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Growing ornamentals and vegetables in one of the world’s northernmost countries is not always an easy job. However, the Finnish greenhouse industry achieves major success through new technologies with environmental benefits. In Europe’s most rural country housing a population of nature lovers this might come more naturally than in other parts of the world.
It has been a long journey from the late 19th century manor houses, farmhouses and sawmills with adjacent gardens where vegetables were grown in the open field and in wooden cold frames to the 21st century state-of-the art- glasshouses which today can be seen crossing the Finnish landscape.
According to Jyrki Jalkanen, horticultural journalist, editor of Finland’s leading horticultural business magazine, Puutarha & Kauppa and a walking encyclopedia of Finnish horticulture, the origin of the Finnish greenhouse crop industry goes back over a hundred years. “It was from 1900 to 1920 and following the Second World War when in the southern part of the country, farmers began plant production in protected environments. They began growing tomatoes and cucumbers in glasshouses, with cut flowers and pot plants to follow in the 1960s and 1970s respectively.”
Ever since, the Finnish greenhouse industry has gone through several adjustments. “Profitability and investment levels reached their peak in the late 1980s following the liberalisation of the financial market,” recalled former vegetable grower, Esas Kivioja. He added, “At that time, imported vegetables couldn’t compete with domestic production due to protectionist foreign trade policies, consisting of both tariffs and quantitative restrictions.”
Esas, however, decided to close down his greenhouse business as the cost of fuel and electricity became a major concern over the last few years. There were also fears of the government withdrawing its 141/142 subsidies (see box 2) and subsidies on renewable energy as well as frustrations about the “silent vegetable cartel” with two major wholesale markets regulating the prices through price fixing and thus undermining the efficient functioning of the Finnish vegetable market.
Sisu
Apart from the friendly people and the scenic landscape, the most striking thing about Finland is the rare language dominated by extremely long words and rolling R’s. Most of the Finnish words come from a Finno-Ugrian origin and have no resemblance to words in any other language. Sisu is the prime example of a word that originates from 1000s of years ago and is key to understand more about the Finnish greenhouse industry. Sisu, means grit, strength of will and stubbornness. Living in a country which is situated between 60 and 70 degrees northern latitude – roughly one-third of the country lies north of the Arctic Circle- the Finnish greenhouse growers have needed much sisu to conquer the harsh winter conditions, to deal with soaring energy prices and cheap imports in a highly industrialised, largely free market economy.
Speaking about arctic temperatures and heavy snowfall, the winter of 2010/2011 engraved itself on Antti Pajunen’s memory. Antti is a managing director of floral wholesaler annex cut flower and bedding plant nursery Huiskula and stressed, however, that the winter weather severity should not be evaluated by temperature only. “The light conditions have also an important effect. What we prefer are ‘real’ winter conditions with lots of sub-zero temperatures and sunny days rather than milder temperatures with snowfall and no light.”
Technically speaking, greenhouses and associated equipment such as water pipes have been planned to resist temperatures to –35˚C. Antti added, “Most of the problems are related to blizzards causing racking of the frame and broken glass. In case of snow damage, broken glass is quickly replaced by using pre cut styropor panels. The actual glass repairing is carried out in spring.”
Wintry weather also hammers retail activity, with for example, Poinsettia growers crossing their fingers each year for mild temperatures over the Christmas sales season. “The transportation companies are experienced in conditioned transport and normally there is little frost damage. In the cut flower business (with weekly shipments) such damages are less critical than to a pot plant grower, who is waiting for his young plants. The young plants, which typically originate from Holland, Germany and Denmark are produced by order and damaged plants can not easily be replaced.”
Meanwhile, scientific research reveals that the Arctic is warming twice as fast as the rest of the world. Retreating ice offers access to precious minerals and new sea lanes, but according to Pujanen it is very difficult to see any signs of climate change locally. “We have had cold winters lately. What is happening statistically in large scale is different to what one can see in real life. It is commonly assumed that agricultural conditions in Finland will get better by climate change. These predictors forget that the light conditions will remain the same. This is important especially when considering the future perquisites for greenhouse production and the winter light conditions are expected to get darker.”
Finnish energy
To overcome the subfreezing temperatures and the gloomy, dark skies, heating and special lighting are one of the most important requirements for Finnish greenhouses.
As the country lacks domestic sources of fossil energy it must import substantial amounts of oil, coal and natural gas from its Russian neighbour with the first gas pipeline between the former Soviet Union (USSR) and Finland being completed in 1974.
