HISSC Interstate Inspection at Metrolina Greenhouses

A Brief History of Metrolina
Greenhouses
1973- the original 4 acres
1976-we have our first pond in place
1998
1998
2007
2012
2013
A History of
Water Treatment At
Metrolina Greenhouses
Water Source/TreatmentHuntersville 1972-1976
 1 acre till about 10
acres
• Well Water
Water Source/TreatmentHuntersville 1976 and up
 Period of rapid expansion
 10-30 acre
 Wells could not keep up
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Well Water
First pond dug ~
No water treatment
1984 second pond dug
Water Source/TreatmentHuntersville 1996 summer time
 Ponds going dry
 Dirty water plugging
lines
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Well Water
~5 acre Pond
0.5 million gallon tank
Particulate filters
Water Source/TreatmentHuntersville 2000
 Continued period of
rapid expansion
 70 acre to 120 acre
 Short on water
• 5 to 15 acre Pond
• 0.5 million gallon tank
• Particulate filters
Water Source/TreatmentHuntersville 2001
 120 acre
 Water still “dirty”
plugging nozzles
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5 to 15 acre Pond
0.5 million gallon tank
Particulate filters
Sand filtration
Sand Filters
Water Source/TreatmentHuntersville 2005
 120 acre
 First use of copper
ionization to treat
water for pathogens.
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5 to 15 acre Pond
0.5 million gallon tank
Particulate filters
Sand filtration
Copper Ionization
Copper Ionization
1.5 ppm Copper
Water Source/TreatmentHuntersville 2004
 New period of rapid
expansion
 120 acre to 140 acres
 Short on water
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15 acre Pond
0.5 million gallon tank
Particulate filters
Sand filtration
Copper Ionization
New 10 acre pond
Water Source/TreatmentHuntersville 2012
 New range
completed
 187 acres
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25 acre Ponds
0.5 million gallon tank
Particulate filters
Sand filtration
Copper Ionization
We have a lot of water to treat
 Sources
 Nearly 100% from rain and
irrigation runoff; a second pond,
a well, are backup
 Captured in ponds, treated,
stored in tanks and delivered to
plants
 Volume
 125,000,000 gallons of treated
water last year
 (average 340,000 gallons/day)
All Stages of Plant Growth
Seeds-
Cuttings-
Plugs-
Finished-
300million
80 million
380 million
150$ million
Water could be effecting all stages of growth.
Discussions With Charlie
 First email 9/24/2008
 Why did we start talking
with Charlie
 Lingering feelings that our
water was not as good as it
could be.
 Feelings that it was holding
back growth.
Example
Survivor Blues
Well
Pond
Rocky Mountain Lavender
 Pond water grown plants were 22% shorter with 10%
less fresh mass than plants grown with well water.
How much water do
we need to treat?
 Use up to 1 million gallons of water per day.
 Able to store 1,500,000 gallons and have 3,000,000 gallons
on hand daily between flood tanks and water tower .
This is a lot of water to treat and
was BIG decision because of the
cost
Discussions With Charlie
 Many iterations
 Treat both ponds. Ozonating directly into pond
 Treat one pond. Ozonating directly into pond.
 Aerate both ponds.
 Aerate both ponds. Inline ozonation system both ponds
 Ozonate only water coming from pond 2 into pond 1.
 Treat one pond. Ozonating directly into pond.
 Aerate one pond. Inline ozonation one pond
Visit To Other Growers
Visits To Fisher Farms
 March 24, 2009
 Ozonating directly in
pond.
 Small pond.
Visits To Lucas Greenhouse
 September 2010
 Treating recycled water
used for sub-irrigation.
The TRIAL Dramm installed their portable trailer ozone unit at
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our greenhouse.
Hooked it one boom (80 5 foot by 10 foot tables)
Another booms was on regular water
A third boom on well water
Side by side trial.
Pansy Results
0.90
Fresh Mass (gram/pot)
Delta Pure Gold
0.85
Mickey
0.80
Cool Wave Yellow
0.75
0.70
0.65
0.60
0.55
0.50
0.45
0.40
Well Water
Pond Water
Pond Water Plus Ozone
Pansy Results
0.90
Fresh Mass (gram/pot)
Delta Pure Gold
0.85
Mickey
0.80
Cool Wave Yellow
0.75
0.70
0.65
0.60
0.55
0.50
0.45
0.40
Well Water
Pond Water
Pond Water Plus Ozone
Pansy Results
0.90
Fresh Mass (gram/pot)
Delta Pure Gold
0.85
Mickey
0.80
Cool Wave Yellow
0.75
0.70
0.65
0.60
0.55
0.50
0.45
0.40
Well Water
Pond Water
Pond Water Plus Ozone
Initial Trial - Comparing Ozonated Pond
Water to (Filtered) Pond Water
Results – Germination Percentage
@ 14 Days - Petunia
Ozonated
Pond Water
Raw Pond
Water
Raw Well
Water
Results – Pansy Root Development
@ 14 Days - The ozonated pond water showed excellent results
Ozonated
Pond Water
Raw Pond
Water
Raw Well
Water
Hurrah Blue Bicolor comparison between week 48( treated with pond water )
and week 49 Pond water with Ozone treatment
Ozone
Pond water
ozone
Pond
Root development – the same
even though the plants treated
with Ozone have been sown one
week later
Observing some roots they are
far ahead with ozone treatment
Petunias Hurrah's Test-The same colors different sown weeks :
Week 48 (11/28/12) sown and grown with pond water plus
nutrients
Week 49(12/5/12)sown and grown with treated with Ozone pond
water plus nutrients
Pond water
Ozone
Pansy Cool Wave comparison
Summary of Trial
 Not every crop showed a benefit (like marigolds)
 But saw enough to convince our team and ownership
that this was a good investment.
