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Identifying and Controlling Botrytis in Controlled Environment Tomato Production
Botrytis, also known as gray mold, is caused by a fungus known as Botrytis cinerea. This disease is known to be devastating to tomato crops grown in controlled environment agriculture (CEA). The fungus spreads rapidly when outdoor temperatures are cool and heating is used in the greenhouse.
June 2, 2021
Rutgers University has released an advisory on identifying and controlling Botrytis on controlled environment tomato production. Here are some of the most important things growers need to know.
About Botrytis
Botrytis, also known as gray mold, is caused by a fungus known as Botrytis cinerea. This disease is known to be devastating to tomato crops grown in controlled environment agriculture (CEA). The fungus spreads rapidly when outdoor temperatures are cool and heating is used in the greenhouse.
Botrytis is found everywhere and prefers to attack injured plant tissue, meaning any dying or dead tissue on the tomato crop is at high risk for infection.
Infection Symptoms
The fungus is known to attack the flowers, fruit, stems, and leaves of the crop, especially after the crop has been pruned. Infections can also occur in cracks and leaf scars. The spores remain dormant until they sense stress from the plant.
Lesions on stems can turn into concentric rings that wrap the stem, causing the crop to wilt.
How to Prevent the Spread
The fungus spores can remain dormant for about 12 weeks. The spores prefer a temperature of 64°F to 75°F with high humidity. Leaves do not need to be wet for an infection to occur.
Using a horizontal fan to maintain airflow and keeping humidity levels low can help mitigate any infection risk. This is especially important on warm summer days that are followed by cooler nights.
Be sure to keep your facilities clean from any organic debris. All pruning material should be removed immediately.
To learn more, click here.
Lead photo: Botrytis infection on tomato fruit, showing rotted tissue and spores. Photo: Shawn Butler, NCSU
Freight Farms And CEO Vanzura Set To Reinvent Container Farming
June 17, 2021
The global pressures exacerbated by COVID-19 and the rippling toll it takes on the international community has made one thing clear: preparedness is everything. The Coronavirus has exposed vulnerabilities in the global health network that no one could have imagined. Food production and distribution must now reset their agendas to prepare for catastrophe.
Freight Farms, a 2011 Agtech company that pioneered hydroponics-based container farming, is committed to preparing the world for the next disaster by reinventing the way we grow food.
“Fill in the blank with the institution, how prepared are you for the emerging trends that are impacting the world,” Freight Farms CEO Rick Vanzura explained. “Sustainability issues, land availability, water availability; those issues obviously preceded COVID-19, but we think there’s going to be a greater sense of urgency around folks expecting us to have an answer and be prepared for these global trends, as opposed to being reactive.”
Vanzura looks to channel his decade of experience as a restaurant executive, growing Wahlburgers from a single restaurant to a $100 million dollar institution, as well as greatly expanding Panera Bread, to redefine food production and distribution as a whole.
Freight Farms uses container-based “vertical farming” to do just that, allowing farmers to produce hundreds of high-quality local crops from a 320 square foot shipping container which automates the farming process for maximum efficiency.
Vanzura plans to expand and distribute these self-contained, sustainable farms to a wide diversity of industry segments. The priority will of course be the global communities that need them the most. “We see the Freight Farm as a perfect fit for countries with food access difficulties, short growing seasons and inherently challenging climates. There’s probably no location where having a hyper-local, highly traceable, always available solution isn’t going to make sense in some way,” he added.
In the name of access to high-quality food, in a sustainable model built to withstand a natural disaster, Freight Farms has now distributed their automated, hydroponic farms to 48 U.S states and across the world to 32 different countries, boasting success and efficiency from the Arctic wilderness, to the desert, and to concrete jungles.
Freight Farms believes that its emphasis on access, preparedness, and sustainability will be more necessary than ever in the wake of COVID-19, as well as global trends of food insecurity and environmental uncertainty. Vanzura explained that the company has already reacted to shifting demands by supporting small-scale farmers as they set up drive-through produce stations to reach customers directly.