In Finnish greenhouse horticulture, gas as heating source only plays a minor role. Gas pipelines are predominantly found in a very small area of Southern Finland. (see map) In the past, a handful of nurseries were connected to the gas grid, but over the last five years one after the other have switched from gas to wood chips or peat.
According to the Finnish Greenhouse Association the gas price is about 60 €/kWh. One of the countries largest greenhouse operations, Ansari Yhtymä used to consume quit large amounts of gas, but they acquired a peat boiler a few years ago. The gas connection continues to exist but is only kept as a back up. Some companies such as vegetable grower Harkalan use propane which is said to be up to 10 to 35% cheaper than oil depending on the season.
Overall, greenhouse companies consumed 1,700 GWh in 2011, a 2% decrease when compared to the previous year. As production volumes increased simultaneously, it is clear that the production efficiency has improved significantly. Light oil was still the most common source of heating energy with 577 companies consuming 99GWh. Although the use of light oil has declined rapidly it is still used for the temporary heating of seasonal crops.
Total heavy oil and gas consumption, mainly used by the larger greenhouse operations, has been declining since 2008, while fuel wood and peat are clearly on the rise with a consumption totalling 553GWh (Source: Matilda, Agricultural Statistics).
Coals from Poland
The choice of a heating system depends on what is locally available, the production requirements of the plants, cost, and individual choice as grower’s priorities are often different.
At Huiskula, over 820 tons coal /hectare per year are used. “Coal, however, isn’t a mainstream fuel for heating Finnish glasshouse facilities. Each year we buy a shipload from Poland. The use of coal has more to do with the company’s history than environmental or economical issues. We have used coal boilers since 1985. Until 2010, coal was a pretty good option, but in 2011 taxes rose 2.5 times higher than average. Coal continues to be cheaper than oil or gas even if the taxes (128 €/tn) are higher than the price of coal. Up to 50 to 60% of the taxes are refundable. The tax regime has been decided by democratic vote and we have no other choice than accepting it. The problem is that investments need to be planned on a long term and that the energy market (fuels and electricity) and taxation have been very volatile and unpredictable. The trade of carbon allocations is another complicating factor,” said Huiskula’s Antti.
The price hikes in imported oil and natural gas spurred greenhouse growers to look for more inexpensive forms of energy and currently 144 firms use wood heat. However, sod peat remains the most important domestically produced source of energy. According to the national agricultural statistics service, Matilda, domestically produced energy covers 30% of the energy consumed by Finnish greenhouse operations.
At Huiskula, plans were well underway for a wood-fired heating system slated to cover about 60% of the energy need. “The project has been rescheduled due the financial crisis in 2008. We prefer to wait on the sidelines and watch further economic developments before considering it again,” outlined Antti.
Wood burner
Keskitalon Puutarha Oy at Mynämäki is a year-round, 1.8 ha greenhouse grower of fresh, pesticide-free tomatoes for local supermarkets and wholesale businesses. Owner Lasse Keskitalo decided to ‘stay invested’ despite the economic downturn and spend €1 million for a recently completed wood burner with a two years pay back time.
At Keskitalon, tomatoes are grown at an average temperature of 22˚C and around 10.000m3 of clean, unpainted and low grade wood is needed to meet the company’s annual heat demand of 7,000 MW//h. Vital parts of the system are the wood fuel delivery system and the burner itself. A 500m3 covered wood storage facility and a covered conveyor to deliver the wood, which is sourced from sustainably managed forest within a 50km radius of the nursery, to the 3MWh Calortec boiler which was built by Suomen Megawatti Oy.
Prices for wood are developing in a relatively stable manner and largely independent of the sharply fluctuating world market prices for oil and gas.
One thing the father and son company is particularly proud of is the Sustainable Business Award recognising the environmental efforts of owwner Lasse Keskitalo and his 15 co workers
There are several wood energy contracting options, but in the case of Keskitalon, the local bioenergy company, Suomen Megawatti Oy, sells the heat and is responsible for building, monitoring, service, repair as well as chimney sweeping, while the boiler is owned by the greenhouse grower. In daily routine, this means that little work and effort is needed to keep the system up and running. Grower Lasse purchases his fuel from one single supplier and is invoiced on basis of the amount of actually produced energy ( €/MWh). At Keskitalon, this information can be found on a calibrated heat meter. Under this type of contract, the grower avoids the risk of having wood fuel of inferior quality. The boiler system is expected to reduce Keskitalon’s carbon dioxide emissions by over 2,000 tons per year. A 4MWh gas boiler serves as back up.
