New database Dutch Names of Plant Diseases

The new database, Dutch Names of Plant Diseases, was launched this week during a symposium of the Royal Netherlands Phytopathological Society (KNPV) in celebration of 100 years of phytopathological research in Wageningen. The database facilitates the easy lookup of the Dutch names of plant diseases and…

Henan has a thriving shiitake mushroom production

Songxian County in Luoyang City, located in central China's Henan Province, has successfully transformed small shiitake mushrooms into a thriving industry that contributes to rural revitalization. Formerly one of the four most impoverished counties in the province, Songxian is now among the top 10…

UK: New 'vertical greenhouse' of growing towers to supply fresh produce to restaurant, food hall, and cookery school

CambridgeHOK is delighted to be playing a key role in an innovative project that will see thousands of leafy greens, fruiting crops, and culinary fungi grown in a 'vertical greenhouse' to supply an onsite restaurant, food hall, cookery school, and local businesses. The unique project, led by…

Why airflow is crucial in vertical farms

In vertical farming applications, effective and consistent airflow is crucial for your crops to thrive. Many of the airflow solutions available today, such as fixed or oscillating fans, provide uneven air movement or fall short of delivering adequate air velocities. Vertical Air Solutions 2.0 system was…

UK: Vertical farms to mass produce rare medicinal drugs

"We imminently expect to close our seed funding round of more than £2.5m from a consortium of UK venture capital investors. The endgame for HotHouse Therapeutics will be the generation of novel plant-produced drugs, probably made in specifically engineered plant lines. Such lines will require secure…

UK: Aeroponics cuts 5-month strawberry plant cultivation period to 5 weeks

"Many strawberry plant seedlings are unfortunately lost before they reach the planting out stage, this will help fruit growers reduce waste in the very early stages of plant growth," says Lily Manzoni, Head of R&D at LettUs Grow. A large portion of LettUs Grow's work is dedicated to exploring the…

© Photomall | Dreamstime.com

Exposing plants to an unusual chemical early on may bolster their growth

Just like any other organism, plants can get stressed. Usually, it’s conditions like heat and drought that lead to this stress, and when they’re stressed, plants might not grow as large or produce as much. This can be a problem for farmers, so many scientists have tried genetically modifying plants to be…

© Nitsuki | Dreamstime.com

US (WI): Growers go vertical at nonprofit UrbanPonics

The concerns and reality of food deserts, large food waste, and poor access to healthy foods are rising, but the people behind a local nonprofit say growing your own food vertically, soilless, and indoors could be the solution. With the cold seasons approaching, grocery trips for produce can be…

Bayer considers spinning off crop protection

German chemical and pharmaceutical group Bayer plunged 4.6 billion euros into the red in the third quarter. Bayer is now considering separating from either its consumer health or crop protection divisions to revive its share price, according to CEO Bill Anderson. He says he does not want to split it into…

Investigating the unknows of the hydroponic leafy crop production

The greenhouse hydroponic leafy cultivation industry is experiencing rapid expansion, leading to unexplored areas of research. At the Delphy Improvement Centre, the team is exploring these uncharted territories, focusing on subjects like LED lighting strategies, day length, alternative substrate…

Ukraine: Business cultivates and sells microgreens and edible flowers

Due to the war, Volodymyr Mironenko and his girlfriend Veronica moved from Kharkiv to Ivano-Frankivsk. In their new location, they started their own business growing…

Tomatoes in spaceflight: A giant leap for human (and plant) kind

Space calls out to us to explore and possibly discover a second home. But how will humans sustain themselves on years-long flights or in living on another planet? Denise Caldwell, a PhD candidate working in the Iyer-Pascuzzi lab at Purdue, is using her botany powers to lay the foundational knowledge…

© Mirko Kuzmanovic | Dreamstime.com

Philippines: Greenhouse to boost urban food security in Iloilo City

A P1 million-worth greenhouse equipped with hydroponics technology was turned over to the Iloilo City Farmers Federation on October 18 to enhance food security in urban and peri-urban areas. The Camalig Farmers Association in Jaro, Iloilo City, will manage the facility. Iloilo City Farmers Federation…

