Welcome to iGrow News, Your Source for the World of Indoor Vertical Farming
Federal Grant Bolsters Higher Education In AgTech
Cornell University has reported that the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), through its National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), has endowed the university’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ School of Integrative Plant Science with a $496,000 grant
Growers have indicated the need for highly skilled workforce is becoming more urgent as technology restructures the future of farming.
Today’s blog notes a bright spot amongst many past reports of reduced government-backed financial support in research & development (R&D) and education programs that aim to improve living conditions, reduce environmental impact, and manage the growing population’s resources via technology.
Cornell University has reported that the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), through its National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), has endowed the university’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ School of Integrative Plant Science with a $496,000 grant. The federal funding will be used to develop new controlled environment agriculture (CEA) training programs for a skilled workforce that is sorely needed.
Cornell’s associate professor of horticulture Neil Mattson, well-known to us as the keynote speaker at our 2019 HortiCann Light + Tech conference, will collaborate with Cornell Small Farms program director Anu Rangarajan, Ohio State University’s Agricultural Technical Institute, and SUNY Broome Community College to create a technical training certificate in CEA production. The partners also expect to develop a two-year associate’s degree program for students at these institutions and other community colleges to provide solid education in CEA.
Mattson said in the Cornell Chronicle, “Growers consistently state that finding well-trained personnel to operate their facilities is among the largest barriers to expansion.”
Why do we need this educational support? The global population is growing, and supply needs to ramp up to deliver healthy foods to all economic strata. Many food crops are currently unavailable close to home for many, which places a burden on transportation and increases carbon footprint, as well as impacting shelf life. CEA can bring many food-growing resources closer to consumers, especially in urban areas or regions that would prove inhospitable to sensitive crops in a traditional farming operation.
CEA gives growers the means to apply physical systems of growth media, environmental controls, horticultural lighting, and water supply systems along with evidence-backed research in pest management, food safety processes, light customization, and more to produce food sources in a manner designed to balance economic viability, food demand, and sustainability.
Technologies available to modern CEA growers would naturally require a more advanced skillset. Indeed, said Rangarajan, “Our efforts have laid the groundwork for what I hope will be a dynamic training program that will build the workforce and elevate the industry as a whole.”
It’s an exciting time in the horticultural and agricultural space, and learning opportunities abound. Bookmark our HortiCann Light + Tech conference homepage for updates on our upcoming October program, now virtual for 2020. Moving beyond horticultural lighting fundamentals, the program will also delve into agribusiness and the return on investment in advanced systems and controls, AgTech systems integration, and topics related to legalized cannabis growing operations.
Photo credit: Image by iamereri via Pixabay; used under free license for commercial or non-commercial purposes.
Author: Carrie Meadows | LEDsMagazine | Jul 10, 2020
Indoor Growing vs. Traditional Greenhouse Growing
Indoor growing offers some sustainability benefits because considerable savings can be made on water, nutrients and use of pesticides
Today, in theory, there is enough food on the planet to feed approximately 12 billion people, but the way it is distributed around the world is inefficient and unsustainable. As food is transported across the entire globe, its shelf life or freshness tends to deteriorate considerably and a lot of food often goes to waste. Indoor growing is a step closer to a new situation – one in which it is possible to grow locally produced, fresh food all year round, regardless of the weather and external conditions. It may even enable us to change the face of the food industry.
However, this requires a different way of thinking. “Indoor growing is different from growing in a greenhouse in several ways,” says Fred Ruijgt, Market Development Indoor Growing. “In an automated, glass greenhouse you have to deal with external influences such as wind, rain, and sun. These variables need to be managed as effectively as possible, with or without additional technology. The grower is constantly working to achieve a stable climate for the crop. Indoor growing allows you to create your own optimal climate. The grower determines the growing conditions, from light level to air circulation.”
Fred Ruijgt
Comparing apples with oranges
According to Fred, many investors try to compare indoor growing with traditional horticulture. “In terms of investment and profitability, it is difficult to compare them,” he says. “It’s like comparing apples with oranges. It’s important to understand the differences between traditional horticultural practices and indoor growing. You can’t simply calculate what a greenhouse yields per square meter and compare it to an indoor farm. In a greenhouse you have to consider the crop cycle and in which months you can harvest and thus what you can supply to your customers. With indoor growing you can supply all year round, creating more opportunities to reach supply agreements with customers. But you also need to invest.
Indoor growing offers some sustainability benefits because considerable savings can be made on water, nutrients and use of pesticides. But, compared to a traditional greenhouse, much more artificial lighting is required. Also, the location and local sales potential should be included in the comparison. After all, a traditional greenhouse is not even an option in some countries, whereas in the Netherlands, for example, it probably costs two to three times more to grow fresh produce in an indoor farm than it does in a greenhouse.” Another difference is that traditional horticulture has traditional sales channels such as auctions, traders and cooperatives. That’s not the case with indoor growing – it’s more important to understand and collaborate with the entire chain.
Food security and food safety
The fact that indoor growing doesn’t have traditional sales channels is precisely what makes it special. “Indoor growing is clean and pesticide-free, resulting in high-quality and plannable production. An indoor farm can also be built in urban areas, which means that there’s always fresh, locally grown produce available for consumers. The product is often shipped directly from the indoor farm to, for example, the supermarket, so the route to the consumer is shorter. Therefore, in the case of indoor growing, it is important that the facility is an integrated part of the total chain: from suppliers to customers. That keeps the route nice and short,” continues Fred.
An indoor farm can be situated anywhere in the world and in any type of climate, whereas it is often not possible to build a greenhouse in certain areas. Fred: “In Singapore, for example, no more greenhouses can be built because there’s no agricultural or horticultural land available. An indoor farm offers a solution because it can be set up inside an existing building. This is an efficient alternative and it greatly reduces the dependence on food imports.”
Down to the consumer
The technology has already been proven in a number of large-scale indoor growing projects. So why isn’t this way of growing more common? “That’s because of several factors,” explains Fred. “Right now, indoor farms are mainly being integrated into existing retail chains. In addition, the demand largely comes from areas with a high average income. The existing retail chains have a vision and they always want to deliver good-quality products, so it makes sense for them to invest in this. But what are consumers prepared to pay for a fresh head of lettuce, for example,? If consumers start to value fresh and good-quality food more, entrepreneurs will be more willing to invest in a more sustainable way of producing food.”