Light in the polar night
Mid winter greenhouse tomato production at Keskitalon is not an easy job because amidst the winter cold, the poor light conditions are an even bigger challenge to tackle. Lasse Keskitalo has found in OptoGrowia® from the Tampere-based Netled Oy, a promising lighting solution which is currently going through 160m2 of testing.
Keskitalon puutarha has installed six OptoGrowia modules in between the canopy.
Each module features an individually functioning, 25m long net with 10 horizontal LED bands including power supply and programmable controller. Nets with interwoven LEDs ensure an improved light distribution as the system is 1 meter tall with 10 rows of LEDs in stead of one single row as can be seen at other LED light suppliers.
Two lighting treatments were applied: with each treatment in one single greenhouse compartment: top lighting with SON T (1) and hybrid lighting with SON T above the crop in combination with LED lighting in between the canopy (2).
The light intensity from the lamps in all treatments was maintained at 340 µmol/s* m2 (SON T Top lighting) and 40 µmol/s* m2 (LED interlighting).
Total costs of the Keskitalon trial amount to €3/umol (SON T not included) with a 6 to 8 years return of investment. With Netled’s newly launched Hortishine luminaire, however, the ROI would be around 3 years.
In autumn and winter, the LEDs turned on and off in accordance with the SON T lighting programme at 2:00-4:00 hours to 20:00 to 22:00 respectively. “The goal was to light one hour extra than with traditional SON T lamps to diminish the stress caused by instant switching on/off of the lamps at the end of each light treatment. We also carried out a test using LEDs year round to calculate the feasibility of LED lighting during summer months,” outlined Netled’s managing director, Niko Kivioja.
The tests have shown that the LED lighting has a positive effect on total production. “Basically, the light that penetrates more deeply into the crop and increases the yields by 21% (Box 1) while energy consumption increased by 10%. LED interlighting presents major benefits to traditional SON T interlighting which requires a 120cm distance between the different plant rows to prevent heat damage. This results in lower crop densities and production levels. Of course, it must be taken into consideration that SON T interlighting in cucumbers lowers the moisture level in the substrate preventing the plants for being infested with phytium,“ said Niko.
He continued by saying that there are generally some misconceptions about LEDs and presumed low heat generation. “LEDs produce almost as much heat as SON T. The way SON T lamps dissipate heat is only different (radiation versus convection and conduction). In a laboratory environment, energy efficiencies of 50 to 60% have been reported when using LEDs. This means that 100Watts still produces 40 to 50 Watts of heat. In the end all non photosynthesized light will transform into heat. Therefore, almost sufficient heat load in the greenhouse is provided when LED power is applied as with SON T’s.
At Keskitalon, however, the costs for keeping the greenhouse at the right temperature by using wood fuel only makes up 35% of the total energy bill. Electricity is definitely more expensive than heat (50 to 65 €/MWh including transport) especially when high SON T light levels are used.
This winter, tests will be carried out to assess the energy savings by lowering the SON T top lighting intensities.
Employee comfort
Meanwhile, one of the challenges to be overcome is the employee comfort and visibility. “Worker comfort is one of our major concerns. So far, workers have indicated that there is no problem when working with LEDs, which can be explained by the hybrid system ensuring the right balance between red and blue light and SON T light. When red and blue light dominate, then it is very hard to see the difference between harvestable and green tomatoes. As for OptoGrowia, the light is distributed over a large area leading to a lower surface intensity of the luminaire compared to SON T interlights. This explains why it is less comfortable to look into a SON T interlight. However, if higher intensities are applied the worker convenience needs to considered, “ stated Niko.
When asked if LEDs affect the pollination by bees, Niko said Netled hasn’t been involved in direct research so far. “We receive only direct feedback from the grower who hasn’t reported any notable changes. The only remarkable thing seems that bees are extremely interested in the blue LED. Blue LED light is believed to be harmless to bees. Bees just locally investigate the blue light and after a while fly away. “
A relative newcomer in horticultural lighting, Netled has been founded on a company’s expertise in growing vegetables. Niko’s father, Esa Kivioja, established his KKK-Vihannes Oy company at Honkajoki back in 1986. Niko concluded, “He grew cucumbers and tomatoes in his 2ha Venlo greenhouses. In 1996 he switched to the organic production of tomatoes. A lot of research was done on organic substrates in close cooperation with Biolan Oy Jointly they developed a split root system allowing for yields which were comparable to non organic production. Today, the greenhouses have been sold to entirely focus ourselves on LED lighting. Innovation has always been one of our trademarks and with the developing of revolutionary lighting technologies we see this continuing.”
