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Production Challenge
Using Perlite
The tomato crop is grown in perlite, a volcanic rock which is recycled each year. The operation requires approximately 30,000 cubic feet of perlite.
About a cubic foot of Perlite is in each lay-flat bag with four plants placed in each bag. We buy the perlite in bulk. The bags are custom-made to our dimensions and are filled each year on-site."
Once the perlite has been used for a season, it is removed and shipped to a composting company in Nevada where it is mixed with other ingredients and marketed to gardeners and other customers. For Las Vegas Delight to reuse the material would require purchasing specialized equipment to sterilize everything. Otherwise, there is a risk of developing soil-borne diseases such as pythium and rhizoctonia. At present, the view is that the cost of sterilization equipment is too prohibitive for current greenhouse volume. While replacing the perlite is an expense, the investment has been paying off. "We have yet to spray for any type of diseases here," Gerhart says. "In my opinion, most diseases can be kept in check by controlling the environment. If you can keep your environmental conditions ideal, you reduce the risk."
Las Vegas Delight managers keep a tight lid on environmental conditions inside their greenhouses with computers, which monitor and manipulate everything from heating and cooling to venting and irrigation scheduling. Computers also measure sunlight and other outside conditions.
"We irrigate with a blend of nutrients which go directly to the plant roots," Gerhart says. "This is a recipe developed over time, where we look at what the plant is taking up and what is not being utilized. We may modify that recipe each week, depending upon what is happening with the plant. We look at the nutrient levels on a daily basis and then make the decision whether adjustments are needed."
Computer-driven programs signal when irrigation is to take place, varying the amount of water distributed according to specific needs. If the light intensity is high, more water is distributed; if less, the supply may be reduced.
"We also look at the drain, the leaching that is coming out of the bag," the manager says. "If the level is below what we have established as the proper ratio, we irrigate more. If it is higher than we want it to be, we will reduce the amount of cycles. Everything is measured on graphs. We can see on a daily basis how much nutrient consumption the plant is actually taking up." Water containing too much sodium and fluoride can cause toxicity levels to build, interfering with the plant's ability to take up necessary nutrients.
One of the advantages the company has over others involved in greenhouse production in other areas of the country is the number of hours of sunlight. Las Vegas Delight is able to produce high-quality tomatoes even during the prize off-season winter market.
"We are in a very high sunlight area," says Gerhart. "Except for the sunlight, we can manipulate anything in our greenhouses. We control our humidity level, temperature, the amount of CO2, the way we grow our plants, and our culturing practices. The only limiting factor is the amount of sunlight, and there we have one advantage being in the Southwest. We can produce tomatoes even in the dead of winter.
Since the amount of light exposure is so important. Gerhart relies on a high-tech robotics washing system which, at the flip of a switch, sweeps up and down the glistening terrain of greenhouse glass, washing away any dirt and grime accumulated from construction and other activity going on in the Las Vegas area. This system also applies whitewash on the exterior glass for shade in the summertime.
"Many growers like to talk about how many pounds per plant they get or how many kilos per square meter, and obviously that plays a role," Gerhart stresses, adding that much more important is the overall bottom line. "If you are able to produce and market quality tomatoes the rewards will be there," he says.