Ostara Partners with Haygrove for Trials to Enhance Polytunnel Growing Environment
Ostara climate control software automating venting in Haygrove’s polytunnels
Leading polytunnel manufacturer and berry grower, Haygrove, is collaborating with climate control software specialists, Ostara, to conduct trials assessing the effects of polytunnel automation on the growing environment.
The trials, based at Haygrove’s site in Ledbury, UK, compares two systems: simple polytunnels with manual venting and sensor monitoring, and Haygrove’s polytunnels with automated vent control managed by Ostara’s software. The trials began in June and will assess which polytunnel system can maintain the desired environmental conditions for the longest period of time over the growing season.
As climate change causes increasingly unpredictable weather patterns, more strawberries are now grown under cover as a barrier to protect the plants from these destructive weather events. By adding venting to the polytunnels, growers can regulate temperature by keeping the environment warmer during cold periods and cooler during heat waves.
Haygrove provides a range of polytunnels from simple rain covers to mechanical venting options to fully retractable roofs. Their aim is to take glasshouse technology principles and design them to be economically viable for field-scale production, giving growers the potential to boost yield and quality, manipulate crop timing, improve labour efficiencies and adapt to a changing climate.
Ostara is a climate control and monitoring software designed to automate environmental management in polytunnels. It works by receiving data from sensors inside the polytunnel and adjusts key elements, like venting, based on this information. For example, during a heatwave, sensors detect rising temperatures, and Ostara automatically opens the vents to prevent overheating and crop dehydration.
The aim of the trial is to determine whether automated venting can maintain optimal growing conditions while reducing the labour costs associated with manual adjustments. Ostara allows growers to set target ranges for temperature, humidity, and vapour pressure deficit (VPD), and the vents are automatically adjusted to maximise the time spent within these ranges.
VPD is a key metric for growers and is defined as a measure of the difference between the moisture in the air and the maximum amount of moisture the air can hold. Managing VPD is important because it helps growers control the amount of water plants lose through evaporation and transpiration, ensuring optimal conditions for plant growth.
At the end of the growing season, the trial results will be published, revealing which system performed better and enhanced the growing environment. If you're interested in integrating Ostara’s climate control system, which manages vents, heating, cooling, and shading, into your polytunnel, get in touch with our team here.
