NaanDanJain design Medical Cannabis projects with an eye to the future

more than a year ago, requests began to arrive at naandanjain’s planning department, for medical cannabis growing projects. the projects varied greatly in content and character, whether from greenhouse companies that expected to be integrated into the turn-key project offered by companies, private customers that ran the project on their own and wanted naandanjain’s partial or full planning guidance (including consultation), or customers who wanted a turn-key project.

initial steps in the planning process were accompanied by uncertainty: on one hand, questions arose about regulation, such as what is the gap standard ? health ministry requirements?
part of naandanjain’s customer guidance also included provision of sanitary plans for health ministry approval, or drainage plans for agriculture ministry approval, while in parallel, questions arose concerning the growing area, which was also vague. the company understood that variation in this field was so great that it had consequences for the projects per se.

 

this variability arises primarily from various operational considerations derived from the crop target, and influences customer demands. for example, if the crop was designated for the oil and crème industry, operational considerations would differ from a case where the crop was designated for the medical cannabis industry.
operational considerations also influence the growing method – should they grow one large bloom or a large number of densely set plants, should the growing cycles be short or long, in what area and in what climatic zone should they be raised – for example, in certain areas, farmers will avoid growing the plants in the summer, and others in the winter, due to high energy costs.

 

“initially,” says nimrod regev, “we encountered very different requests that required different solutions, bringing us to plan a flexible project that adapts itself over a longer time, taking into account changes expected to occur in the growing method resulting from altered operational considerations.
“it’s important to understand that once greenhouses are built and pipelines are already installed, it’s harder to execute changes, and therefore we need to take into account future changes in the field even years ahead. it’s important to create reliable solutions and to maintain continuity of irrigation. the cheaper solution is not always the best or safest.”

 

since cannabis growing projects are very large and involve high expenses, of which the costs of climatic and irrigation control constitute a small portion of projects expenses, it’s important to choose a reliable company that plans control and irrigation systems well, and supplies quality, reliable products so that the plant receives the very best conditions and its yield will be high.

“many customers who don’t come from the world of agriculture, don’t understand just how important this is. ultimately, naandanjain is responsible for building the system that feeds the plant, which is the most important component of the project, and must be considered very carefully.”
several subjects must be considered when preparing to plan or erect a cannabis growing project irrigation system:
irrigation and drainage system – cannabis cultivation is generally divided into different growing compartments. naandanjain plans the system so that each compartment receives the appropriate fertilizing formula, according to its variety and growth stage. another important project component is the greenhouse drainage system.  a solution is needed for extra run-off from a detached substrate.

 

 

the planners analyze the area as it exists, prepare a complete drainage plan, and propose a solution for collecting run-off with pumps and treating it. if the customer wishes, drainage can be returned to the irrigation system through a dilution junction, or can be discarded from the system after treatment. ndj also supplies “dutch” collection tanks for an operational reservoir, in case of a water outage.

comprehensive control – whether regarding greenhouse climate control or irrigation and fertilization control, naandanjain‘s acquisition of gavish systems company about five years ago has added an important level to the company’s ability to provide cannabis growing projects with a very reliable, overall control system that includes climate control and precise nutrigation tables.”

 “in the cannabis growing process, control and maintenance of desired climatic conditions are very significant. for example, on one hand it’s important to maintain ideal temperatures for the plant, on the other hand we must be careful not to increase humidity levels beyond a certain point, to prevent conditions enabling the appearance of botrytis cinerea or other humidity damage. ndj has supplied and installed high pressure stainless steel fogger systems for cooling purposes, which when properly coordinated with air circulation systems enable good uniform cooling, without adding humidity to the system.”
“gavish climate controllers” provide a smart solution for customers who request connection of sensors to the system in order to determine the pressure in the greenhouse, to control the carbon {dioxide?} level in the greenhouse, control the temperature, humidity, solar radiation, coordinating it together with fertilizer control. gavish fertilizers are appropriate for providing the precise desired level of fertilizer, whether the instruction is transmitted directly to an electric nutrigation table such as the mixer table, or electrical dose pumps, dutch fertilizing systems, etc., according to the project’s requirements.

 

over the past year, the company has sold and set up more than 10 project systems in israel and abroad. all medical cannabis projects meet the gap standard, and ndj sells irrigation products for all types and stages of growing: drip hosing for large plants or micro-solutions for rooting or hardening. the company’s extensive list of products can be adapted to any requirement. ndj has participated in projects including an r & d nursery, a medical cannabis project, as well as commercial companies.

non-agricultural companies have also entered the cannabis field, so customers must be careful to choose the right company. “naandanjain,” notes nimrod regev, “is among the few companies capable of supplying the gamut of solutions under one roof – from planning to end solutions, with high reliability, and of course with attention to customer needs, throughout planning, erecting, and also being available to the customer after the project has been set up and running.”