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Radiation, Transpiration, Leaf Area Index, and Everything in Between

Radiation and light is a major factor in designing complex growing environments, as it affects all other climate parameters. This post will cover: The light spectrum Components of PPF – photosynthetically active radiation Greenhouse lighting types Radiation for cultivation in growing facilities Radiation intensity and evapotranspiration Cannabis and lighting types Light Types The visible light[..]

How Agriculture May Help Alleviate Crises Like Coronavirus

Greenhouse cultivation, with a controlled environment, lets us produce food year-round, regardless of seasonality. This may be the key to maintaining food security during these tough times. Crises such as the coronavirus outbreak are unexpected, yet inevitable. Global attempts to stop its spread have slowed down much of the world’s economic activity, affecting both global[..]

Ventilation, Dehumidification or Fans? How to Best Reduce Greenhouse Humidity

Controlling and reducing greenhouse humidity is one of the greatest challenges of modern commercial agriculture. Though it’s a much-discussed topic, it is also a complicated one. Growers often ask about the differences between dehumidifiers, fans and ventilation, in regard to controlling humidity in the greenhouse, struggling to find what best fulfills their needs. Though all[..]

Do Plants Grow Faster with Humidity Control and Air Circulation?

Climate control is an integral part of modern cultivation. You can find these systems in greenhouses, indoor growing spaces, hydroponic operations, vertical farms and more. In most cases, this includes humidity control and air circulation, which drastically reduce disease outbreaks and crop loss. But besides combating humidity diseases such as powdery mildew or bud rot,[..]

DG-12 & DG-6 EU Highlighted in 5 Novelties Not to Miss at IPM Horticulture Trade Show

Hortidaily covered the launch of the new DG-12 & DG-6 EU units during the IPM trade show in Essen, Germany. “DryGair will launch new dehumidifier units under the names DG-6 EU and DG-12 EU on the IPM. These comply with the European refrigerant gas used in the machines. “We would previously use a gas called[..]

8 Ways to Reduce Greenhouse Heat Loss

One of the biggest energy expenses, for many greenhouses, is heating. Understanding how to minimize heat loss, while maintaining optimal climate conditions, is the key to reducing energy expenses. This rings especially true during cold nights or during the winter. When the temperature drops, heating becomes critically necessary, often working non-stop. There are many ways[..]

What are the Optimal Humidity and Temperature Set Points for Greenhouse Growing?

The optimal humidity and temperature set points for cultivation are: Relative humidity levels of around 80% Temperature range of 18ºC – 24ºC (night – day, 64ºF – 75ºF) Optimal Humidity in Horticulture – Why ~80% Relative Humidity? Relative humidity is a critical climate parameter in the cultivation of any crop. So most growers aim to[..]

How Plants Affect Greenhouse Humidity Control

Greenhouse humidity control is unlike any other industrial setting. This is due to the unique relationship between the plants and the air. Exposure to differing conditions throughout the day and over different seasons further differentiates the two. Humidity control in greenhouses and indoor growing facilities is a necessity. Untreated humidity, in such settings, leads to[..]

Using Humidity Control & Monitoring as Growing Tools

We recently wrote about using humidity control & monitoring as growing tools for Maximum Yield “…No matter how unintuitive humidity may be, its effects on crops are dramatic and often detrimental. This has led to the current state of humidity control in agriculture, which is under-informed, inaccurate and is usually either under or over-invested in.[..]

Humidity: The Often-Overlooked Climate Factor That Could Be Hurting Your Plants’ Growth

We recently wrote about humidity control in greenhouses and growing facilities for “Maximum Yield”. “Modern cultivation is characterized by a constant drive to improve production. This is achieved, for the most part, by controlling and optimizing the climatic conditions in the growing space in order to provide the best conditions for plant growth. The most[..]

Interview With a Cannabis Grower – Published in Cannabis Business Times

This interview with agronomist and cannabis grower, Elad Spiegel, was originally published in Cannabis Business Times’ February 2019 Dehumidification printed edition. “I promote the use of DryGair as a focal point in my cultivation environment designs by leveraging its dehumidification, high capacity airflow distribution, and heating & cooling capabilities.” These were the words spoken by[..]

Preventing Botrytis Without Fungicides

Botrytis, also known as gray mold or bud rot, is an extremely common humidity related disease, found in greenhouses around the world. With over 200 known species, this fungal pathogen affects most fruits and vegetables, as well as ornamentals and cannabis. Preventing botrytis is key for many different agricultural sectors. Botrytis’ Effects and Symptoms Gray[..]

