Irrigation and viral diseases challenge Ukraine’s small greenhouse growers

Irrigation and viral diseases challenge Ukraine’s small greenhouse growers Thanks! Farms accounting for 29% of the surveyed greenhouse area identified irrigation difficulties as their main obstacle to development.

War-related risks ranked second at 26%, followed by high energy costs at 24%. According to the study's authors, relatively small investments in water supply, irrigation automation and fertigation can sometimes provide a faster economic return than expanding greenhouse areas or building new facilities.

With no effective treatment available for these viral diseases, prevention remains central to greenhouse protection. Source: agrotimes.ua Frontpage photo: © Anna Yordanova | Dreamstime Publication date: Wed 23 Sep 2026 Related Articles → See More Irrigation and viral diseases challenge Ukraine’s small greenhouse growers “Our substrates may not be the cheapest, but definitely the best quality in South Africa” Canada invests $5 million in Haven Greens The real test for India’s protected cultivation starts after the structure goes up Iranian greenhouse firms linked to US$187 million in gold imports New full-cycle greenhouse complex planned in Kazakhstan’s Almaty region Ghana links greenhouse cultivation to cold storage and export markets From manual control to automation: lessons from Ukrainian greenhouses Kazakhstan greenhouse area exceeds 5 million square meters 12-hectare blueberry greenhouse project underway in Kenya Related Articles Irrigation and viral diseases challenge Ukraine’s small greenhouse growers “Our substrates may not be the cheapest, but definitely the best quality in South Africa” Canada invests $5 million in Haven Greens The real test for India’s protected cultivation starts after the structure goes up Iranian greenhouse firms linked to US$187 million in gold imports Related Articles New full-cycle greenhouse complex planned in Kazakhstan’s Almaty region Ghana links greenhouse cultivation to cold storage and export markets From manual control to automation: lessons from Ukrainian greenhouses Kazakhstan greenhouse area exceeds 5 million square meters 12-hectare blueberry greenhouse project underway in Kenya Latest photo reports → See More International Propagation Seminar 2026 Propagate!

Why this matters: For operators, this is a water-management story. The useful signal is that direct substrate measurements can help cut drain loss materially without giving up yield or fruit quality, which is exactly the kind of controllable efficiency gain a facility can build on.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does substrate sensing matter in free-drain strawberry systems?

Because drain percentage tells a grower what already happened, while substrate moisture and EC data show root-zone conditions directly. That makes it easier to cut water loss without guessing.

What is the operator takeaway from this trial?

If the thresholds are understood well enough, growers can reduce drain water materially while protecting yield and fruit quality, which makes sensing an operational tool instead of a reporting tool.

"Research conducted on systems that reflect what growers use has a more direct path into practice"

Source: VFD.com © AmplifiedAg Container layout built around trial flexibility UGA's requirements called for separating plant groups, controlling irrigation and nutrients, and keeping plants accessible, with flexibility for different types of trials, and that shaped the layout from the beginning. AmplifiedAg built the research containers with insect screening

Little Leaf Farms expands retail reach

Source: VFD.com The Massachusetts-based controlled-environment grower has expanded its McAdoo, PA, campus while preparing to open a new 20-acre greenhouse in Manchester, TN. The investments are designed to add production capacity while placing more lettuce production closer to the markets the company serves. The Manchester facility

"You're building a greenhouse to last 30 years, so you've got to look into the future and plan to increase efficiency"

Source: HD.com We take the seed, put it in a cloth bag, pack wet material around it, and put it in the refrigerator for 30 days to six months depending on the cultivar," he explains. We've been collecting data for 40 years, but it doesn'

From beefsteak tomatoes to tropical gardens

Source: VFD.com The packing line currently handles production from around 30 acres of beefsteak tomatoes, with capacity for 50 acres. The company is expanding its greenhouse area by another 11 acres, with South Essex Fabricating building the new structure. Full LED at JEM Farms The second stop was JEM