Vitabeam

Supercharging light provides plants with energy cocktail to fight pathogens and thrive

CEA facilities boast the most extreme, sophisticated systems of the agricultural industry. Whether it is a vertical farm, a single-tier cannabis indoor cultivation, or a gigantic tomato greenhouse, growers have to deal with extremely complex systems. Even though one might be taking all the precautions,…

Shine

China: This woman's unmanned 'plant factory' replaces human labor in agriculture

Gu Xiaoxiao takes a bucket of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium to a greenhouse, pours the fertilizer mixture into a pool in the ground, and mixes it up. The diluted fertilizer is then pumped through numerous tubes to soilless beds, the cradles of life to the vegetables grown in them. Just five years…

How can salad be produced climate neutral?

The indoor growing strategy has environmentalists split. On the one hand, anything that helps shift diets away from carbon-intensive animal products and toward plants is generally considered to be necessary to mitigate warming, including by the experts that make up the United Nations Intergovernmental…

US (DE): The Warehouse marks launch of clean energy and vertical farming education initiative

Community leaders gathered this week at The Warehouse in Wilmington to welcome three new clean energy technologies as part of the Energize The Warehouse initiative. Energize is…

Greens do Good

Using vertical farming to train adults on autism spectrum to work in agriculture

Growing up means growing vertically to one organization serving individuals with autism in New Jersey. Taking an approach to the farming business that’s novel and pairing it with a first-of-its-kind social initiative, Greens Do Good is giving adults on the autism spectrum a chance to work on an indoor…

"Pioneering force behind soil-based vertical farming in India"

A S Agri and Aqua LLP, founded by Prashant Govindrao Zade is introducing the Indian agricultural ecosystem to hi-tech soil-based vertical farming. The company is led by 12 professionals from different industries who have come together to fulfill their common goal – promoting innovative agricultural…

Dubai prison inmates develop green fingers on thriving organic farm

On a sprawling organic farm at Dubai Central Jail, inmates are not just growing fruit, flowers, and vegetables, they are also cultivating their hopes and dreams for a better tomorrow. “I really like to work here. I never take a day off,” an inmate said as he gave a tour of the 225 square-meter Al Aweer…

Study on preferences of different cultivars of lettuce seedlings for spectral composition of light

The spectrum of light significantly influences the growth of plants cultivated in closed systems. Five lettuce cultivars with different leaf colors were grown under white…

Swiss vote down ban on chemical crop protection

Chemical crop protection products will not be banned in Switzerland, nor for consumers nor for growers. Neither will it be prohibited to import produce and products made using them. That's the result from yesterday's referendum. Also the drinking water initiative, which wouldn't totally ban chemical crop…

US (AL): Auburn University converts shipping containers into vertical farms

Auburn University’s Agriculture Department converted a shipping container into a vertical farm to grow and produce food to serve to students. With these stations plants can grow vertically indoors without soil, getting their nutrition from water and light energy from powerful LEDs. Right now they are…

TNews China

China introduces farm display with air purifier

In a shopping mall in Urumqi City, people were attracted by an indoor growing display. "It doesn't only allow you to eat fresh vegetables but it also purifies the air," said the representer.  The indoor farm cabinet is as big as a refrigerator, divided into four layers with LED lights installed on every level.…

Study on shoot production of five microgreens as affected by hydroponic substrate type and post-emergent fertilization

As a new specialty crop with high market value, microgreens are vegetable or herb seedlings consumed at a young age, 7–21 days after germination. They are known as a…

UK: Devon microfarmer grows vegetable confetti

From the outside it looks like a regular house. However, step inside and it's like entering a miniature biodome. Luke Whitmore has turned his home in Appledore, North Devon, into a living, breathing growing space. The walls are stacked with shelves upon shelves of tiny edible plants, quietly growing…