Air Circulation – Greenhouse Climate Control

Greenhouse growers constantly monitor, regulate and adjust their climates. These operations happen in large spaces, meaning large volumes of air. So how is everything optimized everywhere all at once? The answer is air circulation. Between fans, HVACs, vents, windows and other climate control systems, air moves. In most cases, growers do not factor the direction[..]

Preventing & Treating Powdery Mildew Without Fungicides

Powdery mildew is a humidity related fungal disease caused by a range of fungi species. It is an extremely common mold, found around the world. This mold affects solanaceous crops, such as tomatoes and peppers, as well as cucurbits, including cucumbers and melons. It is also a common problem in cannabis cultivation. Powdery Mildew’s Effects[..]

What is Leaf Area Index?

Leaf area index, or LAI, is used to measure the amount of foliage in canopies. It is determined by the coverage of leaves per unit of the ground surface. Or in simpler terms, LAI measures how many layers of leaves are found in a m2 of surface. What does the leaf area index tell us?[..]

How DryGair Dehumidifiers Are Changing The Cannabis Industry

We recently spoke with WeCannect about how humidity control is changing the cannabis industry. “We spoke with DryGair’s Hadar Fuchs-Rubal to learn more about the company’s equipment, origin story, and mission to eliminate botrytis and other contagions from growing areas, as well as the changing legal status of cannabis in Israel.” Read the full[..]

What is Integrated Pest Management?

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is an ecosystem-based approach to pest and disease control in modern agriculture. Focused on long-term management, IPM combines different techniques in order to effectively control pest related damage. Additionally, IPM considers and aims to minimize financial, environmental and human health costs. Rather than using pesticides to eliminate pests when they’re found,[..]

What is VPD (Vapor Pressure Deficit)?

VPD is one of several methods growers use to measure humidity in a greenhouse and gauge its impact on plant development. Vapor pressure deficit measures the difference, in terms of pressure, between the air’s water content, and its saturation point – the maximum amount the air can carry at its current temperature. The point of[..]

7 Principles for “Plant Empowerment” – Next Generation Growing

Plant Empowerment, or Next Generation Growing (NGG), is a set of environmental control techniques for greenhouse or glasshouse cultivation, developed in the Netherlands over the past decade. NGG aims to achieve two goals. The first is to improve plant growth by improving conditions for photosynthesis and enhancing plant health. The second is to minimize the[..]

Understanding the Connection Between Greenhouse Radiation & Humidity

Humidity is a common issue in agriculture, whether in an indoor growing facility or greenhouse. As any parameter in such an environment, humidity relates to numerous others factors. In this article we will discuss an important piece of the puzzle – how radiation affects humidity. Relative Humidity & Transpiration In order to understand transpiration, radiation,[..]

Greenhouse Tips From Our Experts – Growing With Dehumidifiers for Humidity Control

We interviewed our talented experts about what they know best – agriculture and dehumidification. For years they have been teaching and advocating for smarter, more efficient agriculture in greenhouses. With the DryGair solution they have brought their vision to life. A vision for controlling humidity in a way that both saves tremendous amounts of energy, and[..]

Dehumidification is Key in Cannabis Cultivation

DryGair’s Hadar Fuchs-Rubal spoke to MMJDaily regarding the importance of dehumidification in cannabis cultivation. The interview was published on MMJDaily on 5/2/2019 A great number of medical cannabis operations are carried out within greenhouses or indoor environments. Unlike outdoor grows, these types of operations come with whole different sets of issues that require to be[..]

What to Look for in a Greenhouse Dehumidifier

Whether growing in a closed greenhouse, semi-closed greenhouse, or completely indoors, adding a dehumidifier is a key step to increasing efficiency, reducing costs and boosting the yield and quality of your crop. Buying new equipment can be daunting. So we put together a checklist of the top factors to consider when shopping for a greenhouse[..]

Controlling Water & Climate Conditions – Hydroponic Agriculture Series Part 3

Hydroponic farms can be extremely efficient, but also easily disrupted. The key to a successful hydro operation is in maintaining the correct conditions of both water and air, while keeping a close eye on changes and fluctuations. If you’re new to hydroponic farming, check out our previous articles: Part 1 – Introduction to Hydroponics and[..]

Hemp – Uses, Cultivation and Drying

Hemp refers to strains of cannabis sativa with very low levels of THC. Usually under 0.3%, too low for commercial recreational use. Regardless of the lack of THC, many consider it a super-crop, with an especially wide range of uses. Cannabis is undergoing a cultural shift, especially with a comeback from illegality in the U.S.[..]

Homogeneous & Consistent Climate Control with DryGair Dehumidification

This is a DryGair article contributed to the Cannabis 2020 magazine. Bud rot, powdery mildew and Alternaria are some of the most dreaded words in cannabis cultivation. Destructive diseases caused by even brief periods of high relative humidity, which in a greenhouse environment, could be every night. The best way to avoid these problems, is[..]

