Additional options for virus test ToBRFV help grower limit damage

Since last summer, a test kit has been on the market that allows growers to test plants for the presence of Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) in a pre-symptomatic phase quickly, easily, and anywhere. However, the virus does not just turn up in plants. Hence, producer Spark Radar has been working…

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Australian founders continue to optimize vertical farming for clean food

Orlar was founded in Brisbane in 2014 by Dr. Lyndal Hugo and Amanda Cornelissen. Their mission was to develop a new form of vertical farming to produce affordable, accessible, and contaminant-free organic produce. Cornelissen’s experience as a horticulturist, in combination with Hugo’s experience in…

Brazil: How tissue culture techniques can aid vertical farms becoming more efficient

“The industry should look at our sector, which has 30+ years of expertise in multi-layer propagation and cultivation. On top of that, we’ve been able to keep out diseases while using less energy,” says Alewijn Broere, co-founder and director of SBW do Brasil. SBW do Brasil is a company that specializes…

Understanding the difference between microgreens, baby greens, and adult greens

What is the difference between spouts, microgreens, baby greens, and adult greens? With all the leafy green terms out there, it can be confusing to keep them all straight. There is one key factor involved in the naming – time.  Sprouts, microgreens, and baby greens (and their adult counterparts) are all different…

"The applications of filtered compressed air are numerous"

The use of compressed air in the fruit, vegetable, and flower sectors is versatile, says Jaco Mosterd of Mosterd Naaldwijk. "Remember that for every compressed air application, apart from capacity and the desired air pressure, compressed air quality is very important. This is achieved through filtration…

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US (CA): Palm Desert mushroom growers ride ‘Shroom Boom

The story begins with an RV barn and no RV. Jim Shaffer and Stacy Andrews were living along the outskirts of Yucca Valley, looking for something interesting to do. Their eyes kept going back to this empty structure on their property.  They discussed a few ideas for the RV barn. Some kind of vertical garden,…

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US (AZ): How one ASU lab is working to create food resiliency in the Southwest through vertical farming

Grappling with a longstanding drought, Arizona farmers currently use over 70% of Arizona’s water supply for irrigated agriculture. Drought and water cutbacks have forced some to reduce their planting in recent years. Facing an agricultural crisis, Zhihao Chen, an instructor at the College of Integrative…

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Sweden: Cucumbers grown on residual data facility heat

Thanks to modern technology and residual heat, northern Sweden will soon be able to harvest large quantities of fresh cucumbers year-round. An agreement between Agtira and Greenfood worth SEK 285 million has been signed for a cucumber cultivation plant in Boden. The facility will be one of a total of ten…

"Our goal is data-driven and sustainable strawberry production"

Crisp, fresh strawberries from local cultivation all year round: this is what the Witten-based start-up vGreens, founded in 2022, achieves thanks to sophisticated vertical farming technology. In the enclosed space of around 50m2, the popular red fruit grows and thrives in a vertical arrangement, on…

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Vertical farming: A sustainable solution for Lebanon's unstable food market

Every time Lebanon experiences a crisis related to the high prices of crops – the latest being a staggering rise in the prices of onions – voices that speak of the need to return to agriculture and ensure self-sufficiency return to the fore once again. But how can city and village residents practice…

US (VA): Students' farming feeds Fairfax County School

Eighth-grader Dahlia Kassim is used to being surrounded by fish and having a pond with hundreds in her backyard. But she and other Luther Jackson Middle School classmates…

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Pakistan: Aeroponics technology to boost potato production

Pakistan and Russia are working jointly on seed potato production through Aeroponics technology, and 2nd crop is ready to harvest at PARC-National Agricultural Research Centre in Islamabad, a statement said on Saturday. Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) and Korean Program on International…

Vital water better for plant: "We have learned to settle for less"

Water comes first. The rest comes later. That saying would fit well with Acqua Universo, a Schipluiden-based supplier of water treatment equipment. The company specializes in 'vitalizing' water. Ineke Moerman explains below what vitalizing water is and what it does for crops. "In the Netherlands, we have…

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Growing strawberries with Tower Garden