Valoya
Another illuminating exercise in LED lighting was seen at the Department of Agricultural Sciences of the University of Helsinki, the place where Valoya, a provider of energy efficient LED lights comes up with all the research and development for their wide spectrum LED technology. It is also the place where Dr. Timo Hytönen and his research group are studying the interaction between day length and temperature on vegetative growth and flowering of wild strawberries. When asked about the value of his research to the commercial greenhouse production of Fragaria x ananassa, Hytönen said, “F. vesca and F. x ananassa respond more or less similarly to environmental conditions and we are currently testing if flowering and runnering are regulated by the same molecular mechanisms. If the same genes control the same traits in both species, it’s straightforward to apply our data on cultivated strawberries.”
To analyse year round the function of several genes, the strawberries also need to be grown in the winter. The growing conditions need to be controllable, regardless of season. Thus they need to be grown without natural light in closed growth chamber conditions. Dr. Hytönen and his co workers tested Valoya AP67 LED lights to see if they would be suitable as artificial light sources for their growth room. They also tested High Pressure Sodium (HPS) lights and horticultural LED lights from a large lighting company. The test purpose was to evaluate suitability of the light spectrum, ability to produce sufficient light intensity and overall quality and performance.
Under the Valoya LED lights everbearing strawberries flowered after 5 weeks, one week earlier compared to the HPS lights, which induced flowering after 6 weeks from the beginning of the light treatment. In addition, the spectrum of Valoya LED lights allowed strict control of photoperiodic flowering response. Using the traditional red/blue/far-red LED fixtures from another manufacturer proved to be challenging. Fixtures required a very low installation height due to the low light intensity and the blue/red light made visual quality assessment and working conditions in the growth chambers more difficult.
Valoya AP67 LED lights fulfilled Dr Hytönens strict criteria’ s and Valoya delivered light fixtures to the whole growth room in 2011. The lights are now in active use, enabling shorter growth cycles, better flowering and high quality plants, without sunlight.
Hytönen, however, added that he and his team didn’t conduct an extensive analysis. “We just observed the appearance of the plants and checked whether they looked like healthy plants featuring a good growth and flowering time. Our primary interest is not to compare different lamps. They are just tools for us.”
LEDs test also Begonia!
In flowering pot plants, Valoya achieved also good results with Begonia.
Begonia grown under traditional HPS lamps show a decrease in amount of flowers and a diminishing intensity of flower and leaf color during winter time. When sunlight decreases in the autumn, HPS become the dominant source of light resulting in a decrease of productivity and quality of flowers. Typical symptoms in plants during wintertime are decreased leaf quality, less and smaller flowers per plant, lower dry weight of plants and a pale color of leaves and especially flowers. These reactions are found in other cut flowers and pot plants such as roses, Saintpaulia, tulips, Alstroemeria and Chrysanthemum.
According to Valoya’s research team, there is an evident connection between lower plant quality and a decrease in productivity with the dominant use of HPS light with its poor light spectrum. With the Valoya AP67 spectrum, producers are able to cultivate high quality flowers in an energy efficient way.
Enhanced flowering
Results show up to 21% more flowering stems on ‘Rebecca’ and up to 23% more buds on the ‘Reina’ variety with the Valoya AP67 spectrum compared to HPS. On average, ‘Blitz’, ‘Carneval’, ‘Rebecca’ and ‘Reina’ varieties showed 14% more flowering stems and 11% more buds with Valoya. The varieties had on average 6% less open flowers with the Valoya AP67 in comparison with HPS contributing to excellent shelf life.
Excellent color on flowers and leaves
All varieties had stronger colors on flowers and leaves with the Valoya AP67 spectrum than with HPS. As also observed with other plant types in earlier tests, chlorophyll levels were higher for all Begonia varieties with Valoya AP67, contributing to a beautiful, dark green leaf color. On average, chlorophyll absorbance was 11% higher in plants grown with Valoya AP67.
More compact plants
Plants grown under Valoya AP67 had very good symmetry and compactness. Plants were on average 12% shorter with Valoya AP67. Leaf petioles were 17% and flowering stems 12% shorter with Valoya AP67. In addition, the leaf area was more compact under Valoya AP67 being 7% shorter and 7% narrower, contributing to a compact and beautiful plant.
All varieties had significantly stronger colors on flowers and leaves under AP67 (left) compared to HPS (right). Chlorophyll levels were on average 11% higher under AP67.