For more information:
Priva
www.priva.com
contact.priva@priva.nl
Publication date: Tue 18 Aug 2020
These 4 Reasons Tell Us Why It’s Time To Shift To Indoor Farming
Though growing indoors can never be a replacement for outdoor agriculture, it can certainly help in growing certain vegetables, herbs, microgreens, and more
By Ecochirp Foundation in Environment
6th August 2020
Traditionally, agriculture was done on large open farms, having a large dependence on external environmental factors. In recent times, there is a new vertical emerging in agriculture, giving promising results i.e., Indoor farming or vertical farming. Particular challenges that were faced in conventional cultivation techniques have been resolved with indoor agriculture. Though growing indoors can never be a replacement for outdoor agriculture, it can certainly help in growing certain vegetables, herbs, microgreens, and more.
Let’s have a comparative study of indoor growing vs. outdoor growing.
Weather Dependence
Traditional outdoor growing is largely dependent on weather conditions. Only seasonal crops can be grown. Weather conditions can be the biggest nightmares for farmers as things like thunderstorms, floods, droughts can damage crops overnight. By growing indoors, we eliminate our dependence on the weather. Instead, growers can control the climate inside the indoor growing system creating the ideal environment for maximum outputs. Using a wide range of sensors, indoor growers can check their plants at all times.
Pesticides And Herbicides Requirement
Do you also wear a mask while consuming those??
The crops are more prone to pests and other animal damage as they are exposed to the outer environment. We recently saw the locust attack that happened; it devastated large areas of crops. We saw how fast they traveled and farmers couldn’t take measures in time. They had to spray large amounts of pesticides to protect the remaining crops that eventually went into our systems. The pesticides and chemical fertilizers used are a root cause of major ailments like cancers, immune disorders, infertility, and cardiovascular diseases.
Indoor grown edibles need fewer chemical additives to grow well. Being indoors, they are not prone to pests. Also, the environment is controlled; therefore, there is no need for pesticides or herbicides. Therefore, the vegetables are pure.
About 70% of the world’s freshwater goes to agriculture. And with increasing populations, this water requirement is expected to go up by 15% by 2050. This is a thing we should be afraid of, as the freshwater resources are declining. If things keep going in the same way, there is a possibility that we might not be able to keep up with the requirements. Taking the case of indoor growing, techniques such as hydroponics take up to 90-95% less water. They use a closed-loop system, where there is no wastage, and resources are optimally utilized.
The Nutritional Content Of Edibles
The current agriculture system is centralized. Therefore, fruits and vegetables have to travel thousands of miles before they reach us. In the meanwhile, they lose a considerable amount of nutritional content. For example, spinach loses about 50-90% of its vitamin C within 24 hours of being harvested, which means the vegetables and fruits we eat at our homes in cities is not as nutritional as it should be.
In the case of indoor growing, which is generally done in cities near our homes, transportation time is less than 5-6 hours. Therefore, they are fresh and highly nutritious.
Pre And Post-Harvest Losses
About 40% of the world’s food is wasted due to the pre and post-harvest losses. Pre-harvest losses occur before harvesting begins, and may be due to insects, weeds, and rusts. Post-harvest losses occur between harvest and the moment of human consumption. Fruits and vegetables are perishable products and tend to get spoiled or degraded with time and unfavorable factors. Indoor growing has very low wastage as they rarely get diseases; they are near to cities and therefore, have lower transportation times. The edibles are consumed soon after they are harvested.
This comparison is just a brief glimpse of how growing indoors is more beneficial as compared to conventional growing. However, this article does not mean that indoor growing can replace proper farming. Outdoor farming can not be eliminated but can be decentralized, and with the help of indoor growing techniques, we can revolutionize the current agriculture system for the better.
About the author: Palak Kumar is an insatiably curious Mechanical Engineering student, passionate about flying, clouds, literature, and plants, working towards revolutionizing Indoor Vertical Growing.
US: MAINE - Vertical Greenhouse Coming to Westbrook
The City of Westbrook will soon be growing produce a little differently. Starting in the spring of 2021, a company called Vertical Harvest will begin building a vertical greenhouse on Mechanic Street
29-07-2020 | News Center Maine
US- A 70,000 square-ft vertical greenhouse will produce 1 million pounds of produce per year to the city and surrounding areas.
The City of Westbrook will soon be growing produce a little differently. Starting in the spring of 2021, a company called Vertical Harvest will begin building a vertical greenhouse on Mechanic Street.
The planned 70,000 square ft facility will initially grow a variety of microgreens and lettuce. The company estimates the greenhouse will produce 1 million pounds of produce per year to the city and surrounding areas.
Westbrook will be the company’s second location in the United States. The co-founder said she came up with the vertical idea after realizing the need for fresh produce year-round in an urban setting.
“We want to grow as much food as possible. We want to employ as many people as possible. We want to do both year-round. That’s what gave us the idea to go up. So at its heart, we want to be able for these farms to serve the community in which it sits, so that means being in the heart of our urban centers,” said co-founder Nona Yehia.
Yehia said the greenhouse will bring 50 full-time equivalent jobs to the city. The mayor of Westbrook said the greenhouse is part of a larger project, which will include a parking garage and new apartments.
A documentary about Vertical Harvest called Hearts of Glass was recently released.
Here’s an excerpt from the film.
Source and Photo Courtesy of News Center Maine
US - CHICAGO - VIDEO: Vertical Farm Wilder Fields Opening Calumet City Location
The anchor of a Calumet City strip mall at 1717 East-West Road left five years ago. Now a local small business plans to turn this red store -- Green
Wilder Fields Plans To Fully Open In 2023
By Leah Hope
CALUMET CITY, Ill. (WLS) -- A vertical farm is coming to the south suburbs.
The anchor of a Calumet City strip mall at 1717 East-West Road left five years ago. Now a local small business plans to turn this red store -- green.
"We'll be growing a whole range of leafy green, many of which may be familiar to the consumer, many of which the consumer has never tasted," Wilder Fields Founder Jake Counne said. "We're really excited to blow people's minds with varieties they've never had."
Wilder Fields operates a vertical farm in Chicago and will open a larger location in the south suburbs, selling produce locally to residents, restaurants, and markets by making use of all the space, floor to ceiling.