© Kristina Kuptsevich | Dreamstime.com

US: A look into Pennsylvania's 'booming' mushroom industry

The ancient Greeks used to think that the mushrooms were sent from Zeus by his lightning, according to James Bolus. "Because they would show up after the rain," said the chef and owner of Backwoods Bar and Kitchen in Dallas. Pennsylvania is the biggest producer of mushrooms in the United States, followed…

"Early pathogen detection on the spot and on time"

Today, most Western countries grow fruit and vegetables in industrial farms and large greenhouses. These crops are grown in dense media and fed by recycled water mixed with fertilizers and nutrients. However, when a plant gets a disease, it's only a matter of time before the whole farm is infected with…

Reusing drainage water in hydroponic crops

Azud is a company specializing in designing comprehensive solutions that address the challenges of water scarcity. One of their most notable innovations is the reuse of drainage water in hydroponic crops with the Azud Watertech RW reuse plant. The decline in water availability and costs associated with…

Agriculture in space: the new wild west

With their lives packed into covered wagons, Marshall Porterfield's great-grandparents made their journey across the Great Plains in the Oklahoma Land Rush of 1889, becoming a part of agriculture's pioneering history. More than a century later, Porterfield, professor of agricultural and biological…

© Josefkubes | Dreamstime.com

Philippines: Robinsons’ rooftop farm brings leafy greens closer to urban consumers

On a 26-story building’s rooftop, racks of different varieties of lettuce thrive on nutrient-rich water. The farm at the roof deck of the Robinsons Cyberscape Alpha overlooks the skyline of Ortigas Center. It is a product of the property developer’s partnership with the retail brand FarmTop, which…

A report on the use of ozone over a period of three years

Marconi Vivai is a professional plant nursery that has been in business since 1970. The focus of the company has always been on obtaining the highest quality production for its customers. "The historic company in Roverbella di Mantova is helping us to take stock of the decision we made three years ago to…

Finland: 'New possibilities for vertical farming with high-wire crops'

Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) has patented a vertical farming solution that enables the production of high-wire crops in vertical farming. Lettuce and herbs have already been grown in vertical farming for years. The technology developed by Luke takes vertical farming a step forward by…

NASA

Cultivating in space: Eight key elements to be aware of

As NASA plans missions to the moon and Mars, a key factor is figuring out how to feed crew members during their weeks, months, and even years in space. Astronauts on the International Space Station primarily eat prepackaged food, which requires regular resupply and can degrade in quality and nutrition.…

© Aughty Venable | Dreamstime.com

US (LA): St. Martinville restaurant serving vegetables from their hydroponic greenhouse

The St. John Restaurant’s harvesting season has just started, bringing produce they grow in their greenhouse, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, and lettuce, to the restaurant. The St. John Restaurant farm-to-table director, Luke Dugas, said this is the only restaurant in the area using a greenhouse…

US (OR): Researchers race the clock to study alternatives to banned pesticide

Soon after the 2020 announcement of a ban on an effective and relatively inexpensive pesticide, Oregon State University Extension Service researchers were at work on finding alternatives for affected growers in Oregon. Chlorpyrifos, which is being phased out, targets persistent insects affecting more…

How the right lighting has a positive effect on plant growth

The right light at the right time: that is how to obtain excellent plantlets. Over the past few months, Azienda ortofrutticola Francescon completed the setting up of new greenhouses, some of which feature C-Led lights. The purpose is to produce melon and watermelon plants, as these fruits represent the…

© Gabriel Cristian Codarcea Valcan | Dreamstime.com

US (TX): Big Tex Urban Farm working with high school interns to spark interest in horticulture

When you go to the State Fair of Texas, you probably think of food on a stick. There is also food on a string and in buckets that grow at Big Tex Urban Farm at Fair Park. "Everyone needs to eat," State Fair of Texas Director of Horticulture Drew Demler said. "It's helpful to know where your food is…