Desert Agriculture at Arava R&D

The Arava region is part of the Israeli desert, and home to the “Central & Northern Arava-Tamar R&D Center“. Arava-Tamar is a world leading agricultural research facility. Once a year the center opens its gates to visitors. So we headed to the desert to witness new developments in desert agriculture. Arava Agriculture R&D The Arava[..]

DryGair Units Now Available on Frames Above the Crop

The full article is published on FloralDaily “Moisture problems in the greenhouse have always existed, but certainly in winter it is a challenge for many growers to dehumidify their greenhouse air. Previously the motto was: heating, open screen and the ventilation windows open. But that is not very energy efficient, and a lot of valuable[..]

Why Humidity Control is Necessary in Cannabis Cultivation

Cannabis humidity control is a major talking point among growers. In the modern era, cannabis is grown in completely controlled spaces. Greenhouses, as well as closed facilities are constantly monitored and adjusted. The aim is to maintain a consistent quality of product, while attempting to maximize yields. Though humidity is a big part of[..]

California’s Legal Recreational Marijuana Industry – 2018 Recap

The first year of legal recreational marijuana in California has come to a close. It’s time to breakdown the trends and see what the future holds. A Breakdown of California’s Marijuana Industry Recreational marijuana, or “adult-use” cannabis, as it has been coined by the industry, has become legal in the state of California as of[..]

DryGair Wins an Innovation and Sustainability Prize – TSW 2019, Poland

DryGair & Royal Brinkman win Prof. Pieniazek’s Prize at TSW 2019 Poland’s TSW is the biggest Fruit and Vegetable Industry Fair in Central and Eastern Europe, providing the most innovative and current knowledge and know-how in horticulture. As part of the annual conference, the Prof. Pieniazek Prize is awarded to the most innovative and beneficial[..]

Advantages & Disadvantages – Hydroponic Agriculture Series Part 2

Hydroponic farming techniques may vary, as we covered in our previous article – How it Works – Introduction to Hydroponics Agriculture Series – Part 1, but the basic underlying principles stay the same. Growing without soil brings with it many advantages, but not without obstacles to cross, and costs to bear. In this article we[..]

Greenhouse Heating, Coal & Dehumidification – A Breakdown

Heating a greenhouse is one of the most basic aspects of modern agriculture, yet the methods in which this heat is produced may seem a bit antiquated, even in countries considered to be at the forefront of both technology and environmental awareness. This article was originally featured on www.hortidaily.com Greenhouse Heating Modern agriculture enables year-round[..]

How it Works – Introduction to Hydroponic Agriculture Series Part 1

Hydroponic agriculture, as the name suggests, is the method of growing plants in water, instead of soil. This is part of an entire new generation in farming, and the focus of our new series of articles. We will review different aspects from its history to its part in the future of agriculture. The world has[..]

Harvest Podcast by Growers Network – Sponsored by DryGair

“Harvest” is a new podcast presented by Growers Network. They invited us to collaborate on two special episodes discussing diseases in cannabis cultivation. Listen below. 1. Episode 6: Dehumidification – It’s All About the Dew Point: This episode is about a major factor in botrytis prevention and other bummers to your cannabis crop: the dew point.[..]

6 Tips to Increase Greenhouse Energy Efficiency

Greenhouse agriculture is a big energy consumer, especially when it comes to growing in harsher climates. Heating, lighting and ventilating will always be needed, but there are ways to reduce their footprint and increase energy efficiency. Insulation Greenhouse air is constantly modified, meaning energy is poured into it, to keep conditions optimal. So, it’s only[..]

Why Air Circulation is a Key Factor

Whether growing in a greenhouse or a warehouse, the right air conditions are essential Plants are living organisms and just like humans, they like to feel at home. Whether it be warm or cold, dry or humid, crops have desired conditions, based on their origin. Supplying crops with what they need is the key to[..]

Humidity – It’s All About the Dew Point

Humidity, and especially the dew point, is a critical factor in cannabis cultivation. One that is much discussed but also often misunderstood. It’s time to set the facts straight. What is humidity? Air is comprised of many different gases, one of which is water vapor- the gaseous form of water. The amount of water vapor[..]

Humidity Woes – Common Greenhouse Humidity Related Problems

High humidity leads to a wide array of humidity related problems. Most important of which, are the infection and development of plant diseases by a variety of fungi and bacteria species. This puts crops at risk of yield loss and low quality production. It also demands higher energy consumption to battle, at a high economic[..]