Freight Farms CEO Rick Vanzura
“Demand during this time for that hyper-local, fresh product has certainly ramped up,” Vanzura added. “Hopefully, once people get a taste of it, they will understand the difference, and post Covid, our containers will become an industry staple.”
Vanzura sees his role as not only expanding to agriculturally vulnerable countries abroad but also increasing access to high-quality food across institutions in the United States. He wants to specifically target universities and has partnered with foodservice provider Sodexo to ensure local food is available to as many people as possible.
Vanzura says he was forced by his children to move beyond the world of crafting a restaurant chain’s vision and use his knowledge to make the world a better place. Freight Farms, with Vanzura’s leadership, has the ability to change the way we think of farming and change the world.
Freight Farms hopes to combat international uncertainty, face the threats of climate change, and provide people with fresh produce regardless of climatic constraints and difficulties. “Healthy food is a right, not a luxury,” and Freight Farms is helping make this mission statement a reality.
Lead photo: A Freight Farms container has unprecedented environmental control and exceptional ease-of-use to unlock your growing potential.
To learn more about Freight Farms and how they are reinventing container farming, visit their website.
Total Food Service is a monthly B2B foodservice publication and website covering foodservice and hospitality news, industry trends, and exclusive interviews.
New GLASE Webinar Will Be With Young CEA Professors
Join us at the young CEA professors' roundtable! During this conversation, followed by a Q&A section, you will have the opportunity to meet 6 young professors and learn more about their CEA research programs
New CEA Research Programs in the US
Join today Date: June 24, 2021
Time: 2 p.m. - 3 p.m. EDT
Click Here To Register
Presented by:
Kellie Walters
Title: Controlled Environment Plant Physiology at the University of Tennessee
Description: Kellie’s research focuses on controlled environment physiology of food crops. The overall goal is to determine how to leverage environmental controls (light intensity, duration, and quality, temperature, and CO2), plant nutrition, and plant growth regulators and hormones to improve production efficiencies, yield, and crop quality. In addition to general physiology and production research, her lab is focusing on in-house analysis of secondary metabolites contributing to crop flavor and nutritional value to improve taste, appearance, overall consumer appeal, and producer profitability and sustainability.
Shuyang Zhen
Title: Controlled Environment Agriculture Research at Texas A&M
Description: Shuyang Zhen joined the Horticultural Sciences department at Texas A&M as an assistant professor in August 2020. She will discuss her research program in Improving Yield, Quality, and Profitability of Food Crop Production in Greenhouses and Indoor Farms.
Qingwu Meng
Title: Delaware Indoor Ag Lab at the University of Delaware
Description: Dr. Qingwu (William) Meng is an Assistant Professor of Controlled-Environment Horticulture in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences at the University of Delaware. He has a Bachelor's degree in Agricultural Engineering from China Agricultural University as well as master's and doctoral degrees in Horticulture from Michigan State University. In the Delaware Indoor Ag Lab (DIAL), his team conducts environmental plant physiology research to improve efficiency and value of controlled-environment specialty crop production. His research program focuses on LED lighting applications and environmental optimization in indoor facilities and greenhouses.
Yujin Park
Title: Indoor Farming Research at ASU
Description: My research at ASU focuses on horticultural crop physiology and controlled environment agriculture. My research aims to better understand how environmental controls regulate plant growth and development of horticultural crops and improve crop production efficiency in indoor vertical farming and greenhouse production. I’m currently working on four research projects, including 1) Investigating the efficacy of using luminescent greenhouse film on the plant growth and fruit yield of strawberry plants; 2) Developing growing protocols of industrial hemp transplants; 3) Improving the efficacy of sustainable organic fertilizer for growing hydroponic leafy greens; and 4) Investigating the effects of light control on indoor hydroponic strawberry production.