Cool innovations
Although it is not always easy to imagine that in a country where in the most northern areas winter temperatures often drop below -30C, temperatures in a greenhouse definitely need to be lowered during hot summer weather. Dehumidification is equally important: if the air is drier, the plants can transpire more to avoid heat stress.
Novarbo Oy, a division of the Biolan Group, has combined both cooling and dehumidifying capacities in one single system, the Novarbo cold water curtain with one KW of electric power generating a 500W/m2 cooling capacity.
Rain and a cool breeze often bring a welcome relief from a blistering summer heat and that’s more or less the sensation one can experience on a warm, sunny day in the 1 ha greenhouses of the Köyliö-based cucumber, tomato and salad grower, Härkälän Puutarha. Here, the first ever Novarbo cold-water curtain technology was installed back in 2007.
Today, the section featuring the Novarbo cooling system covers and area of 1,600m2 with cucumbers and tomatoes on hydroponics.
The way the Novarbo system works is by employing special nozzles which create a cold water curtain. Water drops are an interesting way of cooling in that they are much more versatile than a large quantity of water. Upon falling down, the temperature of each individual drop rises 1 to 2˚C as warm humid air is forced to condense on the droplets. Subconsequently, the water curtain generates a free convection air movement within the greenhouse whereby no single fan is used.
A gutter equipped with anti splash shields to avoid the crop of getting wet, collects the water which is then directed to the 100m2 water retention basin using a water spraying adiabetic cooling system. (An adiabetic process is a conversion that occurs without input or release of heat within a system).
One of the biggest challenges is the availability of sufficient cooling water with a temperature below 18˚C. The efficiency of the aforementioned adiabetic water spraying system is closely linked to the wet bulb temperature* which reaches low levels in Scandinavia and in dry continental climates. In Finland, for example, the wet bulb temperature is 16˚C on a warm summer day (25˚C and a 40% relative humidity, Source: Ir. Karl Sewalt TNO).
Company owner, Mikko Härkälä explains the 25% extra yields have been the major drive behind the relatively costly system ( €70/m2). The average yield is between 4 to 5 kg/week/m2. Some weeks, production levels can be over 5kg, while other weeks less than 4kg. Yields in winter and summer are almost the same”, outlined Mikko.
Another benefit of the system is that plant diseases and pests can be better controlled as the greenhouse stays closed; no chemical crop protection products are required. Moreover, the system leads to a more efficient use of the 25,000 to 30,000 lux HPS lamps. As windows stay closed we can add enough CO2 to the atmosphere around the plants and this in combination with lighting allows for an improved photosynthesis.”
* The wet-bulb temperature is the temperature a parcel of air would have if it were cooled at constant pressure (adiabatically) to saturation (100% relative humidity) by the evaporation of water into it, with the latent heat being supplied by the parcel[1]. An actual wet-bulb thermometer indicates a temperature close to the true (thermodynamic) wet-bulb temperature. The wet-bulb temperature is the lowest temperature that can be reached under current ambient conditions by the evaporation of water only; it is the temperature felt when the skin is wet and exposed to moving air. Wet-bulb temperature is largely determined by both actual air temperature (dry-bulb temperature) and humidity, the amount of moisture in the air.
Safeguarding the environment
Finland is renowned worldwide for its successful education system and has excelled in PISA OECD Programme for International Study Assessment ratings consistently over the years.
Horticultural journalist, Jyrki Jalkanen, puts it this way, “I think we really do care about each individual but also create opportunities for more talented kids and youngsters. Basically we don’t allow anyone to stay behind which means hard work for both students and teachers. Moreover, Finns are mostly keen to learn new things and have a broad interest in what is happing in the world.”
Narrowing the education system down to horticulture, Jalkanen outlined that Helsinki University is the country’s sole university where one can get a degree in horticulture. “Additionally there is one polytechnic institute, the HAMK offering a four years education in horticulture along with 2 to 3 larger schools to study horticulture and floristry.”
A well educated workforce has been a key factor in the development of a modern competitive economy which is a home of leading high tech companies with a strong focus on environmental protection.
Speaking of a safeguarding the environment, hydroponic lettuce and potted herbs farm, Honkatarhat Oy, produces up to 1 million heads of lettuce per week using no pesticides in their controlled greenhouse environment. The company’s pride is the Green Automation system, a non traditional method of growing hydropnic lettuce in gutters making better use of greenhouse space by using a horizontal system with movable, rectangular PVC gutters to permit spacing to be adjusted as the lettuce grow.