Feeding dairy cows more sustainably

Fourth-generation dairy farmer Brad Bateman has a little over 7,000 dairy cows and farms corn and alfalfa on 3,200 acres in Utah. On his farm, he has incorporated vertical farming in an effort to feed his dairy cows more sustainably.  “Every mouthful that that cow takes is a total balanced diet. It is fresh,…

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Study on the automated design of aquaponic grow beds

Aquaponics is a promising sustainable farming method that combines aquaculture and hydroponics. The type of crop directly determines, for example, the spacing between plants and between channels, which is critical to determine the footprint required and estimate the system productivity. This paper…

British Tomatoes

Why LED grow lights offer the ideal solution for indoor tomato growing

British Tomato Fortnight is the ideal showcase for the world’s most popular fruit, and a reminder of its increasing appeal in the CEA sector. Tomato production has increased to 182 million tons in the past few years to match growing demand, making it one of the most important crops in the world. Demand…

Robotic device to pick and trim mushrooms to solve labor shortages

Researchers in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences have developed a robotic mechanism for mushroom picking and trimming and demonstrated its effectiveness for the automated harvesting of button mushrooms. In a new study, the prototype, which is designed to be integrated with a machine vision…

"One tree planted for each sold product"

Light Science Technologies has announced a partnership with One Tree Planted that aims to plant millions of trees around the world for landscape restoration in 2021. For every light or sensor provided to its customers, LST will donate $1 to One Tree Planted to plant one tree and support projects that…

Building the foundations of a Martian food system

How would you go about building a food system on Mars? Three scientists look at the challenges presented by the Red Planet and explain why the exercise could be very relevant to Earth too. For food production systems to succeed on Mars, it will require multi-disciplinary science to sustain human…

Effect of nutrient solution pH on the growth, yield and quality of wild flowers in floating hydroponic system

Given the important medicinal and nutritional value of wild edible greens, in the last few years, there is an increasing interest in their domestication and commercial exploitation. However, information concerning their adaptation to environmental conditions and their response to modern agricultural…

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LED lighting and high-density planting enhance efficiency of salt-tolerant plants in aquaculture

Halophytes are salt-tolerant plants that can be used to extract dissolved inorganic nutrients from saline aquaculture effluents under a production framework commonly known as Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA). Halimione portulacoides (L.) Aellen (common name: sea purslane) is an edible…

Suitable growing tray for Danish trolley developed

Beekenkamp Verpakkingen B.V. brings another novelty to the market. Until now, only the plant raising tray and the 60×40 cm growing tray were used to transport young vegetable plants from grower to production grower. Both solutions are very suitable when you work with the right trolleys. Especially in…

Pipp Horticulture

CO2 enrichment and monitoring: where's the balance?

“Vertical Air Solutions provides an effective delivery of carbon dioxide, but it also provides a consistent environment to keep CO2 levels uniform,” says James Cunningham, founder of Vertical Air Solutions (VAS). VAS is an agtech company providing a low-profile air circulation system to improve air…

"Cooling enables us to prolong the shelf life by 2-6 days"

“The moment of harvest has to be planned carefully, the product shouldn't be harvested too late. Also, temperature control is of vital importance for the shelf life. Depending on the crop, the complete cold chain ideally takes place in a room with a temperature between 2-5°C.” This is according to Tomás…

Improved resistance and electrical connection with new cable branche

Stolze's growing light installations are made entirely in-house. The switch panels are assembled custom-made and the strand cabling is made to measure. To create the lighting strands, the company uses their own System (SLS), for which they recently improved the branching of the strands in terms of…

Study on valorization of specialized metabolites of basil cultivars depending on cultivation method

In addition to its distinct aroma and flavor, because of which it is often used in various foods and dishes, basil has recently become increasingly popular because of its rich…

Research on algae-based microbiome biostimulation in vertical farms

Vertical farming (VF) is a potential solution for the production of high-quality, accessible, and climate-friendly nutrition for growing urban populations. However, to realize…