Blight – Lessons for The Future of Pest Management

Recent outbreaks of late blight spark discussion of crop disease management worldwide. Phytophthora infestans is a microorganism commonly known for causing late blight, a disease notorious for decimating tomato and potato crops. Infamous for causing widespread famine in nineteenth century Britain, late blight is a frightening humidity disease in greenhouses. In most cases, growers use[..]

4 Reasons Your Greenhouse Needs a Thermal Screen

Have you been using a thermal screen in your greenhouse? You really should… We’re big fans of energy efficiency here at DryGair. We’ve noticed that many greenhouse growers have yet to hop on the thermal screen train. This is a simple list to sum up the reasons we consider thermal screens to be a must-have.[..]

Plant Diseases and Greenhouses: The Perfect Storm or the Ultimate Cure-All?

A pathogen, a host, and the right environment: these are the ingredients needed to spark plant disease. This is a simple formula, which can have devastating results for a grower. Infamous greenhouse diseases including botrytis (gray mold), powdery mildew, late blight, and downy mildew are known to decimate crops as well profitability. The plant disease[..]

Innovation in Agriculture

Thomas Robert Malthus said: “The power of population is indefinitely greater than the power in the earth to produce subsistence for man”. According to Malthus’ theory, the human population increasing faster than the food productivity- eventually, humans will suffer from starvation. Malthus lived between the years 1766-1834, we are more than 200 years later and[..]

How to Treat Humidity in the Greenhouse

Growing in a greenhouse presents the grower with the complicated challenge of growing under a cover, while controlling the climate inside, especially reducing humidity. Humidity inside the greenhouse is caused by the transpiration process of the plants. Standing water on crops leads to humidity related diseases such as downy mildew, botrytis, alternaria, erwinia, phytophora, clavibacter[..]

Greenhouse Energy Efficiency

We build greenhouses to control the environment and create optimal growing conditions. But playing “Mother Nature” can be very expensive. The energy required for the daily operation of a greenhouse includes lighting, to provide additional radiation, heating or cooling to control the temperature and humidity and air circulation to improve climate uniformity. These add up[..]

Botrytis in Cannabis

Botrytis, also known as gray mold or bud rot, is the most common disease caused by humidity. It affects various crops such as tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, basil and roses, as well as cannabis. Preventing Botrytis Botrytis is a fungal disease that thrives in high levels of humidity. The best method to combat this mold is[..]

The Challenges of Growing Cannabis

Cannabis, also known as marijuana or hemp, has been part of people’s lives for centuries. The plant was used to produce fabrics, food, drugs, medicine and in rituals. We know that different cultures, countries, and religions used to grow and use this plant. So why is there so much effort being put into growing cannabis[..]

Dehumidifier for Cannabis

Botrytis, downy mildew and Alternaria are only three of the humidity diseases that can harm the cannabis plant. Because cannabis is very sensitive to high humidity, it is not surprising that growers seek a solution. The solution for humidity diseases is controlling the humidity, using dehumidifiers. If you ask yourself why we only mention dehumidifiers,[..]

The Development of Agriculture in the World

from the agricultural revolution to current days? The main role of the agriculture sector is to produce and provide food. Over the years, the field went through many changes, deriving from cultural and social growth, the development of settlements and transportation, the increase of trade, and the development of technology. In the beginning, human society[..]

Marijuana Cultivation in California

4 years ago, a critical decision was made in the state of California. The decision to cancel the criminal sanctions for using marijuana had a rapid influence, boosting commercial cannabis cultivation. All of those who claimed that the legalization would cause an increase of use among teenagers was wrong. After approving the growing of marijuana[..]

The Carbon Footprint of Indoor Cannabis Cultivation

The cannabis industry has two main cultivation methods. The first one is the indoor method – growing cannabis plants in a completely closed structure, fully isolated from the environment. This way the sunlight does not reach the plant, leading to a massive use of energy for lighting. The second method is the outdoor method. This[..]

Marijuana Cultivation in Australia

On March 2016, the Australian government passed a bill which allows the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. The law permits the sale of medicinal marijuana subject to a doctor’s recommendation. As in many countries around the world, the government of Australia decided to approve a law which allows the use of medical cannabis. The[..]

Cannabis and Humidity

Medical cannabis cultivation is on the rise, but disease outbreaks are leading to reduced quality and large-scale crop loss. These diseases share a common culprit – humidity. The demand for medical cannabis is constantly growing, driving the cannabis industry to expand accordingly; more licenses equal more growers, more yield equals greenhouses instead of private/small facilities.[..]

Growing During the Cold Season

We frequently hear from growers that during the winter time diseases appear on their crops. The question is why? The relative humidity (RH) is the ratio of the amount of water in the air relative to the amount of water the air can contain at a given temperature. The dew point is the temperature at[..]

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