Tomtech, the UK leader in technology for commercial greenhouses, have installed control equipment in a new glasshouse used for research and development by RAGT Seeds.
RAGT produce cereal crop seeds planted by arable farmers across the UK and Europe, including wheat, barley, oats, maize and oil seed rape, as well as grasses and plants used to restore soil health.
Tomtech’s installation took place in a new greenhouse which has been added at their UK headquarters in Ickleton, near Saffron Waldon in Essex.
The greenhouse specialists designed and installed a control panel which works with their T200 system to monitor and control ventilation, shading screens, hot water heating system, extraction fans and LED growing lights.
Stable growing conditions
“RAGT are one of the world’s largest and most trusted arable seed producers, so it’s an honour to be able help them achieve stable growing conditions for their research and development” says Krzysztof Hernik, managing director of Tomtech.
Across Europe, RAGT have over 300 breeders and technicians working in 17 research stations, with new varieties of crops in development in 63 trial locations and more than 28,000 experimental plots.
RAGT is Europe’s number one cereal seed provider and delivers high-yielding breeds which they continually develop to satisfy ever-changing agricultural needs and environmental conditions.
Tomtech’s T200 is a monitoring and control system for multi-zone greenhouses which automatically alters heating, ventilation, irrigation, fertigation and other factors based on user-defined programming and changes in conditions.
Software tracking
The system monitors variables including temperature, humidity and light levels which are tracked and recorded through Tomtech’s Environment Manager software.
The installation for RAGT Seeds in Ickleton required a complex control panel through which all of electrical connections for the ventilations, shading, heating, extraction and light systems could be routed.
“Our technology will make it even easier for them to maintain the best environment in which they can create the successful cereal crops of tomorrow” adds Mr Hernik.
Tomtech was established in 1986 and has been at the forefront of developing greenhouse control technology. Their systems are used throughout the UK, Europe and further afield to optimise growing conditions for almost every type of crop grown or developed under glass.
