The first crop was harvested from the 21 square meter plant cabin installed in the high school garden in Trabzon, where lettuce was grown using soilless agriculture.
Prof. Dr. A plant cabin, provided with a 100 percent grant provided within the scope of the “Farm in School Project” carried out in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Ministry of National Education, was installed in the garden of Necmettin Erbakan Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School 6 months ago.
In the first stage, the students grew 736 lettuce roots in the cabin prepared by a private company in Trabzon Teknokent, which provided the water, lighting, temperature, appropriate nutrient ratios and acidic conditions required by 8 different plant species.
The students, supported by the Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry teams, had the joy of harvesting their first crop. It is planned to grow tomatoes, cucumbers and strawberries in the plant cabinet.
Ortahisar National Education Director Cemil Karakaş said that students had a nice production area by taking advantage of the opportunities of technology.
Karakaş stated that work is being done to provide the energy of the plant cabin from solar panels and said, “In this context, we will also open an area completely dedicated to technological agriculture at the 80th Year Multi-Program Anatolian High School.” said.
Stating that they attach importance to the project, the infrastructure works of which started 1.5 years ago, Karakaş made the following evaluation:
“Our children see the production of plants on site and we provide a great service to our nation. We will get healthier products by getting rid of economical and pesticides. Agriculture-based technology was applied here as a school for the first time. In this respect, it is an important project.”
“Our goal is to ensure that our children spend the most productive 4 years.”
School Principal Halil İbrahim Aydın said that they aim to ensure that students receive education in different fields.
Aydın also gave information about the cost of the project and said, “We are a project school that raises awareness. Our aim is to ensure that our children spend 4 years in the most productive way in different fields within every possible means.” he said.
Stating that the software of the project was prepared by academics at Karadeniz Technical University, Aydın said, “The software and electronic hardware of the project allows growing various products such as tomatoes, cucumbers and strawberries. We tried to explain how agriculture can be done in a city with difficult and rugged geographical conditions like Trabzon.” he said.
Karadeniz Technical University Faculty of Engineering Electrical and Electronics Engineering Dr. is one of the managers of the company that developed the software of the project. Lecturer Member Ayhan Yazgan shared the following information:
“We have designed an electronic hardware and software that automatically adjusts different nutritional values and environmental conditions according to the selected plant type and provides acidic regulation. We see the first results in lettuce. Here, it is not just a single product, but the nutrition of the plants specific to the product you have chosen is mixed with liquid at the desired period. “In this way, after planting, it is ensured that it grows on its own until harvest time, without any intervention. A production is achieved independent of human errors and pesticides.”
Metehan Öztürk, a high school motor vehicle department student, said that he was happy to take part in such a project and that they learned new practices in vegetable production.