"To be able to take big-box space like this and reintroduce jobs that might have been lost, boosting the foot traffic that might have been lost ... to come in and revitalize that corridor is really exciting for us," Counne said.
The red paint was from the previous tenant. Target had been there for 20 years but closed in 2015.
For those in the area, a small business growing produce and adding jobs is welcomed news.
"Twenty four acres of farmland in the 135,000-square-foot building is pretty exciting when you think about it," Mayor Michelle Markiewicz Qualkinbush said.
Calumet City 7th Ward Alderman Anthony Smith agrees.
"We've been a food desert for a number of years so this actually fills that void," Smith said. "(It) allows us to get fresh produce and at an affordable price and bring jobs."
Residents think it's a great idea, too.
"To have an indoor farm that we can come to year-round will be phenomenal," Vicki Brown said
Wilder Fields plans to start production next year and be fully operational in 2023, with not only retail space but an Education Center to show how their organic greens are grown year-round indoors vertically.
RELATED TOPICS:
business calumet city food grocery
New Growcer Hydroponic System Will Allow Sheshegwaning to grow Fresh Produce For Residents At Any Time of The Year
It may only be a sea container at this time, but soon Sheshegwaning First Nation (on Manitoulin Island in Ontario, Canada) will be able to grow fresh produce on a year-round basis in this unit and build food security for the community
By Tom Sasvari
July 3, 2020
New Growcer hydroponic system will allow Sheshegwaning to grow fresh produce for residents at any time of the year
SHESHEGWANING – It may only be a sea container at this time, but soon Sheshegwaning First Nation will be able to grow fresh produce on a year-round basis in this unit and build food security for the community.
“We took delivery of the Growcer self-contained hydroponic system,” stated Sheshegwaning Chief Dean Roy last Thursday. “With this project, we will be able to provide some food security as we will be able to produce fresh produce and food year-round here. With COVID-19 there have been times we haven’t been able to get fresh produce as readily as we want from neighboring grocery stores.”
He pointed out, “Growcer is a self-contained modular hydroponic system. We just have to hook up services for hydro and water and will have a representative of Growcer on hand soon to provide training on how to use the system to grow the produce here locally.”
“We should be able to produce 500 heads of fresh produce such as different lettuce weekly, year-round,” said Chief Roy. “I think we will be starting with romaine lettuce and other leaf lettuces, red kale, basil and parsley and we will be able to grow strawberries, for example, in the winter with this system.”
“We took delivery of a sea container last week for the Growcer system,” said April Folz, economic development officer for Sheshegwaning, this past Monday. “The week of July 13 Growcer company representatives will be on hand to provide training. After that, we will be up and running.”
Ms. Folz explained, “we’re going to be growing green products such as romaine lettuce, spinach, bok choy, basil, mint, and dill. And once we get going we will want to get into growing other different greens and produce.” She noted, “we were having a hard time getting fresh greens in local stores, but with this system in place, this will be available at all times. Local residents won’t have to travel to the nearest grocery store.”
Ms. Folz said, “we’re hoping to be able to provide a subscription box for residents, where for say $10 they will be able to get five heads of fresh greens at a time. The hydroponic system will allow for 450 heads of produce to be grown each week.”
“Growcer outfits everything that is needed in the sea containers, and there will be a desk for a systems manager to work at and the actual green area where the seeds are planted and the produce is grown,” said Ms. Folz. With this new system in place, one full-time person will be hired as well as two part-time casual positions will be created.
Chief Roy noted the community currently has a job posting for a systems manager.
Ms. Folz added, “we have a community logo/branding competition for a name for this program here and are hoping to get local input on a name. We will be taking input and submissions until July 15.”
VIDEO: The Produce Industry Podcast With Patrick Kelly. We Chat With Nick Greens, Horticulturist/Consultant at Nick Greens, LLC
In this episode of The Produce Industry Podcast with Patrick Kelly we chat with Nick Greens, Horticulturist/Consultant at Nick Greens, LLC
THE PRODUCE INDUSTRY PODCAST
In this episode of The Produce Industry Podcast with Patrick Kelly we chat with Nick Greens, Horticulturist/Consultant at Nick Greens, LLC. Nick Greens started his growing career in 2002. From 2007-2014 Nick made big moves in the industry with vertical and greenhouse farming along with leading new generations for success! Nick and Patrick dive into vertical farming during the COVID-19 pandemic and how teaming up with a greenhouse / vertical farm to create consistent food for your business.
PODCAST: Kyle Barnett and Rob Spivock Talk Ag Tech
In this two-part episode of the CropTalk series, #KyleTalksAgTech, Kyle Barnett speaks with Robert Spivock, Director of Technology at GE Current about what makes an LED horticulture light truly reliable, using cars as a reference point for the listeners
In this two-part episode of the CropTalk series, #KyleTalksAgTech, Kyle Barnett speaks with Robert Spivock, Director of Technology at GE Current about what makes an LED horticulture light truly reliable, using cars as a reference point for the listeners.
Listen to the podcast here.
Dutch Revolution - Smart Soilless Growing On Organic Jute Fiber
We create substrates from virgin and circular jute fiber, made intelligent for the high-tech horticulture environment
HollandBioProducts Is Ready To Launch Its 100% Organic Circular Substrates For Horticulture
HollandBioProducts offer a 100% compostable organic fiber-based substrate for the tray, soil, and water cultivation with unique water controlling capacities.
Edward van Wonderen (CEO): "Being patient, listening to you early adopting customers, not being afraid to make mistakes and being flexible once the solution lays ahead of you, has allowed us to scale rapidly around the world. We create substrates from virgin and circular jute fiber, made intelligent for the high-tech horticulture environment.”
We worked for about 10 years on creating the right sustainable circular substrate for horticulture, during a time where the market moved from traditional towards high-tech farming environments. Farms now start all around the world sometimes under extreme weather conditions. It is a very challenging market.
The present world Corona pandemic strongly punts the pressure on non-sustainable ways of industrial farming. Governments and organizations ask for more sustainable ways of farming. Indoor, local, and urban. With smart use of water and energy. Creating higher output at low cost with less waste. Non-sustainable substrates like stone, foam and even peat are more and more being regarded as questionable solutions.
HollandBioProducts is ready to emerge these market opportunities and created 100% compostable and environmentally friendly substrates in cooperation with world-leading innovating farmers.
