Greenhouse Report

Bamboo Greenhouse Demonstration Project

A Demonstration Jamaican Bamboo Greenhouse

Supported by the

Maryland Hawk Corporation2009

Farmers Access to Regional Markets FARMS

Introduction


To reduce the high cost of imported raw materials this “green” demonstration project used local bamboo to replace steel and wood framing in the construction of the greenhouses. The project analyzes the feasibility of building 2 greenhouses with locally sourced, treated bamboo. Treated bamboo is optional.

Two prototype Jamaican greenhouses were built at locations with different elevations and terrain.

The first greenhouse was a 50 ft x 16 ft facility constructed in Caymanas, Middlesex, St. Catherine Parish in the Jamaican lowlands.

The second was a 100ft x 16 ft greenhouse in the higher elevations of Mocho, Middlesex, Clarendon Parish.

Following are the specifications, cost and photos for the 100ft greenhouse in Mocho. There are some accompanying photos of the 50ft greenhouse at Caymanas.

Why Jamaica Bamboo?


Bamboo :

Grows more rapidly than trees and start to yield within three or four years of planting.

Establishes quickly and requires minimal capital investment and builds upon the inherent plant-cultivation skills of local farmers and foresters.

Can be harvested annually and non-destructively.

Is excellent for rejuvenating degraded lands and protecting against soil erosion.

Is easily intercropped with shallow-rooted crops.

Has culms and other parts of the plant that have many uses for rural livelihoods -shoots for food, leaves for fodder, and branches for items such as brooms and for firewood.

Jamaica Bamboo Facts


Durability of bamboo in construction is directly related to how well it is handled from the moment of planting through harvesting, transportation, storage, design, construction and maintenance.

Bamboo harvested at the correct time of year and then exposed to ground contact or rain, will break down just as quickly as incorrectly harvested material.

Bamboo is 16% harder than maple wood, 1/3 lighter in weight than oak, yet in some instances as strong as steel.

Bamboo holds the promise of a sustainable, cost effective, and ecologically responsible alternative to the widespread clear cutting of our old growth forests.

This plant has the ability to grow in almost any type of environment.

Another benefit of this plant is that Bamboo can restore degraded lands since it is able to thrive in soil damaged by overgrazing and poor agriculture.

Jamaica Bamboo HectaresSource: Forestry Department’s National Forest Management and Conservation Plan (2001)


Table 1: Bamboo Occurrence by Hectares

Land Use/ Cover Classification Area (ha) Notes

- bamboo 2,780 - lands with > 75% B. vulgaris

* Data based on satellite imageryfrom year 2000 - bamboo & fields 29, 155 - lands with >

50% B. vulgaris

- bamboo & disturbed forests 12,690 - ditto

Total Hectares: 44,625


Land Use and Forestry 1989 and 1998, km2

Land Use 1989 1998

Built up land 531 523

Buildings/ Other infrastructure 519 523

Bauxite Land 12 49

Agricultural land a) 4150 4026

Fields 2732 2745

Plantations 831 823

Other agricultural land b) 587 458

Other non-forest areas 136 136

Bare rock 9 9

Small islands 2 2

Herbaceous wetland 109 109

Water 17 16

Total non-forest land use/cover 4817 4734

Forest 3429 3402

Bamboo 28 30

Mangrove 98 97

Closed broadleaf 887 882

Disturbed broadleaf 1812 1786

Short open dry 121 121

Swamp 24 23

Tall open dry 421 420

Pine forest plantation 50 43

Jamaican Land Use1989 & 1998 km2


Jamaica Geographic Map


Jamaica Geographic Map


Specifications

Dimensions:Dimensions:

Caymanas greenhouse 50 ft x 16 ft

Mocho greenhouse 100 ft x 16 ft

A 16ft high greenhouse was constructed in the higher temperature lowland’s at Caymanas. A 14ft greenhouse was constructed in the cooler, higher elevation Mocha location.

The 16ft width accommodates the spacing of plant rows.

Treated whole length bamboo of different diameters and lengths were used. Some were split into slats.

Roofing: Polyethylene UV

Siding: Shade cloth 45%

The Greenhouse Construction Design was provided by the USAID Jamaica Mission.