Small indoor dehumidifyer to improve farm climate

Royal Brinkman introduces the DryGair DGX, the newest model in the DryGair range of dehumidifiers. This smaller model is especially designed for indoor crops, small farming areas like seed companies, vertical farming and drying cells. With the introduction of the DGX, DryGair provides a controllable…

Study on nutrient control in electrical conductivity-based nutrient recycling soilless culture system

An electrical conductivity (EC)-based closed-loop soilless culture system is practical for in-field deployment. Literature on the closed-loop soilless culture nutrient management premise the limitations in managing recycled nutrients under dynamic changes in individual nutrient uptake concentrations.…

Photo by Mohd Shahrin Yahya/The Edge

Malaysia: Bringing farming game to life by growing real produce

Remember FarmVille, the agriculture-simulation social network game that once had tens of millions of players glued to their screens every day, for hours at a time, tending cartoon patches of land? Now that game has been brought off-screen into real life. Well, not off-screen exactly. Users can download…

ffa.org

US (OK): Growing numerous varieties of fresh produce with aquaponics

FFA members at Moore High School, located about 10 miles south of Oklahoma City, grow produce in an unconventional way. In 2018, Moore FFA launched an impressive aquaponics system: They raise tilapia and bluegill to help nourish carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, bok choy, peppers, squash, zucchini, and more.…

Developing strawberries and cherry tomatoes to strengthen Italian market position

With the start of the distribution of single variety salads, salad mixes, aromatic herbs and microgreens in the Eurospesa supermarkets of the Dado S.p.A Group in Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia, the company from Pordenone specialized in Vertical Farming ratifies its entry into the Italian market. In the…

Instagram Taila Parx

Grammy nominee shares her passion for indoor farming

When rising pop-R&B singer Tayla Parx isn’t recording tracks for her new album or writing Grammy-nominated songs, she’s spending time in the “most important room” in her house: a turquoise-hued space filled with portable planters, which she uses to grow vegetables and herbs—everything from bell peppers…

© Anto Sofyan | Dreamstime.com

Study on production and quality of Brazilian leafy vegetable in hydroponics

Jambu is a leafy vegetable from the northern region of Brazil and its cultivation in the soil has considerably reduced its production, due to pests and diseases. Based on this, the objective of this study was to evaluate the growth, yield, and postharvest quality of hydroponic jambu plants in response to…

Enabling growers to grow faster with clean and bio-degradable growing media

Growfoam is destined to pave the way for growers around the globe. Their mission? Enable growers to grow greener, safer and faster. Rising demand for fresh & healthy vegetable crops. This rise in demand for fresh & healthy crops has resulted in a boom of investments towards greenhouse projects (e.g. in…

Artechno

Research to give vertical farmer good start

Growers worldwide are discovering the possibilities of vertical farming. However, a lot of data is still missing in the still relatively new sector. A good reason for growers to do proper research into their cultivation and their business case before actually scaling up. Dutch company Artechno, which…

Study on effects of vermicompost leachate versus inorganic fertilizer on mint and rosemary

The objective of this study was to compare the morphology of M. spicata and R. officinalis plants, and the relative abundance quantification, colony-forming units, ribotypes,…

"Hydroponic operations shouldn't be exempted from Organic label requirements"

On Wednesday, Center for Food Safety (CFS), along with a coalition of organic farms, certifier, and organic stakeholder groups, filed an appeal with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, appealing a district court's ruling issued this march that authorizes the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to…

Park Sang-Moon / Korea Joongang Daily

Korea: Mealworm magnate seeks to corner bug-product market

North Chungcheong — Papillon's Kitchen opened in 2015 as Seoul's first "insect restaurant," serving dishes made from ground bugs. Ex-culinary professor Kim Young-Wook started the business with some of his students to develop insect-based snacks and to run the restaurant. The team spent hours a day in a…

Study on effect of pre-harvest supplemental UV-A/blue and red/blue LED sighting on settuce

Blue light and ultraviolet (UV) light have been shown to influence plant growth, morphology, and quality. This study investigates the effects of pre-harvest supplemental…

