Arugula, pak choi, or Chinese white cabbage, lettuce, and romaine crops were among the green leafy vegetables harvested from the country’s first “smart farm”.
Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Fortunato “Boy” T. de la Peña said they got the “first harvest” of vegetables grown at the P128-million Smart Plant Production in Controlled Environments (SPICE) Laboratory at the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman in Quezon City.
“The project has also developed a centralized control system for its farm operations complete with technical documentation of its system design, installation manual, and farm operations,” de la Peña said during his weekly report on Friday.
He said data from the sensors in the system are also gathered to monitor progress.“Prediction models were also developed to ascertain the plant growth and optimum harvesting of the produce,” he added.
DOST Undersecretary for Research and Development Rowena Cristina L. Guevara had branded the P128-million pioneering research as “a game-changer” as it sought to promote urban farming and high technology plant conservation.
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