The following material is for the 100ft x 16ft greenhouse in Mocho.


Pieces Description Diameter Length Total length

22 uprights 5” 16 ft 160 ft

20 connecting rods 2.5-3” 10 ft 200 ft

11 connecting rods 2.5-3” 16 ft 176 ft

2 roof sides 2.5-3” 20 ft 40 ft

10 lower ends 3” 10 ft 100 ft

10 roof upper ends 4.5” 10 ft 100 ft

18 roof slats supports 2-2.5” 17 ft 306 ft

40 roof slats (1/5) 5” 20 ft 160 ft

10 side mesh top slats 5” 10 ft 20 ft

6+4+3 Doorway section 4” 7,8,10 ft 104 ft

Material ListManufactured/treated bamboo


Material listingother Materials and hardware

4 bags of cement and relevant sand and gravel

36 x 4” x ¼” bolts with 36 nuts for the joins.

20 x 5”x 3/8”bolts with nuts to hold roof to base on lower part.

20 x 7” x 3/8” bolts & nuts to hold roof to frame on top part.

10 pieces of 12”x 2”x 2” pine for lower roof joins

10 pieces of 12” x 2”x 4” pine for upper roof joins.

5 lengths 1x 3” rough pine x 10’ for door frame

3 lengths 1x3” rough pine x 14’ for door mantle.

2 pairs of 6” T hinges for 2 doors

UV plastic sheeting 106 ft long x 22 ft wide

250 ft x 12 ft Shade cloth 55%

Pack of 2500 1 ½”staples


Tools & Construction Equipment

Special requirements:Special requirements:

2 sets of scaffolding (made with bamboo & form ply)

Generator to run compressor and drills for hole sawing and doweling

Compressor to run heavy duty staple gun.

Regular Tools including saws, hammers, drills, shovels, digger bar and ladders.


Labor Requirements & Costs (JMD$)

Day 1 - 2 men

Site layout $ 5000

Digging of holes $15,000

Day 2,3,4 & 5 - 7 men

more digging, setting uprights, frame out, slat bearers $52,000

Day 6,7 & 8 - 7 men

set up slats, and UV plastic $39,000

Day 9 & 10 - 8 men

meshing, set up doors and entrance room $34,000

SubtotalSubtotal $145,000$145,000


Details of Costs (JMD$)

Bamboo(optional treated unscraped) 1366 ft JMD$136,600

Lumber several 2,711

Cement 4 Bags 2,600

Hardware(screws, bolts, staples, hinges) overall 4,500

UV plastic sheeting 1 Role 29,431

Shade cloth 45% 80 m role 4m high 37,795

Operating Costs 56,000

Subtotal 269,637

Labor Costs 145,000

Total Cost JMD$414,637


Summary

Scope of Work and Observations:Scope of Work and Observations:

The first greenhouse was smaller and required more time to construct than the second larger greenhouse. The lessons learned in the first greenhouse were applied to the second, decreasing the construction time 25% for the larger greenhouse. By using a construction advisor the number of construction workers can be greatly reduced. With a technical advisor the labor required can be reduced to a farmer and 2 helpers to construct this type of bamboo greenhouse.

A special scaffolding was built with bamboo.

Avoid windy conditions when attaching the plastic. Working with the plastic sheets on during windy conditions for the 100ft house required twice the installation time.

Based on experience with the first greenhouse built on site at the bamboo factory, changes were made in the roof anchoring to the base frame. The new method used a small bamboo hole sawed into a metal bolt and nut.


