no longer used in developed countries; the minimum standard height is 4 meters, the average is 5 meters, and the optimal height is 6 meters, because greater height provides better ventilation and consequently better production, making greenhouses preferable to any other type of structure, especially those covered with low-quality plastic or polycarbonate, based on extensive experience in Kuwait, specifically in the Abdali agricultural area.
Al-Fraih warned in the context of his scientific presentation during a lecture held by Burgan Agricultural Company at the Jumeirah Hotel in Kuwait last Monday evening on the occasion of the visit of the regional director of the Chinese agricultural greenhouse company, Kenj Beijing Ray Young, against installing service doors for agricultural greenhouses next to the cooling system or in the middle of the greenhouse, as this allows hot air to enter for most of the day. He said it is important to install double doors to prevent the entry of insects and dust, and Al-Fraih called for the careful selection of cooling panels and their weekly maintenance to prevent salt buildup, as well as the appointment of a competent agricultural engineer to oversee appropriate irrigation, cooling, and fertilization for the plants grown inside the greenhouse.
He noted that while a greenhouse meeting modern international standards may be expensive, its cost is justified by its high yield in both hot and cold weather. In the Netherlands, for example, a high-quality greenhouse yields 90to 100 kilograms of tomatoes per square meter, whereas a cooled tunnel in Kuwait yields 25 kilograms per square meter. It should be noted that it is possible to easily produce approximately 45 kilograms of tomatoes in Kuwait using a modern greenhouse. Therefore, I advise all Kuwaiti farmers to rely on production through greenhousesthat meet international standards to obtain the best fruits and crops, and consequently the best financial returns for them. More on this later.