HollandBioProducts uses a pioneering patented production technology that integrates super absorbing flakes and jute. As there is no other existing company using similar technology, to improve plant quality and increasing water retention capacity of the plug we consider being unique in our final offering.”
Valoya Announces Its Spectrum Technology Licensing Program
Valoya’s extensive patent portfolio in the field of horticultural LED lighting is a result of significant innovation and investments into R&D over the past 11 years
Valoya, the research-driven LED grow light manufacturer has today announced a licensing program making their patented technology available to LED manufacturers and horticultural LED fixture providers.
Valoya’s extensive patent portfolio in the field of horticultural LED lighting is a result of significant innovation and investments into R&D over the past 11 years. The patents are in the field of light spectra for plant cultivation and lighting applications. At the moment, the portfolio consists of over 100 patents, all of which can be reviewed at valoya.com/patents.
'We have always been curious about the possibilities of light and how its potential could be pushed further to make cultivation of crops we use for food or medicine production more efficient. When we started in 2009, LED meant piercing purple light produced by red and blue chips. We were the first to apply wide spectrum LED light to plants in our experiments and to introduce wide spectrum light to the market. We are now in a business phase where we can extend this intellectual property and know-how to other companies wishing to produce premium quality horticultural LED luminaires through our licensing program' comments Lars Aikala, the CEO and Co-Founder of Valoya.
The research and development at Valoya does not stop. ‘After having conducted over 600 plant trials on over 300 plant varieties/species, we have an understanding of plant response to light, unmatched by other LED companies in the market. The focus remains on advancing horticulture through developing even better spectra and helping our customers grow. We are happy we get to share this expertise with other companies now’, comments Nemanja Rodic, Marketing Director of Valoya.
To learn more about Valoya's patent licensing program,
please click here.
About Valoya
Valoya is a provider of high end, energy-efficient LED grow lights for use in crop science, vertical farming, and medicinal plants cultivation. Valoya LED grow lights have been developed using Valoya's proprietary LED technology and extensive plant photobiology research. Valoya's customer base includes numerous vertical farms, greenhouses, and research institutions all over the world (including 8 out of 10 world’s largest agricultural companies).
Additional information:f
Valoya Oy, Finland
Tel: +358 10 2350300
Email: sales@valoya.com
Web: www.valoya.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/valoyafi/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/valoya
What's In Store For The Horticulture Industries After COVID-19?
Mariska Dreschler (GreenTech) and Annie van de Riet (AVAG, Association of the Dutch greenhouse construction and technology industry), discuss how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting the greenhouse sector, and what is the outlook for the industry.
The current status of the several horticulture industries and EU projects
How long will we feel the consequences in the greenhouse industries
What measures should be taken now and in the future
Where do the opportunities lie for the horticulture industries
How are the chains affected and how will they need to change
For more information:
GreenTech
www.greentech.nl
By Horti Daily | May 5, 2020
Micro-Naps For Plants: Flicking The Lights On And Off Can Save Energy Without Hurting Indoor Agriculture Harvests
Growing crops under artificial light is gaining momentum , particularly in regions where produce prices can be high during seasons when sunlight is sparse
7/22/2019
Author: Kevin M. Folta
(MENAFN - The Conversation) A nighttime arrival at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport flies you over the bright pink glow of vegetable production greenhouses. Growing crops under artificial light is gaining momentum , particularly in regions where produce prices can be high during seasons when sunlight is sparse.
The Netherlands is just one country that has rapidly adopted controlled-environment agriculture , where high-value specialty crops like herbs, fancy lettuces and tomatoes are produced in year-round illuminated greenhouses.Advocates suggest these completely enclosed buildings – or plant factories– could be a way to repurpose urban space, decrease food miles and provide local produce to city dwellers.
One of the central problems of this process is the high monetary cost of providing artificial light , usually via a combination of red and blue light-emitting diodes.Energy costs sometimes exceed 25% of the operational outlay. How can growers, particularly in the developing world,compete when the sun is free ? Higher energy use also translates to more carbon emissions, rather than the decreased carbon footprint sustainably farmed plants can provide.
I'vestudied how light affects plant growth and development for over 30 years. I recently found myself wondering: Rather than growing plants under a repeating cycle of one day of light and one night of darkness, what if the same daylight was split into pulses lasting only hours, minutes or seconds?
Indoor plants need plenty of artificial light. josefkubes/Shutterstock.com
Short bursts of light and dark
So my colleagues and I designed an experiment . We'd apply the normal amount of light in total, just break it up over different chunks of time.
Of course plants depend on light for photosynthesis, the process that in nature uses the sun's energy to merge carbon dioxide and water into sugars that fuel plant metabolism. Light also directs growth and development through its signals about day and night, and monkeying with that information stream might have disastrous results.
That's because breaking something good into smaller bits sometimes creates new problems. Imagine how happy you'd be to receive a US$100 bill – but not as thrilled with the equivalent 10,000 pennies. We suspected a plant's internal clock wouldn't accept the same luminous currency when broken into smaller denominations.
And that's exactly what we demonstrated in our experiments . Kale, turnip or beet seedlings exposed to cycles of 12 hours of light, 12 hours dark for four days grew normally, accumulating pigments and growing larger. When we decreased the frequency of light-dark cycles to 6 hours, 3 hours, 1 hour or 30 minutes, the plants revolted. We delivered the same amount of light, just applied in different-sized chunks, and the seedlings did not appreciate the treatment.
The same amount of light applied in shorter intervals over the day caused plants to grow more like they were in darkness. We suspect the light pulses conflicted with aplant's internal clock , and the seedlings had no idea what time of day it was. Stems stretched taller in an attempt to find more light, and processes like pigment production were put on hold.
But when we applied light in much, much shorter bursts, something remarkable happened. Plants grown under five-second on/off cycles appeared to be almost identical to those grown under the normal light/dark period. It's almost like the internal clock can't get started properly when sunrise comes every five seconds, so the plants don't seem to mind a day that is a few seconds long.
Just as we prepared to publish, undergraduate collaborator Paul Kusuma found that our discovery was not so novel. We soon realized we'd actually rediscovered something already known for 88 years. Scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture saw this same phenomenon in 1931 when they grew plants under light pulses of various durations. Their work in mature plants matches what we observed in seedlings with remarkable similarity.
