Greenhouses
Fungal disease control in a Shahrekord tomato greenhouse
Botrytis resolved by fixing ventilation and VPD rather than increasing fungicide.
- Fungicide cut
- −60%
- Night humidity
- 92% → 78%
- Area
- 1.5 ha
- Year
- 2023
Challenge
The operator was applying fungicide every ten days yet Botrytis kept spreading. Resistance was building and input costs had climbed sharply.
Solution
Rather than switching fungicide we first monitored the greenhouse climate. The data showed night-time relative humidity staying above 90% with VPD close to zero. Night ventilation, irrigation timing and plant spacing were revised, and fungicide use was cut to two preventive applications at critical points.
Results
Fungicide use fell 60% and infection was limited to scattered cases the following season. Fruit storage quality improved as well.
Other projects
Rebuilding the nutrition programme of a Rafsanjan pistachio orchard
38% less mineral fertiliser alongside a higher split-nut percentage — achieved purely by correcting timing and application form.
Trunk injection of plane trees on central Isfahan avenues
Sucking-pest control on 1,200 plane trees with not one drop sprayed in a public space.
Low-water landscape scheme for an industrial estate
Lawn replaced with native ground cover, cutting annual water demand by 55%.