Basically when we plan to build housing for growing Hydroponic fodder (Sprout fodder) in it, we have to focus on few parameters before building it
Those parameters are mentioned below :
- Temperature
- Humidity
- Air ventilation
- Air circulation
- Light
- Hygiene and housing of Grow Room
- Temperature
Normally temperature for growing hydroponic fodder , we have to maintain a temperature range of 25 °C (77 °F) to 32 °C (89 °F) for maize
and in case of wheat and barley we have to maintain a range of 21 °C (69 °F ) to 24 °C (75 °F) in a grow room,
If you make a use of green shed net ,normally people use (90:10% ) ratio shed net size , means there 10 percent of the surface will have small holes and 90 percent area is covered , means it is a open loop system you cannot maintain proper insulation for growing your fodder inside the room ,there will be a big leakages of temperature inside the room. If you are using any cooling system or heating system inside the room you will find very difficulties to maintain that ideal temperature inside the grow room. Hence it’s very important to use 100% proper bad conductor insulating material for housing which will not allowed to transfer the temperature from inside to outside or vice versa. Remember the law of equilibrium.
- Humidity
Basically in Grow room we have to maintain a range of 50 % RH to 90% RH in case of maize fodder and in case of wheat and barley fodder it is 50%RH to 75%RH.
In shed net due to holes in it, there will be no proper insulation system for controlling the humidity inside the room, same as temperature, humidity will also leak from those holes, outside humidity will be same as inside until it comes to equilibrium state.
- Air Ventilation
Firstly – People who are normally practicing in shed net housing, they never focus on air ventilation system. Basically the net having holes in it are not enough to ventilate good amount of air from it by natural air current, also during growing process of fodder , chemical reaction takes place in plants and due to that it’s very important to remove those gases from that grow room. Secondly – CO2 and Oxygen level has been dropped down inside the room reason-plants use them for their daily growing .hence it’s very important to increase the supply of fresh air inside the grow room.
- Air circulation
Basically who practice Hydroponic fodder in shed net they are never focused on Air Circulation system inside the room , they normally think that the natural air current from outside will help to grow it. It’s important to use some fans or blowers inside the grow room to keep the air moving between the fodder, if you fail to do it, you will face a big fungal or mold issues in it. People growing fodder in green net find a lot of fungus and mold issues in their fodder.
- Light
Normally in Green shed net (90:10%) ,the light intensity in room is almost 10 % of outside light. Basically green shed are used to low down the light intensity. Sometimes light intensity is too low for plants to carry out their photosynthesis process. In photosynthesis process, chlorophyll a important agent helps plant to absorb energy from light. If light intensity is low, your plants
(Fodder) will have a big deficiency of nutrients in them. They will show abnormal growth in it .Symptoms- Fodder will be Yellow in color .
- Hygiene and Housing of Grow Room
Firstly- Your grow room should be properly insulated and hygiene because if you keep any loop holes in your structure of housing you may face a big problems from externals nuisance agents like Mouse ,Squirrels, Birds, Insects ,Bugs etc . They keep on going surprise visits at your sites and damages the whole nutritious fodder. You cannot put that Unhygienic fodder to your animals because it may be infected by them .
Secondly – If dust particles (soil) organic matter comes inside the room, water will form life with it in some specific conditions and many different types of insects, germs and fungus will start growing inside the room.
Thirdly – In Cyclone areas, Heavy rainfall areas your green shed net cannot withstand the force of it. You need to build a proper housing according to the area where you belong.
Hence to grow good quality hydroponic fodder you should follow the above parameters which is very difficult to control or adapt in Green shed net housing
