Work from the crop
FAO’s greenhouse production manual treats site selection, covering materials, climate management, irrigation and plant nutrition as connected topics. A structure specification on its own cannot describe an entire production system.
Start a project discussion with the crop, local conditions and the intended growing calendar. Then ask how each proposed system supports that plan. A lighting or irrigation quotation is easier to evaluate when the production assumptions are explicit.
Compare operating decisions
Our suggested project worksheet puts the major choices next to one another: crop schedule, structure, growing medium, water supply, climate equipment and the records the team will maintain.
The aim is to expose dependencies before purchase. If one proposal changes a production assumption, put that change into the comparison rather than treating all quotations as equivalent. FAO’s cited manual focuses on Mediterranean conditions; use its framework with advice suited to the actual project location.
Further reading
Researched and written with AI assistance; references are listed for verification.