Kelp, maggots and mycoprotein must be mass-farmed to combat malnutrition

Radical changes to the food system are needed to safeguard our food supply and combat malnutrition in the face of climate change, environmental degradation, and epidemics, says a new report. Researchers at the University of Cambridge say our future global food supply cannot be safeguarded by traditional…

Peru's largest vertical organic garden donates its vegetables to soup kitchens

Peru's largest vertical organic garden is located in 685 m² of El Aire park in Surco. The garden has more than 600 linear meters of panels with 11,000 pots made out of…

Pioneer

The YME greenhouse: "best kept secret" at Yellow Medicine East

You would never guess it's a greenhouse from the outside. In fact, some people think it's just an add-on to the Yellow Medicine East (YME) storage garage in Minnesota. "It's probably the best-kept secret at Yellow Medicine East," said Ben Lecy, the industrial arts teacher at YME. The YME greenhouse in…

© Korn Vitthayanukarun | Dreamstime.com

Researchers trace path of light in photosynthesis

Heliobacteria, a type of bacteria that uses photosynthesis to generate energy, has reaction centers thought to be similar to those of the common ancestors for all photosynthetic organisms. Now, a University of Michigan team has determined the first steps in converting light into energy for this…

Federal Research Center for Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences

This vertical farm produces 10 times more seed potatoes a year

It is only economically efficient to grow high-value crops such as berries or herbs in automated greenhouses. Potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, and oilseeds which are needed much more do not fall into this group. A team from the Federal Research Center for Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences rose…

Study on water quality and farming growth benefits of intelligence aquaponics system

In 2019, the degree of food self-support in Taiwan was 32.08%, which was lower than that in the previous year by 2.4%. Taiwan does not have the ability to control the availability of food in the face of a food crisis. This study used an aquaponics system to implement the mutualism of fish, flowers,…

Study on quality of indoor-grown microgreens cultivated on three different substrates

Microgreens are innovative products in the horticultural sector. They are appreciated by consumers thanks to their novelty and health-related benefits, having a high…

Kodiakdailymirror

Alaska: tribal hydroponics project delivers first produce

Kodiak tribal members from the Native Village of Afognak and Tangirnaq Native Village in Alaska have received their first batches of lettuce produced using local hydroponic growing containers. The harvest came from Mal’uk Farms, the first tribally owned farm on the Kodiak road system. It is operated as a…

"Growing Spartina local and hydroponically"

Salt marshes in south Georgia are in constant need of restoration due to rising sea levels. Georgia Southern University graduate student Alexander Gregory is leading a project on the Armstrong Campus to address the loss of marsh habitats by researching Spartina alterniflora, the dominant plant in Georgia…

Meteor Systems

"Promising numbers not always meet expectations on high performance growing systems"

For good reasons the greenhouse and vertical farm industry is booming. "Especially in ‘’newer’’ greenhouse crops like leafy greens and herbs the number of suppliers moving to this industry is high and still increasing. There is no lack of promises on high performance growing systems, vision on the best…

Virus-free sweet potatoes growing in Bejing greenhouse

The ends of the green stems are connected with new leaves, and one seedling is next to each other in the experimental bottle. In the cultivation room of Xisen Sanhe Potato, "virus-free" potato seedlings are being bred and grown at a suitable temperature and humidity. Since 2018, Xisen Sanhe Potato has…

Credit: KING TV

Lacey is home to the largest 'vertical farm on the West Coast'

Though it looks like the set of some far-out science fiction fantasy, with bright walls of light and characters dressed in medical gowns, this is actually a farm growing six different kinds of lettuce inside a 25-thousand square foot warehouse located in a Lacey Business Park. “In the beginning, it was…

The importance of continuous high dissolved oxygen levels in irrigation water

Oxygen is essential for healthy plant development. Although plants generate oxygen as a by-product during photosynthesis, they require oxygen for energy production during the night. Also, the roots of a plant require oxygen for proper development, and bacteria in the rhizosphere use oxygen to transfer…

Photo by John Mahoney / Montreal Gazette

Startup bets 'vertical farms' can boost Quebec's winter berry output

A South Shore startup is going live with a technology it says will help Quebec growers produce tasty strawberries year-round and reduce the province’s wintertime reliance on imports. Brossard-based Ferme d’Hiver said Wednesday it has begun building a “vertical farm” in Vaudreuil to produce pesticide-free…

Myths surrounding ‘white light’ – Do you need ‘white’ light to grow better crops?

