According to Cannabis Business Times’ “2017 State of the Industry” report sponsored by Nexus Greenhouses, 34 percent of cultivators use rolling benches in their operations.
This number comes as a surprise to Paul Golden, Controlled Environment Agriculture Engineer and Northern California Sales Manager for Nexus Greenhouses. The additional costs are vastly outweighed by making the most of the greenhouse, he says.
“By using benching systems, you can achieve up to 85-percent utilization by eliminating aisles, up from 60-percent utilization with stationary benches or pots on the ground, which means a lot more throughput for the same energy cost to run your facility.”
Rolling benches increase efficiencies by eliminating aisles. The tops of the benches roll on top of the lower racks, leaving only one movable aisle and more room for your crops. Labor efficiency also increases, as fewer employees are needed to cover the same space, which is an added benefit to integrated pest management (IPM) by reducing the amount of contact between workers and plants.
IPM Tip: “We recommend having concrete slabs. It makes a more even surface for the bench to lie on, and the concrete slab prevents pests from coming through the soil.” -Paul Golden
Palletized systems can bring another level of efficiency to your grow by turning benches into conveyor belts. “You’re making a pretty big step forward in operational management; imagine a plant rolling down a conveyor belt, and trimmers are doing what they need to do,” he says. “You start bringing factory type efficiency to your greenhouse.”
While this might not be cost-effective for some smaller growers, other automation features like drip systems, ebb-and-flow trays and cleaning processes can be added to make rolling bench systems even more efficient.
Benches can last over 20 years, trays 10 years and emitters two years, and cost between $5-$10 per square foot depending on the design. But Golden says growers won’t have to wait long before seeing a return on investment. “You can easily pay out $50,000 and get $250,000 in added return in the first year.”
When choosing benching systems, Golden advises cultivators to consider greenhouse space versus bench-top space and how that relates to how the state defines canopy restrictions.
“It is an additional cost,” Golden says. “But a lot of people don’t understand the efficiency gains that come back to them by using rolling benches and eliminating aisles, and making the best possible use of the greenhouse.”
