Feasibility study:

A greenhouse feasibility study makes it possible to have an overall view of the existing abilities and a desire for modernization or for building a new, modern greenhouse. It can provide a framework within the given climatic conditions and predict the vegetable crops probable yield and quality, as well as a suitable profit. If the feasibility study shows that the greenhouse project is sustainable, then the next step is to prepare and draw a detailed business plan. Both the feasibility study and

the business plan should be left to experts who shall, in the best of ways, introduce the growers or investors to the world of the greenhouse vegetable crop production.

Modern greenhouses include the following:


The two types of greenhouses have similar characteristics with regard to its structure and indoor installations. Protection against external environment, vegetable early ripening (its edible parts), a shorter vegetation period, simplicity in controlling the climatic conditions optimal for the crop(s) growth and development, protection against diseases (conventional protection and/or biological) are just some of the numerous important aspects and necessities in the greenhouse vegetable crop growing.

Factors to consider in opting for the greenhouse vegetable crop growing are as follows:


Considering the aforesaid, most of the vegetable varieties (tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, cucumbers, watermelons, cabbage, lettuce, etc.) are grown as follows:

The modern greenhouses are tall (4.5 m and more) made up of plastic or glass structures, equipped with various indoor installations that provide favorable conditions for the selected vegetable crops, as well as complete control in growing crops for the duration of the entire vegetation period (control of the crops feed, irrigation, timely implementation of agrotechnical measures, disease monitoring, and preventive actions). A general recommendation is to build the greenhouse on a flat terrain (or on a low-gradient slope, 1–2%). On the other hand, if necessary and financially sound, such structures may be built on a higher-gradient slope, but with the help of proper engineering technology that can provide a flat production area. This means that the land parcel selected for the modern greenhouse has to be leveled so that the foundation of the structure can be built properly to last for a number of years (15– 20 or more). In fact, when considering investing in the modern greenhouse and its long-lasting quality usage, there are three important factors to be taken into account and never economized on the following:

1.**Terrain leveling** of the area designated for building the modern greenhouse, as well as leveling the production area and building the foundation. The modern greenhouse should last for quite a long time (10–20 years or more) and there is folk proverb that says "no good roof without a good foundation", or better still, no good greenhouse.

*Advantages of Growing Vegetable Crops in Modern Greenhouses DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.101469*


The modern greenhouse total area depends on various factors. It usually covers 1 ha and goes up to dozens of hectares. The volume of such structures is huge, which makes it difficult for the air to circulate and refresh the space. So, the ventilation can be improved by the greenhouse vents on the roof and/or on the sidewalls, as well as by the use of fans, usually fixed along the ceiling. The optimal number of fans per area/volume unit, as well as the area and type of the vents is determined upon certain greenhouse parameters, the vegetable crop climatic needs, as well as the outdoor climatic conditions of the particular region where the greenhouse is located.

During the building of a greenhouse, one of the most important things of the construction process is building the foundation of the greenhouses. Among several types of foundations, the right type of foundation can be determined by the style of greenhouse and building codes. It is important to emphasize that the foundation is the complete system on which the greenhouse structure sits. One of the most important components of the foundation is the footing. Footers are typically poured concrete and their exact depth is determined by local building codes and the location's frost line to avoid structural damage, which can occur with the freezing of surface-level soil. Generally, the climatic conditions of a region are a crucial factor in selecting a type of the greenhouse and all its structural elements and indoor installations. It is advisable to collect all the data from a relevant hydrometeorological service for a larger number of years, of minimum 10 or up to 30 (or even more, if possible) in order to see what the extreme climatic conditions are, which helps define the greenhouse foundation and frame types, as well as the type and quality of the covering material to be used for the construction. Thus, a team of experts of various professions in charge of the greenhouse design and construction can easily propose the best of solutions for a particular greenhouse where particular vegetable crops are to be grown and in a particular region. The modern greenhouse has specific structural elements, as well as indoor installations.
