1. How to improve the
production
of tomatoes in Maroc

2. Index
• Maroc 2009
• Strong – Weak points
• View to technical advantages
• Improvement step by step
• Different scenarios
• Passive to active growing
• Road map

3. Maroc 2009
• 5.000 ha tomatoes under plastic (Agadir)
• Big scale companies, professional organisation
and management
• Low cost, low tech focus
• Production level tomatoes 250 - 300 ton/ha
• First quality 60 - 65%
• Growing in the soil
• Excellent growing climate

4. Strength - Weakness
• Climate
• Agri Centre infrastructure
• Good design and
organisation of nurseries
• Low cost level labour
• Crop protection
• Professionals with proven
production history
• Availability of water
• Still growing in the soil
• Production level per m²
• Sensitive on climate
• Sensitive on nematodes
• High use of water,
chemicals and fertilizers
per produced kg

5. Conditions for profitable
innovation & improvement
New methods of production must be:
• Economic feasable
• Technical reliable and controlable
• To the community and market environmental
sustainable methods and a clean product

6. Short vieuw to different
options to improve
• Substrate, irrigation,
recirculation
• Greenhouse structures,
light transmission
• Positioning of the plants
• Heating + Ventilation
• Cooling +
(de)humidification

7. Substrate, Irrigation,
Recirculation
• Better crop management
• Saving on fertilizers
• Less sensitive for nematodes
• Better control of fruit quality
• Yearly costs € 2.- / m²
Benefits
• Increase nett production 25%
• Saving water 30% per kg /tom
• Saving 30% fertilizers

8. Greenhouse structures
light transmission
• Okt-March 1% light =1% production
• Light transmission glass
greenhouse 70 - 75%
• Light transmission modern plastic
greenhouse 60 - 65%
• Light transmission average Agadir
greenhouse 45 - 50%
• Only more efficient use of surface
gives 20% more production

9. Heating and controled
ventilation
• Active management of the
greenhouse climate
• Heating + controled ventilation
will give better control of plant
load and higher winter production
• Better control on climate is better
control on quality of plants and
fruits
• Active growing gives better
forecast and control on the
production film and result

10. Cooling+dehumidification
• This is formula 1 growing
with high investment and
yield
• Greenhouse climate quality
and production can be
under control totally
• Year round production
necessary for ROI
• This concept is worldwide
the new rising trend

11. Comparisation of different
growing concepts with
GreenScheduler
Principles:
• Maroc climate circumstances
• Variety Pristilla crafted on Maxifort
• Planting begin August
• First flowering begin September
• First harvest begin November
• Last harvest medio June

12. GreenScheduler calculates with:
crop
density
fruit
size
flower
speed
global
radiation
artificial
light

13. Greenscheduler Input
Blue: is the lightcurve from Agadir Yellow: is desired light for the crop

14. The GreenScheduler
Crop density
planning
Variety
Light
conditions
Balance
Result
Load and
production

15. Results of different
growing concepts
Type
greenhouse
Brutto
production
Percentage
class 1
nett
production
Increase nett
production
Traditional
29 kg 60% 17.5 kg
Plastic + c.v +
substrate
33 kg 75% 24.5 kg 40%
Glass + c.v +
substrate
38 kg 75% 28.5 kg 60%
Glass, heat +
cv + climate
control
43 kg 85% 37 kg 110%
Cooled glass
desert gh
86 kg 85% 73 kg 400%
12 months

16. Production graphics
Glass with heating and ventilation 37kgGlass with ventilation 28,5kg
Traditional Agadir Plastic with ventilation 28,5kg

17. Production curve
of the desert greenhouse

18. Light levels Netherlands versus Agadir
Radiation
0
500
1.000
1.500
2.000
2.500
41 46 51 4 9 14 19 24 29 34 39 44 49 2
week number
Radiation(J/cm2/day)
0
500
1.000
1.500
2.000
2.500
global
usable
desired
1.800

19. With active crop management and good
tools in Holland and USA
greenhouses produced100 kg/m²

20. The tomato producers
of Agadir have a lot of advantages
Agadir 2009
• Climate is excellent
• Companies are
professional
• Centre of tomato
producers
• Strong competitor in the
tomato producers match
• Production system is
passive and can be more
efficient
Agadir to active growing
• Better use of climate
• More efficiency on :
 water
 fertilizers
 chemicals
 surface
• Lower risk on diseases
• Better fruit quality
• Cleaner product
• Stronger market position

21. Active management of the growing
process can be very profitable
Radiation
CO2
Feeding
Water
(plant) temperature
humidity

22. There are different
scenarios to go from A to B

23. Road Map
• Inventarisation and study on
reliable techniques
• Design of some alternative
growing concepts
• Analyse of feasability, costs
and yields of the designs
• Selection of most promising
growing concepts
• Building a demo centre to test
these concepts
• Implementation of new growing
concepts and growing
techniques to the Agadir
producers

24. When will this giant wake up

25. Questions?

26. Thanks for your attention!
www.greenq.nl