No algae to be seen on the bench

When growing on benches, you often run into a problem when watering: the water comes in so fast that the plants at the beginning of the bench, at the inlay, are overwhelmed, as it were, and algae growth occurs because the water lingers there. At Meteor Systems, they have now found a solution to this problem: an E&V inlay with a…

"It's not only about growing food differently"

Amidst mounting global concerns about environmental sustainability and the challenge of feeding an ever-growing population, hydroponics emerges as a promising path forward. Kent Rust, President of Enterprise Aquatics, comments, "Hydroponics is a fascinating intersection of science, nature, and human…

New trial for year-round, high-tech strawberry cultivation

Grodan and Fluence have partnered for a trial on year-round high-tech strawberry cultivation using stone wool growing media and LED technology. In this demonstration trial, the strawberries' growth, yield, and quality will be evaluated. Optimizing high-tech strawberry cultivation will have significant implications…

© Ruud Morijn | Dreamstime.com

UK: "It's projects like this that will keep driving our food security as a country"

"Looks like the weather's turning more autumnal..." says Oli Pascall, walking back to his truck in a farmyard at Yalding. Casting an eye to the greying sky above the barn, he could be any other farmer from centuries past; only he's not any other farmer, this is not any other farm, and that's not even a…

Brazil: "Vertical farm technology has potential to grow 112 tons of wheat yearly"

In partnership with the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa Hortaliças), 100% Livre, a Brazilian vertical farm, managed to grow high numbers of wheat on its vertical farm. This year, the experiment with wheat in a controlled environment has been a scientific, technical, and financial…

Growcoon officially approved for organic cultivation in Spain

The "OK Compost" certificate confirms the high environmental compatibility of Growcoon. After decomposition, nothing remains except water and CO2. Nevertheless, a product must be formally approved for use in organic cultivation. Assessment and regulation are carried out at the European level by FiBL: the…

Ras Al Khaimah's organic fertilizer projects receives $20M investment

Uterra has acquired a land plot of approximately 33,000 m2 in the Al Ghail Industrial Zone to build a sustainable biosphere cluster. At the new facility, the company will produce micro-biological organic fertilizer for agriculture and carry out research and scientific work on the creation of methods of…

"Up to 200 kg of baby greens per sq/m with new leafy greens platform"

Freya Cultivation Systems is introducing the development of its new leafy greens cultivation platform - the AeroFrame. The AeroFrame doubles the cultivation area by utilizing three-dimensional structures (A-Frames) and mobile proprietary ultrasonic sprayers, which not only increase productivity but also…

© Photomall | Dreamstime.com

"Why investing in food security is investing in the future"

Rising commodity prices, risk of food shortages, as well as the lingering impact of the pandemic, have triggered a concern for the availability and accessibility of food around the world. To alleviate the growing threats to global food security, more food infrastructure investment that supports scale is…

Technologies in development for radish cultivation in vertical farms

iFarm, a technology company specializing in IT-enabled agriculture within a controlled environment, developed its first technologies for indoor radish cultivation. These novel methods are now ready to be used on leafy greens and vegetable farms utilizing iFarm technologies. After three years of…

Hygienic harvesting with new knives and scissors

Towards autumn, at the end of tomato and cucumber cultivation, more weak plants can be found in the greenhouse, and more viruses emerge. Every grower is convinced that hygienic conventions in the greenhouse are important and require a lot of attention, which is precisely why Tom and Hans Hoeben from Top…

How to identify a nutrient deficiency in hydroponic basil

Fertilizer designed specifically for use on hydroponic crops plays a vital role in mitigating hydroponic nutrient deficiency. This is certainly the case when it comes to basil (Ocimum basilicum). Did you know it’s the most-grown greenhouse herb crop? If you are growing basil, it’s essential for you to…

USDA invests in efforts to prevent and reduce food loss and waste

USDA Announced that it is investing $25 million in efforts to prevent and reduce food loss and waste as part of a joint agency initiative between USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and USDA’s Office of the Chief Economist (OCE). The funding includes $4.3 million for the Community Food…