This comprehensive guide will show how to prepare a bare-root strawberry plant using a Tower Garden. What are Bare root strawberries?Strawberries need seasons worth of growth from seed before they will produce a decent amount of fruit. Without this, you're going to get very little. So you need to buy the…

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“We decided that we needed to help Sri Lanka bring a change in the agriculture sector"

The Honest Greens journey began with spinach. According to Cooray’s retelling of the story, they went around the world learning about hydroponics and related fields. They then grew a small spinach plant in Tyagarajah’s cupboard. “That plant tasted better than any spinach plant we have ever tasted, so we…

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"Others bring the produce. We bring the farm"

Crysp Farms grew from a need to provide the highest quality produce possible by reducing the time from harvest to delivery. By eliminating logistics and handling, produce is delivered within an hour of harvesting. Vertical farming provides the opportunity to hyper-localize farming, and as such, Crysp…

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US: Panama gets grant for tower garden systems

Panama Central School fifth- and sixth-graders will soon take part in gardening lessons. Emily Harvey, Panama's director of instruction and special education, discussed the Grow With Us Grant during a recent board meeting. "I supported and worked with Bridget Lyon (fifth and sixth-grade teacher) in…

The evolution of the microgreens business

In an expanding space such as indoor and greenhouse growing, how do you make your company stand out? For City Roots Organic, it starts with the story. The company is a South Carolina-based family-owned business that specializes in one item: organic microgreens. "The microgreens market is increasing.…

"If you don’t focus on the plant, you cannot develop the tech to be successful”

Although the high-tech pieces of equipment in greenhouses and vertical farms are oddly charming to watch, they tend to stray the attention away from the main point: plants. Thousands-colors LEDs, rolling benches, dripping lines, grow towers – how can one not stare at them? However, at the end of the day,…

Soil and the future of vertical farming

"In general, soil-based agriculture offers numerous benefits, including better nutrient retention and a versatility that enables the growth of an unrivaled variety of crops when compared to any other growth medium. Healthy soil also has the potential to store up to 1.5 gigatons of carbon per year,…

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US (FL): Sarasota entrepreneur growing mushrooms on top of the ocean

A Sarasota man says he's found the key to sustainable farming — good morels. Todd Kleperis is growing mushrooms on the waters of Siesta Key in what he calls the OPod. The pod launched on the water two weeks ago, and within the next two months, he tells Axios his mushrooms will be in high-end Sarasota…

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US: Young growers struggling to deal with USDA

On a chilly morning in late February, Kyle Anderberg was selling a small table full of fresh greens at Lakesides Farmers' Market on the northern edge of Richmond just behind his home. He essentially grows greens -- baby mustard greens, kale, parsley, scallions, cilantro, and Jerusalem artichokes, also…

How to build your controlled environment agriculture facility design team

Once an entity decides to construct a new leafy green-producing greenhouse or renovate an indoor cannabis cultivation operation, they are embarking on a controlled-environment agriculture (CEA) venture that will involve core team members and dozens of specialists over several months, if not years. The…

Next-gen vertical farming, sensors and energy generation showcased to US Midwest State Legislators

Senators and Representatives from US Midwest state legislatures saw ‘next-generation’ vertical farm technology at GrowPura Limited and on-farm energy production in Fenland as part of a visit hosted by Agri-TechE along with the Department for International Trade (DIT) on March 14, 2023. Midwestern Office…

South Asian Forum for Environment

Floating farms are transforming life on India’s waterways

As the climate crisis unfolds it is increasingly pushing people into desperate, but inventive directions.  This fact is apparent in the Sundarban region of southern India and Bangladesh. It is a biodiverse landscape covering a vast area of swamp and mangrove. The region extends to 10,000 square kilometres…

Seaweed production has grown by nearly 75% globally in the past decade

In London, a startup is making a plastic substitute out of seaweed. In Australia and Hawaii, others are racing to grow seaweed that, when fed to livestock, can cut methane…

Red dwarf tomatoes are thriving in space

The Expedition 68 crew members spent their day carrying out biological research, harvesting vegetables, and prepping for a commercial resupply mission delivering more than 6,000 pounds of cargo to the International Space Station. The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is set to launch at 8:30 p.m. EDT this evening…