A section of seedlings begins the process at the rear of the greenhouse. After one to two weeks of growth, depending on the season, the whole section is moved forward. As the gutters are moved ahead, they are also spread apart on the skids, to make room for more growth. Then a new section of seedlings is added behind the section that has advanced. More moves follow after additional growth, until the initial planting has reached the other end of the greenhouse by which time its gutters have been spaced several inches apart to correspond with the size of full-grown lettuce. After harvest, the liberated gutters are cleaned and filled with new rockwool in which seeds are sawn automatically. According to Honkatarhat’s managing director and co-owner, Hannu Pitkänen, the Green Automation system respresents major benefits as it maximise available space by 30 to 40%. As a result, less heating/cooling and lighting is needed.
PHOTOS
SEEMAP
Gas pipelines are predominantly found in a very small area of Southern Finland.
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HOOFDFOTO
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State-of-the-art cucumber grower, Puutarha Timo Juntti Oy at Kaarina.
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Covered wood storage facility at Keskitalon Puutarha Oy.
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Calibrated heat meter at Keskitalon Puutarha Oy.
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Lasse Keskitalo has found in OptoGrowia® from the Tampere-based Netled Oy a promising lighting solution which is currently under 160m2 testing.
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“Basically, the light that penetrates more deeply into the crop and increases the yields by 21%, “ said Netled Oy’s managing director, Niko Kivioja.
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Dr. Hytönen and his co workers tested Valoya AP67 LED lights.
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Dr. Timo Hytönen and his research group are studying the interaction between day length and temperature on vegetative growth and flowering of wild strawberries.
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Valoya fixture.
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The Novarbo cool water curtain with left to right Novarbo’s technical director, Anssi Jalava and managing director, Teppo Rantanen.
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Gutter system for salad growing at Honkatarat.
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After harvest, the liberated gutters are cleaned and filled with new rockwool in which seeds are sawn automatically
The Finnish greenhouse area dedicated to cut flowers and plants was 130 hectares in 2011 of which 5 ha for year round rose production. Speaking of roses, the glasshouse area used to grow roses in Finland has fallen from 43 ha to less than 5 ha over the last ten years. The reasons for the steep decline are well-known; Climatic conditions in the prime growing areas in Kenya and Ethiopia (supplying the European market) are much better than in Finland and all costs of production other than transport are far below Finnish levels.
While cheap imports have driven the majority of the rose farms out of business, Huiskula, producing 5.5 millions stems per year, is one of two companies in Finland which so far have survived the battle of the blooms. Commenting on today’s rose business, Huiskula’s production manager, Jali Murto said, “Costs are definitely higher than in Holland and then I don’t even consider cheap labour in Africa. It may come as little surprise that we have a higher energy demand and efficiency levels could be much higher. Meanwhile, the domestic demand dictates growing over 40 different varieties, which inavoidably leads to more compromises, lower yields and less efficiency.”
Meanwhile Jali preferes to believe in bloom instead of gloom and doom. Finnish consumers are sophisticated with an eye for quality. “In the end it’s our customer who decides. Only they can tell how long they will prefer Finnish roses. So far they did.”
Huiskula is specialised in medium flowering roses, including oldies such as ‘Mercedes’, ‘Jaguar’and ‘Kardinal’. Apart from being royalty free, these roses represent a niche market. “’Mercedes’ may be an outdated cultivar but there is still high demand for its specific, somewhat striking red colour which cannot be found in any rose. It’s difficult to compete with “internationally grown” varieties,” said Jali.
Huiskula is slowly switching from roses to bedding plants but continues to have faith in Finnish cut flower production. “It is true that the future for bedding plants looks more promising than for cut roses. I don’t believe, however , that the coming years, Finnish cut flower farms will all have gone out of business. Production of cut tulips, for example, is important. As for cut roses, all looks not so rosy. A lot of businesses have collapsed except Huiskula and a few others. I don’t know what will happen with the 4 ha the coming 10 years. That’s for our customers to decide,” concluded Jali.
Jali preferes to believe in bloom instead of gloom and doom.
Huiskula’s cash and carry store.
Facts and figures
Finland’s horticulture sector consists of production in open field and greenhouse. Certain vegetables, fruits and berries are grown outdoors, while greenhouses are predominantly used for producing vegetables and ornamental plants.
The number of enterprises engaged in horticulture products is about 6,280 and the value of horticulture production is about 350 million euros. 63% is greenhouse production and 37% in open field.
