Vladimir agronomists beat their own records for growing vegetables. The main task of greenhouse farms in the region is maximum food independence from imports.
The microclimate in the premium greenhouse. During the day it is +21, and at night – three degrees less. For a good pouring of tomatoes – this is what you need.
“In the greenhouse, we have 10 vegetable growers who are engaged in care work and also make sure that the plants are clean. There are also specialists in plant protection and irrigation,” says Evgenia Providova, head of the section of the Vladimir greenhouse complex.
Tomatoes – juicy, ruddy and well-fed. Almost two hundred grams of weight of each fruit. Dutch tomatoes are exchanged for domestic ones here.
“We will try to adjust the growing conditions for our, domestic hybrids, and select special conditions for them in order to get the maximum yield,” the head of the site finishes.
About ten different varieties grow in greenhouses. Large-fruited, plum-shaped, cherry tomatoes and others. The plant’s specialists are actively experimenting and relying on Russian manufacturers.
— We have already tested many of these hybrids. I have this import substitution in my head, that we can request and replace Dutch hybrids in case we can’t deliver what we wanted. Perhaps we will lose some share of the crop, but we will try to rectify this by more optimal maintenance of the microclimate in the greenhouse and by improving the technology,” says Vasily Vasilyev, Deputy General Director of the Vladimir Greenhouse Plant.
Fifty kilograms of tomatoes are harvested here from one square meter. During the season – two and a half thousand tons. For the growth of vegetables, only natural fertilizers are used, also Russian ones. They are loved not only by tomatoes, but also by cucumbers. They are model looking.
There are no foreigners in cucumber greenhouses. Vegetables are only domestic varieties that grow on trellises in natural light. They are pollinated by bumblebees, and insect pests are destroyed by entomophage bugs settled in greenhouses – their natural enemies.
– Bumblebees cannot stand pesticides, and we produce bioagents in our biolaboratory – these are predatory mites that feed on the pests that we have here. […] It is very important! If it weren’t for our biological laboratory, we wouldn’t be so clean,” says Galia Mukhamedzhanova, head of the section of the Vladimir greenhouse complex.
One of the main markers of the quality of vegetables is the smell. It is these fruits that are considered environmentally friendly. Therefore, Vladimir tomatoes and cucumbers are loved from Moscow to Tver region. Thanks to the support of the regional authorities, the geography of deliveries is growing.
— Since 2017, we have been receiving serious material support in the form of gratuitous subsidies. Our production is very energy intensive. This is one of the most significant cost items for the plant. The regional administration supports us well in this regard. Thank you! – says Vasily Vasiliev
The main goal is the modernization of the plant. To ensure productive import substitution, new greenhouses are needed, because the old ones are almost half a century old.
Projects for the reconstruction of two hectares of greenhouses have already been developed. Cucumbers in them can be grown on hanging gutters, and the yield should grow by 125 percent.