Mass media campaigns can be effective in promoting safer crop pest and disease control

A new CABI-led study has found that mass media campaigns aimed at changing pesticide use to fight crop pests and diseases are more effective when farmers are exposed to multiple forms of communication. CABI scientists collaborated with colleagues from the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources…

How astronauts could farm on the moon with lunar soil nutrients

A new technique for processing lunar soil may help foster plant growth on the moon in hopes of sustaining more long-term lunar missions.  The European Space Agency (ESA) and Norwegian lunar agriculture company Solsys Mining have studied ways to treat lunar soil, or regolith, to create fertilizer for growing…

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Sleep-inducing lettuce to be grown in Australia

Heukharang or black harang, a lettuce variety with high levels of sleep-inducing lactucin, is set to be cultivated in Australia. Developed by the Jeollanamdo Agricultural Research & Extension Services (JARES), heukharang contains 124 times more lactucin than regular lettuce, making it a valuable natural…

US (CA): UC receives $15M in climate-focused innovation awards

The University of California has received $15M in grants for UC innovation and entrepreneurship in support of California’s climate action goals. The awards are part of a historic $185M partnership between UC and the state of California to tackle the climate crisis, from developing new methods for carbon…

Food Gardening Network

How to clean a hydroponic system full of algae

Amanda will be the first to tell you that hydroponic gardening to grow your own food at home is both ridiculously fun and frustrating. "Just when you think you're on auto-pilot, a batch of roots clogs a pipe and sends half your plants gasping for water, and you don't know until they're laying there…

How will the vertical farming model develop?

Between now and 2050, the world will have to feed 10 billion people. However, food doesn’t grow efficiently all over the world, and the same holds true for distribution. As a result, growers have been looking at different ways to be able to grow food more efficiently and closer to consumer areas. In…

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Stress memory in plants could hold key to growing disease resistant crops

A mechanism behind how plants can develop long-term immunity to stress has been discovered by scientists at the University of Sheffield. Biotic stress experienced by plants can take the form of attacks by insect herbivores or disease-causing pathogens. In crops grown for food production, this stress…

Murat Kacira, Univ. of Arizona

How do you overcome the environmental challenges of indoor farming?

While some might think that the environmental challenges facing indoor farm growers should be relatively minor and easy to overcome in a closed environment, they’d be wrong. “Some of the challenges and bottlenecks facing indoor farms include insufficient airflow leading to a non-uniform environment,…

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US (AL): Local farmers give Coosa Christian students hands-on experience in hydroponics

Coosa Christian School has partnered with Gardens on Air to give its students the opportunity to experience hydroponics — growing plants in nutrient-enhanced water instead of soil.  This curriculum is schoolwide, from K2 through 12th grade, and allows students to have hands-on participation in the process…

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India: Kerala Government to promote vertical vegetable gardens in urban areas and suburbs

As part of its efforts to achieve self-sufficiency in vegetable production, the State government will promote the establishment of vertical gardens in urban areas and its suburbs where land availability is limited. The soil-less cultivation program is being promoted with technical support from the Indian…

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The pros and cons of indoor farms

The most compelling reason for growing in an indoor plant production facility is the complete control of the growth environment. Within the last five years, there has been an increasing number of indoor growing facilities, those completely enclosed and without sunlight, in the United States. Many of…

Growing a mix of lettuce, lettuce leaves, and young leafy greens

Lettuce heads are losing popularity and are being ousted by green and colorful, loose-leaf mixes. Add to that open-field lettuce and leafy crops being under pressure from climate change, labor shortages, the desire for clean food-safe cultivation, and planned continuous supply. Then it becomes evident…

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“My daughter has come up with our best slogan: It’s time to grow up!”