Chinese taikonauts harvest space vegetables aboard Tiangong space station

China's Shenzhou-16 crew has a "garden of vegetables in space. "The plants that grow in the garden are watered in the opposite direction from that on Earth," according to…

Tunnel Farm: one of the few cases of underground 'indoor vertical farming' in the world

The official inauguration of Tunnel Farm, the vertical farm set up by Matteo Benvenuti (in the photo below), director and founder of the Vertical Farm Italia group, was held on September 15, 2023, in Torrita di Siena (Tuscany). "It takes persistence, a dash of madness, a strong idea, sturdy…

New tissue culture laboratory in Kainantu to boost potato production

Potato production in Papua New Guinea is about to take a leap forward with the completion of a new tissue culture laboratory for the Fresh Produce Development Agency (FPDA)…

Growers maximize greenhouse efficiency with polycarbonate

Greenhouses are made of glass, right? Yes, but certainly not always and not completely. Even in the Netherlands, where most greenhouses are made of glass, polycarbonate is more common than you might expect. "Polycarbonate has proven to be an excellent choice because of its long warranty period and…

Microgreens: the health-giving shoots explained

Many of us germinated cress seeds on a bit of wet tissue at primary school, giving us a first introduction to edible microgreens. Recent interest in more diverse ways of getting flavor and nutrition into the vegetable components of our diets has increased the focus on the potential these crops have to…

Toopi Organics secures €16M to flood European agricultural markets with urine-based biostimulants

Toopi Organics, a French biotechnology startup developing plant biostimulants derived from the fermentation of human urine, today announces the closing of a €16M ($17M) financing round. The fresh capital will be used to expand the company's urine collection network, launch 3 new urine-based products in…

Oishii teams up with craft brewery to make strawberry beer

If you're a fan of designer berries and fancy brews, there's a buzzy collaboration on the horizon that'll whet your appetite. Oishii, the berry brand famous for its vertically-farmed, $6 strawberries, has teamed up with Grimm, an artisanal brewery in Brooklyn, New York, to make a beer that tastes of the…

"The possibilities are limitless, and we are humbled to have a place in it all"

"In 2017, vertical farming hadn't yet been dialed in that well, and Pipp realized that the industry was new territory. Customers were looking to us to help guide the process, determine proper workflow, spacing, elevation, plant density, and other key elements that are affected by or attached to our…

US (VA): Mushroom cultivation store coming to Northern Virginia

"Virginia Spores & More" is the new one-stop destination for mushroom cultivation. Virginia Spores & More has opened its new store on September 18, 2023. Located at 513 Maple Ave W. Vienna, Virginia, in the heart of Village Green Shopping Center and conveniently positioned near Nutley St. and Maple Ave.…

© Josefkubes | Dreamstime.com

Jordan: Aquaponics farm project to increase water efficiency and create jobs

A project initiated by the Jordan Agricultural Engineers Association is working to establish an aquaponics farm in the Jordan Valley, which is expected to increase water efficiency and create jobs. Director of the Directorate of Agriculture in the Jordan Valley, Raed Sharman, told The Jordan Times that…

© Saw San Teo | Dreamstime.com

Philippines: BPI, Kopia launch vegetable project

Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Plant Industry (DA-BPI) and the Korea Partnership for Innovation of Agriculture (Kopia) Philippines Center launched its village project, which aims to increase vegetable production in Laguna. DA-BPI and Kopia launched its "Pilot Village Project on Protective…

Huelva already accounts for 97% of Spain's strawberry production

According to the data from the Institute of Statistics and Cartography of Andalusia, 97% of the nearly 350,000 tons of strawberries that were grown in Spain in 2023 were…

“It is important to see how big the world is”

"A time to never forget!" This is how Renzo Grootscholten described his internship at Bevofarms in Canada. In February, Renzo started his 3rd-year internship for the horticulture and agri-business study in Delft and left for Canada for five months to work at Bevofarms. He could have also done this in the…