The most common vegetables grown outdoors in Finland are garden peas, carrots, onions and cabbages. The most common berries produced are strawberry, currants and raspberry. Of the fruits only apples are grown for the market.
Cut flowers, pot plants and bedding plants along with tomatoes and cucumbers rank among the most important greenhouse crops.
Agrifood Research Finland currently reports that the agri food sector in Finland contributes a value of €6,1 billion to the national economy, generates 2,1 % of gross value added and provides 3,2 % of national employment.
The Finnish agri food sector accounts for employment of 80 000 people, working directly at country’s farms. The overall Finnish GDP according to Statistics Finland is €161, 2 billion.
Source: Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. www.mmm.fi
Kekkilä: king in the land of a thousand mires
Often dubbed ‘the land of a thousand lakes’, Finland is also the largest peat producer in the European Union. Founded in 1924, leading supplier Kekkilä specialises in premium quality substrates for professional horticulture. Responsible business practices prove that the company is highly committed to the environment.
Even though peatlands are scattered around the globe, it is not easy to determine how much peat there is in the world. Not only is this information unavailable or scarce, but the criteria used to assess peatlands can vary between countries. The most recent studies indicate that there is over 4 million km2 of peatland worldwide. This is approximately 3% of the earth’s terrestrial and freshwater surface, and 10% of its global freshwater resources.
In the European Union, peatlands cover an area of approximately 282,000 km2. While most EU countries have areas of peatlands, the most extensive areas are in the north, north west and east, particularly Sweden, Finland, the UK, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. (see table 1 EPAGMA).
Public support
Speaking of Finland, according to the trade body Turveteollisuusliitto, the association that represents the interests of the peat businesses in Finland, one third of the country (338,000km2) is covered (9.4 million ha) is covered by peat. In addition to forests and lakes, mires (the wetlands where peat is being formed) characterise much of Finland’s landscape with the lion’s share of peatlands dominating the North and the West.
Overall, peatlands in Finland cover an area of 9 million ha of which only 60,000 ha (0.6%) is in production.
As Finland is highly depending on the import of fossil fuels –oil, natural gas and coal- the share of domestically produced energy is only 30%. Over the years, the share of peat in energy consumption has ranged from 6 to 7%. Peat along with wood is used for heating over one million homes. The Finnish peat industry employs directly and indirectly over 12,000. As a majority of the 5.3 million Finns (UN, 2010) don’t feel comfortable about the dependency on imported energy sources, there are relatively high levels of public support for the Finnish peat industry.
VAPO
Put in a historical context, the use of peat as a fuel was fostered by state regulation. In 1971, the Finnish government adopted a plan for peat fuel production, aiming at an annual production of 10 million m³ by 1980 by the state-owned and state funded VAPO, which was founded in 1940 as the State Fuel Office. Before the 1970s, VAPO’s task was to produce firewood for state institutions and kindling and railway sleepers, but in 1969 VAPO started producing peat. After the first oil crisis, VAPO’s peat production target was doubled. At the same time, peat fuel was subsidised via the tax system and laws supporting the use of domestic fuels, including low-cost public loans and investment aid for peat-fuelled power plants.
An important turning point in the Finnish peat industry in the late 1960s was the merger between VAPO and Suo Oy, which was a peat-producing company owned by the state-owned electricity company IVO Oy. VAPO continued and developed the peat fuel production of Suo Oy. By the end of the 1970s, VAPO was , and continues to be, the biggest peat producing company in Finland.
Kekkilä
Founded in 1924 by agricultural scientist annex farmer. Mikko Jortikka, Kekkilä is a division of the VAPO group since 1994. The industrial VAPO group is 50.1% owned by the State and 49.9% by Energiavarat Oy.
Being part of a multinational (annual sales €705 million in 2011) brings major benefits as VAPO’s commitment to quality, environmentally friendly production and customer service creates a strong synergy with Kekkilä. Factory manager, Mrs Paivi Laakso, added that through VAPO much wanted access is provided to extensive peatlands in Finland, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
In situ, bog dephts vary from 2 to 7 meters and have a life span ranging from 30 to 70 years. The combined peat production area for VAPO’s peatlands is approximately 45,500 ha. Weather conditions are crucial for the harvest which reaches its peak in May, June and July and each year at Kekkilä fingers are firmly crossed for dry weather as heavy rain make the ground too waterlogged to get tractor mounted harvesters out into the fields. When harvesting milled peat, a milling drum mills the bog surface to a depth of about of 1-3cm leaving behind a layer of milled peat which subsequently is turned over and corrugated by a spoon harrow.