Verti Gro Australia brings expertise and ingenuity in producing multi-layered planter towers to the Seymour expo. Founders Roger and Faye Morris began the business in 2019 and used Roger’s background in irrigation to design the machinery required to produce the plastic molding of his iconic vertical…

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University begins growing herbs and leafy greens in indoor farm

In an effort to increase sustainability, Towson University’s dining services vendor, Chartwells Higher Ed, continues to grow herbs, leafy greens, and more inside of West Village Dining Hall after beginning last semester.  The Farm Shelf is a produce-yielding indoor farm that Towson’s dining vendor Chartwells…

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UAE: Cloud-seeding to help improve production of certain crops, tackle water scarcity

The UAE is using cloud-seeding to improve the production of certain crops as water scarcity is a major challenge not just for the country but for the entire region. The UAE has been using cloud seeding technology for several years now in order to improve groundwater levels. The country conducted 13…

Hydroponic system to grow cucumbers with iFarm tech

The iFarm Veggies indoor farm is located in Northeast Asia, where the climate conditions are too harsh for outdoor crop cultivation, with temperatures reaching -20°C (-4°F) in winter and quite cool summer seasons, with average temperatures of 15 °C (59°F). Another factor in favor of indoor cultivation…

AU: Investing in innovation and sustainability is key for family-run mushroom farm

With CBA’s support, SA Mushrooms has invested significantly over the past four years to introduce new innovative technology to enhance the sustainability of its business and the quality of its mushrooms. Run by brothers Nick Femia and Nat Femian [pictured], their father Sam Femia Senior, and Nick’s son…

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‘Tower-to-Plate’ urban farming takes root

Greenery is being reworked and reimagined in urban spaces, and developers are looking at urban farming as both a point of difference and a way to improve a project’s green credentials. But urban farming comes in many different shapes and sizes across the world.  Brooklyn Grange operates a farm on top of an…

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Kale and strawberries among crops targeted for new Guyana-led food plan

Guyana’s President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, made another food production proposal to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). Now, countries will soon leverage hydroponics to grow kale, strawberries, and other high-value crops. This is according to Guyana’s Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, who chairs the…

Should I invest in a vertical farm?

Vertical farms have been getting a lot of attention in the (Ag)news lately, much of which has not been positive. Pittsburgh-based vertical farm company Fifth Season closed operations in October this year, even after receiving $35 million from several large venture capital investors. Meanwhile, InFarm,…

Flowers growing in hydroponic towers

Most types of flowers can be grown hydroponically. Essentially the elements that they would typically get from the earth and sun can be replaced in an indoor farm or a home system like the ZipGarden. There are no seasons with indoor hydroponics, so you can enjoy a bounty of blossoms all year long. It’s a…

Photo report: NovelFarm 2023

Although it elicits lots of attention, soilless production (hydroponic, aeroponic, vertical farming) is yet to obtain that widespread trust that will enable it to step up. The NovelFarm fair (Pordenone, Italy, February 15-16, 2023) is proof of this, as the number of visitors actually decreased compared with 2023 (maybe because…

Annual grape production: Only a photon away

Most of us associate vineyards with serenity and tranquility. To a grower, vineyards can represent the opposite: High establishment costs, labor-intensive management, and deadly disease avoidance over the decades-long lifespan of a vineyard. Dr. Mark Hoffmann (left), PhD student Kyle Freedman (center),…

The ins and outs of Plant Empowerment presented in free online webinar

After the success of the two-day workshop in Canada last May, which was attended by more than 100 growers, investors, and other horticulture professionals, the organizers host another multi-day Plant Empowerment course in Canada in March 2023, this time in Niagara Falls. To explain the program so…

"EU should be less dependent on imported fertilizers"

The European Parliament urges the Commission to ensure the supply of fertilisers, take action to bring down prices, and increase the EU's strategic autonomy in fertilisers. In…

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Philippines: La Trinidad farmers urged to adopt elevated strawberry farming

The municipal government of La Trinidad has urged farmers to adopt elevated strawberry farming to produce three times their regular yield and battle the effects of land conversion. Nida Organo, municipal agriculture officer of Benguet's capital town La Trinidad, said that due to land conversion,…

La Trinidad farmers urged to adopt elevated strawberry farming

The municipal government of La Trinidad has urged farmers to produce three times their regular yield and battle the effects of land conversion by adopting elevated strawberry…

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UAE: Crysp adds new farm Abu Dhabi hotel

