Interviews & Feedback P .5 In particular, we spent time visiting the facilities of: Koppert Biological Systems, where we spoke with entomologist and consultant, Tim Bossinga. Koppert is an international firm, which specializes in providing biological control services and natural pollination to both greenhouse and outdoor growers. Our conversation with Tim gave us many new insights into the practice of managing insect populations within greenhouses. In particular, we learned how broadly used beneficial insects already are for pest control in the Dutch greenhouse sector. We also discovered certain restrictions on keeping insect populations in greenhouses, such as how many of them are unable to handle prolonged exposure to high levels of CO2. Technokas and Bode Projecten, where we spoke with director Peter Zwinkels and engineer Bart Wolters. These sister companies are experienced in handling the design and establishment of greenhouses from concept through construction. As such, we were able to gain many insights into the general costs and requirements of establishing and operating a greenhouse. Additionally, Technokas is the originator of the Fresnel Daylight System, which we were very interested in exploring as a potential energy-producing option for the Polydome greenhouse. Fytagoras, where we spoke with Arie Draaijer, Wessel Holtman, and Henrie Korthout. Fytagoras is a spin-off company from Dutch research institute TNO. They conduct a variety of studies on the growth and development of plants, particularly as relates to greenhouse management. Among many other things, we learned about the importance of gas sensors in greenhouses, the impact of oxygen levels on root systems, and the commercial need for synchronizing plant germination. These ideas influenced our thinking about which basic technological systems must still be included in a Polydome model. PlantLab, where we spoke with Gertjan Meeuws. PlantLab is an innovative company exploring the possibilities of efficiently growing plants under fully artificial conditions in order to achieve maximum turnover and efficiency. We learned a great deal about the artificial environments in which plants can flourish, including that when all other conditions are right, they can continue to grow just as quickly, if not faster than usual, with only 7% of their normal light exposure. Bouwen met Groen en Glas, where we spoke with Emile Quanjel. BGG is a campaign, which helps stimulate the integration of glass and plant elements into the built environment. We wanted to explore the possibilities for the use of a system like Polydome, and discover which stakeholders might be interested. Kainga Farm, where Bianca Verrijdt gave us an inspiring tour of her small polycultural farm. Though we visited only after most of our research had been completed, we were gratified to find real-life confirmation that many of the concepts we were working with do bear out in practice. We were charmed by the delicious food and happy animals. Polydome: High Performance Polyculture Systems 89 An important part of our process is the involvement of stakeholders and industry experts. In developing the Polydome Concept, we also consulted with a number of stakeholders and solicited their feedback, as well as relied on them for certain data. Pagina 88

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