A 1931 study by Garner and Allard tracked the growth of Yellow Cosmos flowers under light pulses of various durations.
J. Agri. Res. 42: National Agricultural Library, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.,CC BY
Not only was all of this a retread of an old idea, but pulses of light do not save any energy. Five seconds on and off uses the same amount of energy as the lights being on for 12 hours; the lights are still on for half the day.
But what would happen if we extended the dark period? Five seconds on. Six seconds off. Or 10 seconds off. Or 20 seconds off. Maybe 80 seconds off? They didn't try that in 1931.
Building in extra downtime
It turns out that the plants don't mind a little downtime. After applying light for five seconds to activate photosynthesis and biological processes like pigment accumulation, we turned the light off for 10, or sometimes 20 seconds. Under these extended dark periods, the seedlings grew just as well as they had when the light and dark periods were equal. If this could be done on the scale of an indoor farm, it might translate to a significant energy savings, at least 30% and maybe more.
Recent yet-to-be published work in our lab has shown that the same concept works in leaf lettuces; they also don't mind an extended dark time between pulses. In some cases, the lettuces are green instead of purple and have larger leaves. That means a grower can produce a diversity of products, and with higher marketable product weight, by turning the lights off.
One variety of lettuce grew purple when given a 10-second dark period. They look similar to those grown with a five-second dark period, yet use 33% less energy. Extending the dark period to 20 seconds yielded green plants with more biomass.
J. Feng, K. Folta
Learning that plants can be grown under bursts of light rather than continuous illumination provides a way to potentially trim the expensive energy budget of indoor agriculture. More fresh vegetables could be grown with less energy, making the process more sustainable. My colleagues and I think this innovation could ultimately help drive new business and feed more people – and do so with less environmental impact.
New Zealand: $2.75m of Funding to Make Northland Hydroponic Horticultural Capital
The partnership will enable Maungatapere Berries, owned by the Malley Family, to develop the first phase of a high-tech education, training and employment operation, as part of a 20ha hydroponic orchard expansion, doubling its workforce to 360 over the next five to eight years
Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announces $2.75million of Provincial Growth Fund money for Maungatapere Berries, which grows fruit hydroponically, west of Whangārei.
Northern Advocate
13 Jul, 2019
Northland could become the hydroponic horticultural capital of the country with a $2.37-million Provincial Growth Fund loan going to a Whangarei company to expand its already huge hydroponic operation and create 45 new full time jobs.
The $2.37m PGF partnership was announced by the Minister of Regional Economic Development, Shane Jones, at Whangarei business Maungatapere Berries that will create the first centre for growing excellence in the New Zealand hydroponics horticulture industry.
The partnership will enable Maungatapere Berries, owned by the Malley Family, to develop the first phase of a high-tech education, training and employment operation, as part of a 20ha hydroponic orchard expansion, doubling its workforce to 360 over the next five to eight years.
As new generation growers Patrick and Rebecca Malley said they are excited at the potential of hydroponics as one of the greatest untapped opportunities for the future of sustainable horticulture in Northland.
Maungatapere Berries director Patrick Malley and berryfruit manager Aroha Heta.
"Our plan, as part of the PGF partnership, is to further build on the extensive work the family's business has already undertaken in hydroponics providing permanent employment opportunities for locals in horticulture,'' Patrick Malley said.
"We aim to use it as a template designed to create better paying jobs and lifelong careers for young Northlanders as well as improving the social and economic benefits for local communities.''
The hydroponic orchard will focus on berryfruit and other fruit varieties that flourish when grown hydroponically in Northland's warm semi-tropical climate. He said the hydroponic centre of excellence will become a sustainable farming reference site for Northland growers with the aim of introducing and increasing the production of hydroponic fruit crops in the region and improving the economic opportunities for the Northland region.
The Malley family first started developing part of their 37ha kiwifruit orchard into a hydroponic berry operation four years ago, focusing on growing high-quality, good-tasting fruit to supply the New Zealand domestic market all year round.
They have continued investing and expanding their operation, which employs 45 fulltime staff and an additional 180 staff during the peak season, and includes an advanced packhouse servicing the domestic market, with future plans to export.
He said ongoing research into new fruit crops combined with greenhouse innovation and a strategy to build deep capability has the potential to develop a large environmentally sustainable horticultural industry that supports real growth in living wage employment and social equality for Northland.
American Society for Horticultural Science - 2019 Annual Conference - July 21 - 25 • Las Vegas, Nevada
The Annual Meeting of ASHS is where the latest science and technology is being showcased related to horticulture. Our mission is to bring together horticulture researchers, scientists, industry, academia, government, and students to cultivate ideas and share new techniques
2019 Annual Conference
Conference Program (pdf)
July 21 - 25 • Las Vegas, Nevada
The Tropicana Las Vegas
July 21 - Student Education & Career Day
The Annual Meeting of ASHS is where the latest science and technology is being showcased related to horticulture. Our mission is to bring together horticulture researchers, scientists, industry, academia, government, and students to cultivate ideas and share new techniques.
Since the conference is being held in Nevada, ASHS is partnering with Oasis Biotech, one of the more innovative and effective green industry entities in the United States, for an up-close journey into Vertical Farming at the Oasis Biotech facility.
Participants will be afforded access to the largest and most technologically advanced Indoor Vertical Farming facility ever designed and implemented in this country. Oasis Biotech uses state-of-the-art LED lighting technology and precise, cutting-edge hydroponic growing methods to generate a wide array of fresh, pesticide-free, non-GMO produce and non-traditional crops 365 days a year.
Attendees will have the opportunity to examine the agricultural system that recycles 100% of unused water and nutrient consumption while significantly reducing environmental impacts. On an inspiring expedition through the 215,000-square-foot indoor vertical farm, interested participants will witness the way that Oasis Biotech is attempting to make positive changes in farming.
Oasis Biotech boasts the ability to grow crops at a faster rate than traditional agriculture. Their LED and hydroponic systems reportedly ensure that crops receive optimal light spectrums and nutrient mixes, and they reduce loss from pests, diseases, and weather, which encourages higher yields. Oasis Biotech also calculates that they save 90% more water than other systems and are environmentally friendly.
The hour and a half tour will explain how this massive resource was created and how it is achieving its goal of producing more than one million pounds of microgreens, lettuce, and herbs.