In the spirit of going green, hotel W Abu Dhabi – Yas Island has been taking several steps in the right direction. And that direction is from the farm to the table. Taking things one step further, they have partnered with Crysp, Vertical Hydroponic Farming. With the world growing increasingly…

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Development of an optimal harvest date prediction and control technology for just-in-time production of strawberries

The National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO) has developed a technology to accurately predict and control the harvest date for the realization of just-in-time (JIT) production of strawberries, one of the greenhouse vegetables with a large market scale, and verified it in an artificial…

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CAN: Urban farm that grows vegetables all year round, feeding people on a fixed income

An indoor vertical hydroponic modular farming system in the heart of Timmins is equipped to produce fresh, nutrient-dense vegetables year-round, making any day a harvest day. "We really want to make sure that we have nutrient-rich food," said Marc Rodrigue, owner of Borealis Fresh Farms. "Not that every…

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Thrips: A tiny pest with big consequences

Thrips, specifically western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis), are currently the most damaging thrips species in many greenhouse crops, including ornamental crops. Unlike in the past when thrips occurred seasonally, the pest is increasingly becoming an all-year-round pest. Thrips cause damage…

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US (NY): First hotel to have a mushroom farm is located in the East Village

At The Standard hotel in the East Village, one will find a mushroom farm, the world’s first inside of a hotel, being harvested every week for guests and shroom aficionados. This month, the hotel is hosting a cluster of events for the public that revolve around toadstools: from psychedelic talks with the…

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US: Department to hold meeting on urban agriculture, innovative production

The U.S. Department of Agriculture encourages urban producers, innovative producers, and other stakeholders to virtually attend the fourth public meeting of the Federal Advisory Committee for Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production, set for Thursday, February 23. The meeting is set for 3:30-6 p.m. To…

NL: Climate system installed at plant propagation lab

KP Holland is a renowned family-owned Dutch breeding and propagation company, operating globally. To stay at the forefront of the business, KP Holland has built an innovation laboratory. With it, molecular breeding technologies come within reach. The new lab also creates possibilities for growth in…

"Soilless crops are strategic for a sustainable vegetable production"

The fourth edition of Novelfarm, (Pordenone fairgrounds, February 15-16, 2023) sheds light on the essential role of indoor crops in safeguarding food safety and biodiversity.…

3 tips for growing strawberries without daylight

"In a few years, indoor (vertical) farms have become popular for producing healthy food year-round in urban environments and harsh climates. Leafy greens and herbs are the most commonly grown crops, but growers are looking to expand to a much wider variety of vegetables and fruits. In our Philips…

The Kresge Foundation

Localized approach increases community access to healthy food, creates jobs in Cleveland

Keymah Durden and Randy McShepard are very frank when talking about Cleveland’s Kinsman neighborhood, where the childhood friends grew up and where they joined forces with three other Black men to found Rid-All Green Partnership, a nonprofit organization focused on urban agriculture and education.…

USDA funding for free energy and water-use benchmarking expiring soon for greenhouse and CEA operators

The deadline is approaching for greenhouse and CEA producers to take advantage of free energy and water benchmarking services provided by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) through Resource Innovation Institute’s PowerScore platform. This service provides valuable analytics to empower…

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Mushrooms emerge from the shadows in pesticide-free production push

Poland, the Netherlands, and Spain are Europe's largest mushroom producers. Mention La Rioja in northern Spain, and most people will picture majestic sun-drenched vineyards nestled in the hillsides. But, hidden from the sunlight, the region is also home to a very different crop that happens to be at the…

Climate-resilient strawberry variety launched

Singrow, a Singapore-based agri-genomics firm, announced the launch of a climate-resilient strawberry variety. The novel strawberry variety is the first application of this technology. The company is currently developing other crop segments that will address food security challenges around the world,…

Growth index as a function of water consumption

"Plants are like little motors or, more accurately, energy pumps," says Hank Bonnah, Hydra Unlimited's Chief Scientist and Principal Engineer. "Plants take in energy from sunlight (or indoor luminaries) and, through the process of evapotranspiration, move water from the roots to the leaves. With this…