Italian Agrinauts Develop Underwater Greenhouses

Controlled-environment agriculture has pushed the boundaries, making it possible to grow crops in the most unlikely of locations. We've already seen cultivation take root on the North Pole, in space, and underground. An Italian scuba enthusiast adds another dimension to the list: underwater greenhouses.

The history of Nemo’s Garden begins in the Noli’s Bay in 2012, when Mr. Sergio Gamberini, President of Ocean Reef Group, came up with this funky idea, trying to combine two of his passions: scuba diving and gardening.

The first experiment, project coordinator Gianni Fontanesi tells us, was conducted during the summer of 2012, with one very small biosphere anchored to the sea bottom in which green basil was planted and successfully grew. In this structure no “agrinauts” could get inside.

From herbs to stevia
The Nemo's Garden team already tested many different plants: green basil, oregano, sage, mint, thyme and other herbs, various types of salads, tomatoes, beans, peas, zucchini, and goji berries. They don't just limit themselves to edible plants, however - examples of medical and cosmetic crops include stevia, melissa, calendula, aloe vera, etc.

"Our target is not selling veggies/herbs on the market", Gianni says. "Indeed, we are not focused on fixing a price for a kg of plants. Our goal now is to investigate which plant is growing better, together with the fresh water production and the complete auto sustainability of the system. Product maximization will be the next step."

New and traditional techniques
"The unique conditions inside the biospheres (especially higher pressure and high level of humidity) are acting positively on the plants' growth", according to Gianni. He says they've noticed a faster germination and different chemical compositions with different composition of essential oils.

Being underwater requires new ideas and solutions, but the agrinauts are also adapting common growing methods, albeit in a completely different environment. For instance, one winter the team tested a few LED lights that could be used during the low season when the sunlight is reduced and the day are short.

Although Nemo's Garden borrows certain techniques from 'land growers', the agrinauts want to work with their colleagues on terra firma, not against them. "We get positive feedback from all over the world, from many different realities", Gianni says, emphasizing: "We do not want to compete with conventional growers, that is not our goal."

Customized underwater structures
Nemo’s Garden is a pilot project created and entirely sponsored by Ocean Reef Group. The company manufactures diving equipment, snorkeling full face masks (inventors), protection equipment, and electronics. "The other projects are related to the different activities we are running", Gianni tells us.

Right now, the team at Nemo's Garden is still investigating which crop grows better, together with fresh water production/collection and self-sustainability of the system. They also have ambitious plans for the future.

"We are now ready to replicate this underwater habitat or to create customized options. Through the years we understood the many possible applications for this type of habitat: not only an underwater greenhouse, but an underwater observatory, an uw lab with a higher pressure, a new touristic attraction." They're receiving requests from all over the world, and have already installed one biosphere at the TODI center in Belgium.

For more information:
Nemo's Garden
www.nemosgarden.com
 

Publication date: 3/27/2018
Author: Jan Jacob Mekes
Copyright: www.hortidaily.com