Drainage
Drainage is a key issue of peatland usage because over 95% of the weight of natural peat mass is water. Especially at the initial stage of ditching, a lot of water is released and directed by the force of gravitation to streamlets, rivers and lakes, carrying along solid substances and nutrients. It is said that peat production is responsible for 0.7% of phosphorus and 1% of nitrogen emissions to water courses (Power and Heat from Peat- Peat in Finnish Energy Policy 1940-2010) so it shouldn’t come as little surprise that Kekkila is highly committed to environmentally friendly production of the 17 million cubic meters (5 million tons) of peat which is annually produced in Finland. 90% of the peat is used as biofuel and the remaining 10% serves as horti peat. (The cubic meter weight for energy peat is 200-300 kg/m3 and for horti peat 80-200 kg/m3).
Paivi Laakso stressed the company operates in compliance with national and international regulations, especially the 2011 Finnish National Strategy for Mires and Peatlands. In the company’s annual report VAPO’s managing director, Mr Tomi Yli Kyyny stated that this strategy matches the demands of peat production, forestry, agriculture and mire conservation. “This paper provides a shared and up to date vision of the mires in Finland and the sustainable and well thought use of peatlands. The strategy is the fruit of a working group under the guidance of the Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.”
The ‘Furthering of Implementation of New Methods Developed for Water treatment at Peat Harvesting Areas’ is a joint project between VAPO Oy, Turveruukki Oy, the country’s second largest peat supplier and the Finnish peat association and is a major boost for Finnish peat companies looking for sophisticated mechanical and chemical techniques to reduce emissions from the drainage network.
Meanwhile, at VAPO, approximately 11,000 ha is equipped with basic water treatment systems. One of the goals is to have the highest level of water treatment by 2014, accounting for a total investment of €30 million. Commenting on Kekkila’s wetland treatment methods, VAPO’s Juha Koskiniemi outlined that in addition to basic methods such as field ditch structures, sedimentation ponds and peak run-off control, the company’s methods are overland flow field, grassed infiltration area and chemical treatment. “They are called the “best available techniques (BAT)”. At the moment 80 % of our peat area is under BAT and our aim is to have 100 % BAT by 2014,” said Koskiniemi. He added, “Additionally, purification of drainage water of peat harvesting processes is done with chemical treatment in some special cases. We have 15 chemical treatment places covering a production area of over 3,000 ha.”
New premises at Eurajoki
A new and significant milestone in the company’s history was reached on Thursday June 9th, 2011 when Vapo’s CEO, Tomi Yli Kyyny and the major of Eurajoki opened the new 3,500 m2 factory which was built to replace the one in the April 2010 fire.
The first compressed products for professional end users in seedling, planting and forest nurseries were ready for sale by March 2011. At the Eurajoki facility, the production process comprises of screening, mixing and packing lines. Palletizers and a stretch hooder complete the process. With two state-of –the-art mixing lines screed peat mixed with other horticultural additives and a wide range of different fertilizers. Four different packing lines are flexible and capable of filling multiple packaging types such as compressed bales, flat filled loose bags and open mount big bags. Eurajoki plant is currently ranking among the most modern in Europe.
Superior Sphagnum fuscum
At its Eurajoki-based bogs Kekkilä harvests reliable, high quality white Sphagnum peat which is used for a wide range of horticultural products. This premium quality Sphagnum fuscum, by European growers often indicated by the old brand name Finnpeat, is the head ingredient of substrates with fine to medium particle size. In the ornamental and vegetable industry, this type of substrates is widely used by young plant producers who highly praise its superb structural stability, excellent aeration and perfect buffering capacity. These key features in combination with a state-of-the-art- production facility ensures a highly reliable product which is appreciated by thousands of professional growers around the world. Irrigation levels can easily be adjusted by these growers, and the different batches of the substrate respond in a similar way.
Kekkilä peat ensures plants with a uniform growth habit and practically no plant losses.
Kekkilä peat hosts a range of beneficial microorganisms which protect the plants against pests and diseases in a greenhouse environment. Studies and trials have shown that sterilised simply cannot compete with the natural Eurajoki substrate made of white Sphagnum peat
Another major benefit of the white Sphagnum which is sourced from the Kekkilä bogs is that the peat production areas are surrounded by large natural woods, which provides protection from any agricultural or municipal material, and are thus weed and chemical free. Kekkilä peat gives any plant production the perfect boost.