 We have Started to move forward in 2012
What was there initially
 4 500 gal/min pump
 Sand filters w/glass media
 Copper ionization
 500,000 gallon storage tank
What new was installed
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Pond Aeration system
Beneficial Bacteria Regimen
4 500 gal/min pump
Sand filters w/glass media
“5 micron” pre filter
Ozone generator
Ozone mixing tank
“5 micron” post filter
Copper ionization
500,000 gallon storage tank
Aerators- Up close
 12 Disk Aerators were installed on bottom of the
pond.
Aeration
The aeration is turning the water
in the entire pond over 6 times per
day bringing more oxygen that
improves the water quality.
Ownership is 100% involved at all
times
Multiple Air Disks will be used to
exchange air in the pond
Art & Thomas determining
placement of Air Disks :)
Air disks
Ozone Generator and Mixing
Summary of installation
 Start up has been going on for 18 months.
 System has not been 100% operational
(estimate 70%)
 System has been frequently updated and
modified to make it work.
 Dramm has stood behind this system
100%.
 Everyone is learning.
Is it working?
 We feel our water has improved.
 The last year has been challenging disease wise
 but over all we feel our water and crops are better.
 More proof?
Petri Strips
Petri Film-Yeast
Petrifilm-Aerobic Bacteria
Manganese Levels
0.60
Large Pond
Small Pond
0.50
Mn (ppm)
0.40
0.30
0.20
0.10
0.00
18-Oct-12
26-Jan-13
06-May-13
14-Aug-13
22-Nov-13
02-Mar-14
10-Jun-14
18-Sep-14
Focus on Dissolved Oxygen
Raw Pond Water
Friday
Thursday
Raw Well Water
Wednesday
Tuesday
Monday
Ozonated Pond
Water
0
10
20
30
40
Dissolved Oxygen, ppm
Actual dissolved oxygen levels applied to the plants were
constantly recorded.
Upon Trial Completion –
Full system installed
 Average 7-10 days reduced time on most liners
 Up to two weeks on begonias, petunias and marigolds,
 3 weeks on Pansy in 88’s cell (very rapid development
there)
 Complete cropping time reduced by 2-4 weeks
 20% reduction in fungicide use
 More robust root systems, less damage in shipping
and at retail – more drought tolerant, etc.
 Continuous removal of all biofilm and algae from
filters and pipes
Huntersville - Dump Rates by Year
FY Year
Dump Dollars
Sales Dollars
% of Sales
FY 2008
$5,430,933
$120,489,000
4.31%
FY 2009
$4,281,259
$125,875,378
3.29%
FY 2010
$2,881,092
$125,911,222
2.31%
FY 2011
$1,789,432
$128,981,100
1.38%
FY 2012
$2,037,239
$140,121,192
1.45%
FY 2013
$2,817,851
$145,611,098
1.93%
FY 2014
$827,153
154,999,012
0.53%
The Goal:
Top Quality Product on Carts going to our stores and into
customers carts and then into their gardens and water quality
has a lot to do with it .
Dissolved Oxygen is the bio-product of the
ozone treatment system
Initially purchased for its disinfection power, the ozone process “residual” is high levels
of dissolved oxygen (DO). DO has become a vital input across all our growing stages.
Getting Proper Levels of Dissolved Oxygen
to the root zone has many benefits
 Increases nutrient uptake and conversion efficiency
 Increases beneficial bacteria population, while
excluding harmful bacteria population
• Reduces plant stress, improving
immune system response, therefore
its resistance to disease
It is a well-known fact that a plant’s roots require dissolved oxygen.
A healthy plant is an efficient plant.
Poinsettias on Flood Floors
Before
After
photos….
photos….
Conclusion
 Water treatment is a journey.
 Still learning and adapting new technologies,
but definitely the right call for us …
 Dramm’s System has worked with us and
support us during all stages ,so we feel this
was a positive decision and with reducing
timing/increasing plant health and delivering
outstanding product is an investment that
worked for us .
Thank You!