The Stockbridge Technology Centre at Cawood, North Yorkshire has expanded their research complex. The total area only measures 384m², however consists of 17 doors, over the three zones , couple of corridors, plus a boiler house. The glasshouse will provide Stockbridge with a modern spacious growing environment to continue their research work.
The Stockbridge Technology Centre (STC) was launched in April 2001 to ensure continued technological developments for the horticultural industry. This grower-led initiative has created an independent horticultural centre of excellence supported by both the production and supply sectors of the industry.
The current expansion is part of the CHAP (Centre for Crop Health & Protection) Innovation Centre portfolio (Innovate UK funded) to create new facilities for evaluating biopesticide performance under semi-commercial conditions. It includes a suite of 60 custom-designed deep-water hydroponic units, allowing both plant protection programmes and exotox studies to be conducted. The CHAP Biopesticide facility at STC allows controlled and customized trials to be undertaken on a range of crops, including those grown under deep-water hydroponic systems and in the field including precision spraying.
Small, but super high-tech
Aphid proof nets on roof vents
The project has been supplied and built by Ebtech Glasshouses Systems Ltd, who has been working closely with their sister company Ebtech Solutions & GVR Hortec. TCE operated as main contractor.
The glasshouse has a post height of 4 metres with 12.8 m wide zones. The Bom group high-tech glasshouse boasted aphid proof nets on the roof vents, horizontal roof screens and a hot water piped heating system throughout with TCE providing the Priva control system and electrics
The building of the greenhouse started earlier this year and even though it was technically advanced, the process continued smoothly. "We can offer large or small scale projects to our clients, offering bespoke projects to the highest of standards required", Tony Walker MD at Ebtech explains.
There's several other CHAP-projects worth watching. For example at the Stockbridge Technology Centre recenlty additional and complementary capabilities have been added to the LED4CROPS facilities, by TCE Electrical ,with the two growth rooms, research to vertical farming can be done. Then there's the Soil Health Unit, which was opened last June. This one allows precision control and monitoring of soil, water, crop and climate conditions under a range of tillage operations.
For more information:
CHAP Solutions
Tony Walker
Ebtech Glasshouses
07738 771880
www.ebtechglasshouses.co.uk