Light is perhaps the most important consideration for optimizing plant growth in a greenhouse or vertical farm. There are several myths surrounding the specific light spectra used for growing crops and, more specifically, the use of white, green, or broad-spectrum light. This article is the second in a…

Ready-to-use bioreactor brings tissue culture back home

Over the years, tissue culture has moved abroad due to rising labour costs. However, if it is up to ViVi Green Innovators, this will soon be history. Thanks to their automation of tissue culture through the use of bioreactors, growers are able to save on labour, while still guaranteeing hygienic…

Harvesting lettuce like a herb plant

In a recent interview on the Climate21 podcast with Tom Raftery, Mark Korzilius urges us to “forget about transportation in order to justify vertical farming.” Vertical farming enables food growth closer to large population centers and reduces the “food miles” associated with distribution thus reducing…

Credit: DLR (CC-BY 3.0)

Start of a new series of tests for plant cultivation on the moon and Mars

Nine weeks of darkness and temperatures down to minus 50 degrees Celsius. Under these harsh conditions of Antarctica, NASA and the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) have begun a joint series of experiments on vegetable cultivation techniques for use on the Moon and…

Research on crop growing factory: focusing on lighting and environmental control

Recently, the interest in plant factory-based crop production technologies is rising following the application of smart farm technology to the agricultural arena. A lettuce production system platform is proposed in this study considering the effects of indoor environmental conditions and artificial light…

Singapore shows what serious urban farming looks like

From what was once Singapore’s largest prison complex, an 8,000 square meter urban farm, Edible Garden City (EGC), now bursts with colorful vegetables and fragrant herbs. Co-founded by local resident Bjorn Low in 2012, EGC is one of Singapore’s first urban farming initiatives and is located inside the…

Melissa Tobin/CBC

Father-son hydroponic farm on Fogo Island grows fresh greens year round

Fogo Island might not be the first place you think of when you're sourcing fresh vegetables and herbs, but this father and son farm team might make you reconsider. Dwight Budden and his father Hayward are the owners of Living Water Farm, an indoor, controlled-environment hydroponic farm the two men built…

"Plants grow better when their internal clock is matched to the environment"

Cambridge plant scientists say circadian clock genes, which enable plants to measure daily and seasonal rhythms, should be targeted in agriculture and crop breeding for higher yields and more sustainable farming. Like humans, plants have an ‘internal clock’ that monitors the rhythms of their environment.…

Space Daily

NASA astronaut paints picture of success growing plants in space

Astronauts on the International Space Station recently enjoyed a fresh supply of leafy greens, thanks in large part to the efforts of Expedition 64 crewmember Michael Hopkins. NASA's SpaceX Crew-1 mission commander took the lead on conducting four Vegetable Production System (Veggie) experiments, with…

'It just tastes better': Southern Alberta company modernizes traditional farmers' market

A southern Alberta business is bridging the connection between local producers and customers by modernizing the traditional farmers' market. CultivatR is an online shopping system that aims to support producers by delivering their goods straight from the farm to the doors of customers. "You can't be a…

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Vertical wheat growth gives high yields but higher prices

Vertical farming is being used to grow mostly fruits and vegetables. In a world where some nations are facing acute hunger and malnutrition, can this be an alternative for producing other important global commodities, such as wheat? Wheat is the main source of plant protein. It is said to account for 20%…