Economics of Bamboo Preservation


-Source: Chapter 12 from INBAR Technical Report No.22: Bamboo Preservation Compendium by Walter Liese and Satish Kumar, International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR) http://www.inbar.int

Total cost is a major consideration when price comparing construction materials. Locally sourced untreated bamboo is a low cost material compared to metal and many timber frames. “Treated or manufactured bamboo”, however, may exceed the costs of other framing material. A cost comparison and affordability requires an analysis between the initial costs and long-term costs comparisons of the extended service life. The following aspects of bamboo preservation should be considered when making an economic evaluation and justification of preservation and/or manufacture bamboo:

1. Expected life span of untreated and manufactured vs. treated bamboo.

2. Cost of local raw bamboo vs. labor cost for manufactured bamboo.

3. Matching various treatment costs to required life span.

4. Ongoing service costs to repair & replace degraded bamboo.

Construction 50ft Greenhouse

1. Digging the holes 2. Concrete filling 3. Placing pole supports



4. Correct adjustment 5. Starting the roof 6. Watch the scaffolding



7. Supervisor 8. Extending detail 9. Roof completed



10. Greenhouse roof

11. Plastic installed

12. Shade cloth


13. Entrance 1 14. Entrance 2 15. Detail roof




16. Inside 50ft 17. Roof detail 18. Roof vent



19. Entrance 20. Side view length 21. Top view



22. Inside view 23. Front view 24. Side view


Observations & Recommendations

Demonstration cost estimation was inexact especially for the first greenhouse.

Due to the varying natural bamboo lengths, it was difficult to correctly estimate the linear feet and number of bamboo lengths required.

The project underestimated the roof construction and plastic and shade cloth installation time and cost.

Supervisory technical assistance needs to be well coordinated with laborers

Transportation and drive time to the construction site were underestimated.

Better site selection and preparation would have reduced labor and construction costs.

Guttering should be standard for all greenhouses.


Observations & Recommendations

The project underestimated the work involved to dig 1 1/2´ deep pole foundations in the rocky and hilly Jamaica terrain.

Prefabrication of greenhouse sections at a manufacturing site and transport of the sections out to the construction site would reduce the onsite labor and construction time.

Prefabricated sections could be combined with self-help or mutual-help teams assisted with technical assistance for “barn raising” construction to reduce labor costs.

Experimentation with other varieties of bamboo such as Guadua bamboo may reduce the treatment cost, build time to build and us a simpler design.

The 133sqft demonstration greenhouse may be too large for Jamaican farmers . A smaller expandable version would reduce the initial investment and involve more farmers.


Useful Sites

Francis, John k. 1993. Bambusa vulgaris Schrad ex Wendl. Common bamboo. Gramineae. Grass family. Bambusoideae. Bamboo subfamily.. USDA Forest Service, International Institute of Tropical Forestry; . 6 p. (SO-ITF-SM; 65.) http://www.treesearch.fs.fed.us/pubs/30351

Farmers Color Fields with Flowers in El Salvador in Bamboo Greenhouses http://www.usaid.gov/stories/elsalvador/ss_es_flower.html

The Jamaican Protected Agriculture Training Manualhttp://www.hightunnels.org/PDF/Training_Manual_Endorsed.pdf

Low cost greenhouses using bamboo frame structures https://greenhousehimachal.wordpress.com/

Bankable Scheme/Area Development Project on Cultivation of high value cash crops under Green house/poly house in Darjeeling hills region. http://planning.up.nic.in/innovations/inno3/ph/ployhouse.htm

The National Bamboo Project of Costa Rica: a Case Study of the Role of Bamboo in International Development http://www.inbar.int/publication/txt/INBAR_Working_Paper_No16.htm

www.myfarms.net

INBAR TOTEM: BAMBOO PRESERVATION BY SAP DISPLACEMENT by Satyanarayana Rao Institute of Wood Science and Technology (IWST), Bangalore 560 003, India

http://www.fao.org/teca/es/content/bamboo-preservation-sap-displacement


Contact and Credits

Sponsored by:

The Maryland Hawk Corporation a 501(c)(3) non-profit affiliated with the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) a Historically Black (HBCU), 1890 Land Grant-University. www.mdhawk.org Daniel S. Kuennen, Executive Director. [email protected]

In-country project coordinator:

Mr. Wes Moses , Country Director/Jamaica, CDC Development Solutions, [email protected] 876 -815 -4342

Fabricator and Contractor :

The Original Bamboo Factory http://www.originalbamboofactory.com/Mr. John Hamilton, Caymanas Estate, Spanish Town P.O., St. Catherine Jamaica W.I., Phone: (876) 746 9906 Fax: (876) 746 9905, Email: [email protected]


Documents

Greenhouse Report