Greenhouse complex “MARJAN-MID” saves human resources, water and energy resources, while increasing their crop yield with 15%!
Results achieved throughout the first year of using ONDO
30% reduction in human resource used
15% increase in crop yield
10% less fertilizer used
5% less water consumed
5% less energy consumed /electricity, gas, fuels/
Return on investment – 100% in the first year!
Thanks to ONDO we achieved complete automation for our greenhouses. We control the automated irrigation and fertigation, as well as the temperature management. We also control the air humidity inside the greenhouses as well as many other parameters. The key benefit is the immense time savings – we only send commands to ONDO and it does its job. By far we have positive impressions only.
Marjan Mitev, owner of greenhouse complex MARJAN-MIDThe Challenges
The greenhouse complex “MARJAN-MID” is specialized in growing a vast range of vegetables, including early vegetables. The farm is constantly looking for ways to innovate the irrigation, fertigation and climate control used in their greenhouses.
Considering the increasing size of the farm and the expanding diversity of vegetables grown in it, it became clear that the control of all processes was becoming more complex and there was an increasing need for human staff who would control those processes, in a timely and accurate manner.
The need for optimized and automated management of the irrigation, fertigation and climate control, for easy setup and starting of programs for irrigation and fertigation that are specific, well-defined and verified for each of the crops grown, has led the owner Marjan Mitev to research available solutions and eventually contact the team at ONDO.
The key goal pursued by “MARJAN-MID” via the integration of ONDO farming automation tools is increasing the ease and precision in every aspect of the crop growing. The ultimate goal is – increasing the crop yield and the productivity of the staff employed in the farm.
The Solutions
Automation of irrigation, fertigation and climate control with ONDO
Solution integrated – ONDO LITE for greenhouses
0.4 ha of greenhouses controlled by ONDO
Considering the size of the greenhouse complex, the team at ONDO recommended the integration of ONDO LITE. This ONDO solution is suitable for midsize farmers seeking to automate their farms but in need of managing and controlling a fairly small number of irrigation and fertigation valves and climate control units.
With ONDO LITE, “MARJAN-MID” can control 1 main pump or 1 main valve, 12 irrigation valves and 1 main water meter. With regards to the fertigation, by using ONDO LITE the farm can control up to 3 fertilizer dosing channels, 1 dosing buster pump and up to 3 fertimeters. ONDO LITE can control the vents, misting and circulation fans in the greenhouse complex.
ONDO software platform allows to create up to 30 irrigation programs, 30 fertilizer dosing programs and 30 weekly schedules. In addition, it visualizes the full historical data on all automated processes, allows to activate failure alarms, adapt the irrigation and fertigation in line with a 3-day weather forecast and more.
The team at ONDO has integrated ONDO LITE with MARJAN-MID’s current infrastructure for irrigation, fertigation and climate control. As a next step, the greenhouse management will be installing a misting system as well as a weather station. All of this new equipment will also be integrated with ONDO LITE.
The Results
30% reduction in human resource used
20% less fertilizer used
15% increase in crop yield
5% less water consumed
5% less energy consumed /electricity, gas, fuels/
By using ONDO’s solutions for precise and automated irrigation, fertigation and climate control, “MARJAN-MID” managed to achieve a much easier and faster management on all crop growing processes. The programs created for irrigation and climate control, as well as the recipes for fertigation, are specific for each crop and for the growth stage of each crop. Thanks to the continuous monitoring of processes, the greenhouse staff can monitor and verify, remotely, the correct functioning of the entire automation, can receive notifications in case of eventual issues in the infrastructure and react in a timely manner, minimizing any potential damage for the crops.
With less effort and approximately 30% less labor force – an effect resulting from the coronavirus crisis – “MARJAN-MID” managed to achieve increased crop yield, even in their first year of using ONDO. ONDO now allows them to work in a more relaxed and effective manner.
The next step for the farm is feeding ONDO with even more precise and detailed parameters related to the growing of the different crops, so the potential and feature set of ONDO can be utilized in full.
About greenhouse complex “MARJAN-MID”
- Greenhouses for vegetables – tomatoes, pepper, eggplant and others
0.4 ha
Sachevo, Strumitsa, North Macedonia
MARJAN-MID is a greenhouse complex in the village of Sachevo, Strumitsa region, North Macedonia. The complex has been founded in year 2000, with the first greenhouses being covered by polyethylene. In year 2002 година the farm installed its greenhouse heating system, based on wood. At present, the complex has 1.3 ha of covered greenhouses and 1.5 ha open fields.
In 2018 the farm performed complete renovation for 0.4 ha of covered greenhouses, by using a coverage made up of double polyethylene with air padding and circulation vents at the roof. In 2019 the farm starts the integration of ONDO automation for all processes, controlling the circulation fans, the vents, the precise irrigation and fertigation. The climate control is realized via a sensor box.
The farm is constantly looking for ways to integrate innovative agricultural technologies on the farm.