The meeting focuses on the distribution of science through technical sessions, poster and abstract presentations, keynote speakers, and workshops. Enjoy networking and group activities where you can catch up with peers. There is also a spotlight on students–from career path mentoring to competitions and group activities to create relationships that can last throughout your career.
Program Information
• Keep checking the conference pages as new information is updated frequently
• Be part of the conference by submitting an oral or poster abstract - submission site is now open - Acceptance Email Expected April 15th.
• Submit a workshop (for ASHS Professional Interest Groups only) - submission site is now open
General Conference Information
• Check out the registration rates (below) and complete your registration starting in a few months
• Find out about discount rates for hotel and travel to the conference
• There are travel grant opportunities for students - don’t miss out!
Group Activities for 2019
• Luncheon Series with Featured Speakers
• Opening Reception & Pool Party
• Sightseeing and Professional Tours
• Student Education & Career Day
• Student Competitions and Scavenger Hunt
IHS ‘Ready to Grow’ Horticultural LED Grow Lights Named As Innovative New Product Winner at HTA National Plant Show
Intelligent Horticultural Solutions (IHS) was thrilled to be announced the Innovation winner in the New Product Showcase at the HTA National Plant Show, which took place on 18-19 June 2019 at Stoneleigh Park, Coventry.
Intelligent Horticultural Solutions (IHS) was thrilled to be announced the Innovation winner in the New Product Showcase at the HTA National Plant Show, which took place on 18-19 June 2019 at Stoneleigh Park, Coventry.
New HTA members IHS received the accolade for their ‘Ready to Grow’ range of Florence horticultural LED grow lights. The annual event was a great success with a wide variety of British suppliers to the horticultural market exhibiting their wares. Attendees, were mainly suppliers to the green-fingered public such as garden centres, landscape gardeners, etc., voted the IHS lighting solution as the most inspiring, Innovative New Product showcased at the show.
IHS’s Florence LED grow lights are designed specifically for low and no sunlight applications, maximising growth potential whilst minimising both initial purchase costs and on-going running costs. The Florence unit is no deeper than a standard fluorescent tube fitting, allowing an easy switch to LED lighting without losing growing space.
The modular design enables a smooth, effortless installation, which paired with the standard 100-240V AC mains input, allows for a quick and easy electrical installation, saving further time and cost. LED recipes are available for a wide range of standard horticultural applications, as well as fully customisable solutions.
The Florence range is proving to be a success within the sector having already won the Award for Best Innovation 2018 at the GroSouth Show held last November in Chichester. This was an important day for IHS, being the official launch and showcasing of the new Florence LED grow light modules into the fast-growing horticultural market.
There are currently eight different standard Florence LED recipes to choose from including; Biomass, Seeding, Flowering, and Fruiting” (available for applications both with or without existing daylight). Three different lens options are available, per recipe – narrow, wide and oval to direct the light onto the target areas.
These recipes were devised in conjunction with experts from LED manufacturer Osram Opto Semiconductors, who are market leaders in the supply of quality LEDs for the horticultural lighting sector.
IHS’s ‘Ready to Grow’ LED lights enable a longer growing season and also increase the speed of growth for plants, when under the correct recipe.
The Florence product range is currently available for purchase through RS Components.
LED Recipe IHS Part Number RS Article (Buy Here)
Biomass FLORENCE-BIO-WIDE-CASED-1CH-01. (187-4965)
Seeding FLORENCE-SEED-WIDE-CASED-1CH-01. (187-4970)
Flowering FLORENCE-FLOWER-WIDE-CASED-1CH-01. (187-4967)
Fruiting FLORENCE-FRUIT-WIDE-CASED-1CH-01. (187-4968)
Quality LED horticultural lighting from IHS is a cost-effective and viable solution for both backyard gardeners and large commercial growers alike. Ideal markets for these grow lights include polytunnels, environmental chambers, propagators, vertical farms and indoor farms, as well as schools, universities and research institutes.
IHS is a LED Light for You (LLFY) Partner, which draws on world-leading quality LEDs from Osram Opto Semiconductors and combines them with other quality components, materials and in-house expertise to provide the LED solution you need.
More horticultural LED Grow Light product families are being introduced from IHS in the near future, watch this space!
All our horticultural LED Grow Lights will be on show at our 2019 Horticultural LED seminars. - Sign up now
For enquiries or further information, please contact +44 (0) 1635 294606 or info@i-hled.co.uk
Or alternatively, refer to our website www.i-hled.co.uk
ILS is a division of Intelligent Group Solutions Ltd (IGS) a well-established and respected industry leading display and opto-electronics solutions provider. IGS’ provides semi-custom or custom products both in component and sub-assembly form. All the senior staff have been involved with the opto-electronics industry for at least 20 years and are dedicated to ensuring that ILS is an innovative and highly successful operation.
4 July 2019
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LEDs and LED Systems For Horticultural Growth - Horticultural Seminars
University of Lincoln - Tuesday 2nd July 2019
Rothamsted Conference Centre - Tuesday 3rd September 2019
University of Bristol - Thursday 12th September 2019
Join OSRAM Opto Semiconductors, world leaders in LED technology for horticultural and agricultural applications, with Intelligent Horticultural Solutions (IHS), their UK Systems Integration Partner, for a free one-day seminar. We will discuss all the latest Horticultural LED technological advancements and introduce new ranges of Horticultural products for growers and researchers.
IHS was formed to help support the development and manufacture of products in the fast-moving exciting area of horticultural LED lighting, bringing together years of experience and key horticultural LED and optic manufacturers to enable a perfect solution.
There will also be the chance for one-to-one discussions with OSRAM and IHS engineers to discuss any LED technology or product requirements that you may have, whilst networking with key players from the Industry, with hands-on demonstrations of new and existing products. There may also be an opportunity to visit horticultural areas within the venue.
REGISTER ONLINE www.i-hled.co.uk/seminar-registration
HORTICULTURAL SOLUTIONS
Samsung Introduces Benefits of Horticulture LEDs for Vertical Farming
The development of agricultural innovation has become more and more urgent than ever given the factors of increasing world population and global warming. As a result, vertical farming, which serves as a feasible solution to mass produce healthy and safe food, is getting increasingly popular across the world.
