"We have moved from an R&D stage into a full production scale since January 2023. It's been a crucial period for us, both technologically and economically. The completion of a Proof of Concept (POC) facility, spanning 300m2, marked a significant milestone for Grow-Tec, showcasing their ability to scale operations efficiently," states Shlomy Raziel, Founder and CEO of Grow-Tec, an agtech supplier of indoor vertical farming solutions focusing on fruiting vegetables.
Shlomy highlights the company's achievements in yield improvements as they achieved an increase of 50% in crop yields compared to previous results. "We stabilized the growing protocols and significantly increased the yield and quality this year. For cucumbers, we reached 1050kg, and for tomatoes, 626kg," he explains.
Compared to other indoor growers of fruiting crops such as tomatoes, cucumbers, and bell peppers, Grow-Tec's technique comes in a horizontal format as they've seen much higher yields with such an approach. Shlomy states, "In combination with direct light distribution, Accurate and absolute climate conditions allow them to increase productivity and maximize space."
From promising research trials to commercialization
Starting testing in Grow-Tec's new facility in January 2023, the R&D team says to have yielded 480kg of cucumbers per m2 annually, spread over 13 cycles. Throughout the trial period of 12 months, using multiple cucumber varieties, Shlomy proudly shares that the team achieved a cucumber yield of 1050kg by the end of December 21, 2023.
As for the tomatoes, the team kicked off trials on January 30, 2023, where they started using new varieties and were able to harvest 380kg per m2 annually spread over seven cycles. However, they didn't stop there. The following cycles already showed an increase of 246 kg per m2 as the team was able to increase the total number to 626 KG at the end of the trial in December 2023.
"During the test, we bring in more than 20 new varieties; we apply different irrigation methods, including different strategies of runoff. On top of that, we have been improving and developing new formulas of fertilizers for each stage, which comes together with a new nursery that opened in May 2023. As well as new vegetative rooms for each crop as a sample, the new veg room for cucumbers allows us to grow the plant in a separate room (veg) to move into larger grow rooms and start harvesting within six days (after transplanting). These new methods increase the yields dramatically.
Given our holistic approach, we have been able to maximize environmental controls, the crop, and the yields. However, we're constantly working on pushing the limits as we believe that by using new varieties and improving a few points, we will reach our goal of getting 850kg of tomatoes per m2," Shlomy explains.
What's in it?
"We supply all the technology, equipment, and materials needed for indoor farming. From HVAC systems to LED lighting, fertigation, irrigation, and automation, along with our unique growing system (Racks), we ensure optimal performance," Shlomy explains.
In addition to hardware, Grow-tec offers extensive training and support to clients, including on-site training by agronomists and remote monitoring capabilities. The team believes in providing a complete package to guarantee success. "Our training center at HQ allows us to educate clients comprehensively, ensuring smooth operations from day one."
Looking towards the future, Shlomy reveals they are willing to expand Grow-Tec's product range. Six months ago, we started Growing Sweet bite peppers, and it looks very promising. Whereas, two months ago experiments kicked off with fruiting crops such as squash and aubergine. These trials aim to investigate the viability of growing such crops indoors to cater to diverse market needs. "Introducing new crops allows us to tap into different regions and demographics."
Shlomy Raziel
Open to collaboration
Participating in the Indoor AgCon in Las Vegas on March 11-12, Grow-Tec is looking forward to demonstrating its solutions and expanding its partnerships. "We're excited to engage with potential clients and investors and laid the foundations for future collaborations. At this point, we're focusing on execution and delivering tangible results. It's time to move beyond dreams and showcase the practicality and profitability of indoor farming. And we're ready for it."
Grow-Tec will be participating in the event and can be found at Booth 1413 to find out more about their solutions and technology. Have a look at how their technology works in this video.
For more information:
Grow-Tec
Shlomy Raziel, Founder and CEO
Email: rpoffice@grow-tec.com
https://grow-tec.com
www.linkedin.com/company/grow-tec