John Kirk-Anderson / Stuff

Late brother inspires New Zealand family's microgreen farming venture

Don Murchie and Jess Murchie-Brown have been growing and selling four varieties of microgreens on their 4-hectare lifestyle block in Tai Tapu for about two months. Twice a week they harvest tiny pea, broccoli, radish, and sunflower shoots, which are then delivered to local restaurants and home buyers,…

Vertigo Farms / Facebook

Polish vertical farm is first to supply beauty and health industry

An ‘experimental’ start-up has become the first in Europe to utilize a vertical farm to both grow herbs and produce plant extracts for the beauty, health, and pharmaceutical industries. Vertigo Farms, located in the Puławy Science and Technology Park in the east of Poland grows 11, 000 plants on an area…

How to be a hydroponic farmer: Expert advice from agricultural entrepreneur

“Everything I’ve learned, I’ve learned the hard way,” laughs Hassan Sharaff, BE’07, gesturing to, well, everything: the polyethylene greenhouse walls with a soaring aluminum frame, torqued by last year’s derecho winds, and tray after tray of arugula, basil, kale and lettuce shoots, drinking in diffuse…

Photo by North Jersey

A 'sense of pride and hope': vertical farm employs adults with autism

The small, 3,000-square-foot warehouse at the end of Oak Street in Hackensack is filled with big ideas. It houses Greens Do Good, a vertical hydroponic farm where greens such as kale, basil and cilantro are planted, cared for, and harvested by adults on the autism spectrum. “We are trying to educate the…

Study on growing medicinal plants on perlite

Medicinal plants represent a valuable commodity due to the beneficial effects of their natural products on human health, prompting a need for finding a way to optimize/increase their production. In this study, a novel growing media with various perlite particle sizes and its mixture with peat moss was…

Oishii

Oishii: “We’ll be launching our everyday berry which will be much more accessible”

“One of the core problems related to strawberries in the United States is that almost 90% of them are produced in California and need to be shipped across the country. Strawberries have been engineered to be resilient to this transportation, at the expense of quality and taste. With Oishii, it’s all…

Study on effects of selenium and/or arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal inoculation on hydroponic strawberry

Strawberry is considered as a fruit of high nutritional value, with appreciated benefits on human health. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are commonly used plant symbionts…

The business desk

UK: New farm to be realized in Horton

"We have been working with Syan Farms over the past year to plan this development and are very excited to be on board with their team, says Jamie Burrows, CEO of Vertical Future. Vertical Future, has partnered with a newly-established Northamptonshire-based vertical farming company, Syan Farms.  "Our aims…

ABC Rural / Meg Bolton

AU: Mum turns microgreen 'side hustle' into thriving microgreens business

A mother of two's "side hustle" has turned into a veritable "love fest" that is likely to see her put on staff to assist her thriving microgreen business. Last year, Clancy Gillingham started growing about 20 different varieties of microgreen (immature versions of vegetables and herbs) in a purpose-built…

Sarasotamagazine.com

Vertical farm provides Gourmet Mushrooms to Suncoast

Friends and urban farmers Micheal Shea and Howard Schmidt are major mycophiles, aka mushroom lovers. So, to share their passion for fungi, Shea and Schmidt created Petrichor Mushrooms to provide gourmet organic mushrooms to the Suncoast. The idea for building a small crop community first took root while…

JD Corporate

China: plant factory sparks children's interest in agriculture

JD hosted nearly 100 primary school students and their teachers for a field trip at its hydroponic plant factory in the Tongzhou district of Beijing. The event was part of a larger program that started last year in which JD offers the plant factory as a high-tech educational facility for elementary and…

Guaranteed analysis of an organic hydroponic nutrient product: nitrogen

Nitrates are commonly referred to as NO3-. In the context of soil-based agriculture, this is the result of bacteria, such as nitrifying bacteria, converting various forms of nitrogen (N) to nitrate (NO3-). Nitrate nitrogen represents the nitrogen that is combined in the nitrate ion, also known as NO3-N.…