Samsung Electronics has launched full-spectrum white-based horticulture LEDs to keep up with the trend of agriculture innovation and underline the advantages of applying LEDs for smart farming approaches such as vertical farm.
Smart farming refers to an intelligent farming system that applies information and communication technologies (ICT) to agriculture. Vertical farming, wherein food is produced in vertically stacked layers, is regarded as a potential future agricultural with several benefits including its economical space and resource usage, environmental-friendly cultivation, and reliable harvesting.
Since Plant photosynthesis, germination and growth all depend on the wavelength of light the plant is exposed to; LED lighting enables optimum lighting conditions for growing any plant with its adjustable wavelength. Different light wavelengths can affect the taste and nutrient content of different types of plants or even the same species, This matching of the right wavelength to the right vegetable is called a ‘lighting recipe’.”
Professor Changhoo Chun, adviser to Samsung’s horticulture LED development and professor at College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, said that Samsung’s white-based horticulture LEDs which blend RGB colors offered a wide spectrum of wavelengths, making it more effective in indoor framing.
(Professor Changhoo Chun; image: Samsung)
He explained, “Growing plants well comes down to providing the right combination of wavelengths specific to each type of plant – from vegetables to fruits to medicinal plants. However, finding the optimum for each type of produce is often time-consuming and costly – a difficult undertaking for most vertical farms.”
Samsung has worked closely with agriculture research teams to find the optimal combination of light wavelengths necessary for peak plant growth. In order to do this, the most in-demand produce from existing plant factories were documented and then experiments on them were conducted with various combinations of light wavelengths. From the results of these trials came Samsung’s lighting solution lineup, including the full-spectrum white-based horticulture LEDs.
![[Going Green 2] How Samsung is Helping To Take Healthy Food From Farm To Table](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57c8695d5016e11e71be1d83/1556172575017-JOO4JU04IDLYDU13K3NE/index.jpg)
[Going Green 2] How Samsung is Helping To Take Healthy Food From Farm To Table
April 25, 2019
As awareness of environmental issues grows, the impacts of the agricultural industry and our own personal food consumption are of increasing public concern. The use of pesticides, herbicides and other resources are falling out of favor and more efficient methods of food production are being explored as we strive to cultivate healthier food. Samsung Electronics is contributing to these efforts, developing technologies that can reduce the environmental impact of growing healthy food.
Horticulture LED Driving the Future of Farming
On the industrial scale, indoor farms are increasing in popularity, since they are better equipped to overcome spatial constraints and extreme climates. In such indoor farms, artificial light plays a crucial role in efficiently managing the rate of plant growth.
Drawing upon its LED technologies developed for other lighting markets, Samsung launched its Horticulture LED lineup in May of last year to provide advanced lighting solutions to indoor farms. LED lighting is more efficient and has a longer lifespan than previously existing artificial lighting solutions. It is also easy to control the light spectrum of LED lighting and LED solutions are becoming a more attractive option for indoor farms.
Samsung’s Horticulture LED Package and module
Different wavelengths of light can affect plants in different ways. For example, wavelengths of 430 to 700 nanometers are required for photosynthesis, a wavelength of 450 nanometers promotes germination, 660 nanometers stimulates growth, and 730 nanometers or more helps plants to bloom and produce fruits. It’s thanks to these properties that red wavelengths (about 600~750 nanometers) and blue wavelengths (about 400~450 nanometers) have been the prevailing trend in indoor farms.
Recent developments have also emphasized the importance of green light with a wavelength of 550 nanometers, with findings that it can penetrate the lower canopy and thus increase the photosynthesis in plants found there. Since this was observed, interaction with a blue wavelength is now actively being studied also.
Based on this research, Samsung released its White LED package last November, with an extensive spectral range, including growth-boosting blue and red wavelengths. Full-spectrum LED lights can increase the nutritional value of plants and deter disease and pests. The bright white light can also create a more pleasant work environment than narrow spectrum alternatives, allowing farmers to monitor growth and inspect for disease with relative ease.
The package is designed to deliver strong reliability, even alongside the use of chemical fertilizers or under hot and humid conditions. The package is also competitive in price when compared to red LED products, helping to reduce the cost of establishing lighting systems in indoor farms.
Samsung raised the photon efficacy level of white LED packages to the highest in the industry, thus reconfirming the company’s leadership in this field. As a result, lighting manufacturers can use 30 percent fewer packages in each luminaire to achieve the same efficacy level as other lighting equipment, ultimately reducing the costs for indoor farms.
Packages can be selected according to the types of plants and the facility’s requirements. Samsung Electronics offers five white LED packages and one white LED module. The company has also designed one blue package and two red packages with a single wavelength.
As Will Chung, a researcher in the company’s Lighting Marketing Group (LED), explained, “Although it’s been less than two years since Samsung Electronics started its horticulture LED business, we’ve already received lots of positive feedback from the market for developing high-quality LED technologies. “We’re committed to developing more innovative products that support convenient food production, and will continue to enhance our offerings with testing, studies, and experts’ advice.”
Grow Your Own
In the homes of the future, it will be possible to grow your own vegetables no matter the climate. Samsung recently showcased Chef Garden at KBIS 2019, an AI farming platform that integrates with the next generation of Family Hub. The smart indoor garden uses seed capsules, allowing people to grow small fruits, vegetables and herbs with only a small part of the plant. Chef Garden controls light, temperature and humidity to optimize plant growth. The system also utilizes fogponics technology, which creates a nutrient fog that delivers water and nutrients directly to the plants so that they can grow without the need for pesticides. With water kept to the minimum required, the inside of Chef Garden always remains clean. Chef Garden can also inform users when plants are ready to harvest and recommend recipes thanks to smart integration with Family Hub.
Fruitful Investments and Research
Samsung is supporting research and development in fields such as basic sciences, materials science and ICT through the Samsung Science and Technology Foundation. Samsung has funded 500 project grants for the Korean scientific community to explore since 2013, amongst which are technology research projects examining vertical farming and the acceleration of plant growth. In addition, it is expected that further discoveries garnered from ICT projects involving AI, IoT and LEDs will foster synergy between Samsung’s technology and industrial farming’s efforts to produce healthy food.
