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Ohio’s future agriculture trends and needs include more greenhouses
for floriculture and hydroponic tomatoes and for high-end niche crops (e.g.,
strawberries, melons, nursery crops) and alternative crops that can also
produce higher yields in greenhouses.
Israel is the world’s leader in greenhouse technologies.
We are considering developing a pilot commercial-scale advanced greenhouse
for joint R&D and educational activities. The greenhouse would serve
as a demonstration model for Ohio and other farmers, and encourage R&D.
The Negev Foundation is also exploring the possibility of approaching
tobacco farmers, who must convert their crops, to participate.
Such a greenhouse could showcase recent Israeli innovations in drip irrigation,
drip fertigation and computerized control, some integrated systems currently
is use in Israel, such as integrated aquaculture-agriculture, and perhaps
also sewage effluent and growing substrate recycling. The purpose would
be to show and conduct research on how these technologies might help
Ohio growers.
The Negev Foundation is seeking funding to build the structure, operate
it and conduct R&D and educational activities. Commercial sales
of produce could offset the high implementation costs and provide participating
farmers with income.
We have discussed this concept with OSU
Extension’s Agricultural
Business Enhancement Center , which is
seeking to increase Ohio’s greenhouse agriculture, and with OSU’s
Ohio Agriculture Research and Development Center, the Ohio
Department of Development, the Ohio
Department of Agriculture and
members of the Ohio State Senate for joint partnership with
Israeli R & D
entities and commercial agriculture engineering companies.
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