“One of the main objectives of this support project is to consider how technology might solve the environmental and food shortage problems society faces today,” said Doochan Daniel Eum, Head of the Samsung Research & Incubation Center for Future Technology. “It’s our intention to contribute a total of 1.5 trillion Korean Won (approximately 1.3 billion USD) by 2023, investing in technologies that can effect real change for future society.”
Artificial Lighting Solutions Going Green Healthy Food horticulture LED Indoor Farms LED lighting LED Solutions White LED Package
What Is The Impact of LED Grow Lights On Indoor Horticulture Crops?
Posted on 01/29/2019 by David Kuack, HortAmericas.com
Michigan State University researchers are studying the effects of sole source LED grow lights on edible and ornamental crops.
Michigan State University opened its Controlled-Environment Lighting Laboratory (CELL) in 2017. The 400-square-foot vertical farm research facility is being used to study the indoor production of high-value specialty crops, including edibles and ornamentals with LED grow lights.
“The two major crops that we are studying are leafy greens, including red and green leaf lettuce, and floriculture transplants, specifically seedlings,” said horticulture professor Erik Runkle. “We are fairly new to leafy greens. We started performing research with them about three years ago, whereas, we’ve been working with indoor lighting of floriculture plugs since 2011. What has been interesting is to compare and contrast responses among the different crops. Not surprisingly there are a lot more similarities than there are differences.”
The indoor lighting research being conducted in the lighting laboratory is only with LED grow lights. The LED fixtures that are being used were designed by OSRAM. A similar OSRAM LED product is now being marketed as Phytofy.
“The OSRAM fixtures we are using in our studies deliver seven different wavebands and each one can be independently controlled,” Runkle said. “We are using the OSRAM fixture in all of our indoor lighting studies. This fixture features a sophisticated lighting system that enables us to deliver an infinitesimal number of combinations of light intensities and different wavebands.
“Some of studies being conducted could relate to greenhouse production, but more often the research results we learn indoors won’t apply to greenhouses. In greenhouses we are supplementing sunlight. What we have found is the light spectrum has less of an effect in the greenhouse because there is all the background sunlight compared to indoor production. The ability to control these different growth and quality traits is significantly greater with indoor lighting than in a greenhouse.”
Using light to manipulate plant growth
Runkle said working with different crops, the indoor lighting research being conducted is trying to elicit some very different quality traits.
“Seedlings are typically grown economically in greenhouses,” he said. “To produce anything indoors is going to be more expensive. The challenge and the reason that we are looking at ornamentals in indoor production is that there is still a lot of seasonal variability.
“If there is a period of extended cloudiness or period of sunny weather that normally doesn’t occur, these unpredictable weather conditions can result in plants that finish too early or too late. Growing plants indoors takes a lot of those issues out of the picture because the environmental conditions can be completely controlled.”
Runkle said the research with leafy greens will look at the impact light can have on different attributes of the plants.
“With leafy greens, growers are more concerned with consumer preferences for flavor and texture, as well as the yield and the biomass of the plants,” he said. “In part, light can be used to manipulate these different attributes. With floriculture crops, growers are typically trying to produce a small, compact plant, and in some cases trying to develop flower buds early. In other cases, growers are trying to delay flowering.”
Leafy greens research at Michigan State will focus on the impact light can have on different attributes, such as texture and yield.
Photos courtesy of Erik Runkle, Mich. St. Univ.
Runkle said with floriculture crops the focus is on flowering and the growth aspects for compactness.
“A lot of time can be taken out of production through lighting edible and ornamental crops,” he said. “For leafy greens, the production time can be cut in half compared to the field crops. For floriculture crops, production time can be reduced by a week or two depending on the crop.”
Another area of research Runkle is interested in studying is to determine how light interacts with other environmental parameters, especially temperature.
“Right now we are focused on lighting and that is what a lot of my colleagues are doing as well,” he said. “But we also need to consider temperature effects on the growth rate of plants. By manipulating temperature and light we can probably reduce the production time even more than we have been able to achieve.”
The effects of different wavebands
Most of the LED grow light research that has been done with leafy greens has studied the effects of red and blue light.
“We have a fairly good understanding of the interaction between red and blue light and how that affects leafy greens,” Runkle said.
“The two wavebands for which much less information has been collected are green and far red. The most recent work that we have done is to look at both of these wavebands in independent experiments. Far red is a little more predictable and better known. We probably know the least amount about green light. Our group is focusing on some of these lesser used wavebands and trying to evaluate whether there is a fit, a need or a benefit to including them in a lighting fixture vs. sticking with a white light fixture or red/blue fixture.”
Researchers at Michigan State will study the impact of adding far red wavebands to the light spectrum on floriculture crops.
For the floriculture crops Runkle is studying, the focus is on collecting more details on the benefits of adding far red to the light spectrum.
“We know that there are benefits to far red, but how much far red needs to be delivered to get the positive benefits, which would be early flowering without the drawback of growth extension,” he said. “It’s really trying to dial in that waveband, particularly how much far red is needed.
“One of the things that we have learned is that inclusion or addition of far red light accelerates flowering of some long-day plants. What we are trying to determine is in which crops the far red promotion of flowering occurs and how much is needed to accelerate flowering. We’ve also been investigating how far red light interacts with other wavebands, particularly blue light, as well as how it interacts with total light intensity.”
Quantifying different growth responses
One of the studies being done by Runkle’s research team is comparing the effects of different light spectrum wavebands to white light LEDs.
“Some white LED grow lights are relatively inexpensive,” he said. “We want to determine if there is a benefit to the customized spectrums, which would probably make them a more expensive product. Growers could decide whether to purchase fixtures with a fairly unique spectrum and receive their benefits.
“Is it worth the extra cost to get these benefits? We don’t have specific numbers now, but the goal is to be able to quantify different growth responses under different light treatments. Information from our research, as well as from others working in the area, could help growers choose between a general inexpensive LED grow light to produce moderately good plants or spend more on fixtures to produce plants that flower earlier or have some other attributes that are desirable.”
Runkle said some companies are manufacturing customizable fixtures for growers.
“The major downside of these customizable fixtures is that they are often times more expensive than fixtures with a fixed spectrum,” he said. “Then the question for the growers is whether having the ability to tailor or adjust the spectrum worth the added cost. That is a hard question to answer at this point. It’s going to be situational. I’ve seen general fixtures marketed for the lighting of plants. I haven’t seen fixtures marketed yet for specific crop types.”