Joshua Craver
Title: CSU Controlled Environment Horticulture Research Program
Description: The Colorado State University (CSU) Controlled Environment Horticulture Research Program focusses on enhancing the production of vegetable and floriculture crops. Specifically, Joshua Craver’s lab is evaluating whole-plant physiological and morphological responses to the environment and then utilizing this information to optimize the timing and extent of production inputs. Current projects include characterizing plant responses to carbon dioxide to optimize enrichment strategies for horticultural crops and investigating interactions between light quality and temperature for ornamental propagation.
Garrett Owen
Title: Pioneering Kentucky’s Controlled-Environment Horticulture Industry
Description: The University of Kentucky Controlled-Environment Horticulture (CEH) led by Dr. W. Garrett Owen aims to pioneer Kentucky’s floriculture and greenhouse food crops industries through innovative research and Outreach. Research initiatives include production systems, culture, management, and production use efficiency. Specifically, the food crop research pertains to production and growth management strategies of vine crops and identifying alternative vegetable crops for cultivation under protection. His Extension initiatives pertains to plant nutrition and monitoring of greenhouse crops. Garrett teaches one course, Greenhouse and Controlled-Environment Production and Management which covers floriculture and food crop production.
Special thanks to our Industry partners
Join today
If you have any questions or would like to know more about GLASE, please contact its executive director Erico Mattos at em796@cornell.edu
Whose Roundtable Will You Join At Indoor AgTech, June 24-25?
Are you ready to debate hyper-local food systems, optimizing plant traits and the best approaches to grower and buyer partnerships?
Are you ready to debate hyper-local food systems, optimizing plant traits and the best approaches to grower and buyer partnerships? Take your pick of 34 roundtable discussions hosted by international agtech leaders at this month’s Indoor AgTech Innovation Summit.
A hugely popular part of the program, the small group breakouts offer a great opportunity to expand your network and engage with the topics most critical to you and your business. You’ll benefit from different viewpoints and fresh thinking, leaving with a wealth of valuable new connections.
Whose discussion group will you join? Places are limited and tables fill quickly, so be sure to save your seat on the virtual platform.
ROUNDTABLE HOSTS & TOPICS
JOIN THEM - REGISTER NOW
Over 500 of your industry colleagues are already busy networking and booking their sessions on the virtual summit platform so don't miss out - join them now.
Remember, the platform will be available 24/7 for a full month after the summit, so you can continue to network with delegates and rewatch all the sessions on demand.
We are looking forward to welcoming you online.
Oscar Brennecke
Conference Producer
Indoor AgTech Innovation Summit
oscar.brennecke@rethinkevents.com
+44 (0)1273 789989
THANKS TO OUR PARTNERS
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USA: MASSACHUSETTS - New Partnership Will Serve Meals For 400 Youth Per Day
Town to Table, a Boston-based container farm company, announced a partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro South, an organization that accommodates kids in out-of-school-time hours
Town to Table, a Boston-based container farm company, announced a partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro South, an organization that accommodates kids in out-of-school-time hoursy
Town to Table, a Boston-based container farm company, announced a partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro South, an organization that accommodates kids in out-of-school-time hours.
"Together, we are operating two Freight Farms that will serve community members, food pantries, non-profits organizations, and the Clubs’ Kids Café Healthy Meals program which provides meals for 400 youth per day and serves more than 100,000 meals annually," said Town to Table on their LinkedIn page.
The farm will also be used as an educational resource to provide hands-on learning experiences for Club members with curricula-focused food systems, food justice, nutrition, and sustainability.
For more information:
Town to Table
https://towntotable.com
Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro South
Publication date: Fri 11 Jun 2021
Certhon Wraps Up 7th Raspberry Trial Successfully
After successfully growing strawberries in the Certhon Innovation Centre (CIC), the company has decided to take on another trial of growing fruits indoors.
“Raspberry isn’t the first crop that comes to mind when figuring out which crops to grow indoors,” Andrea Huegler, R&D Engineer and Agronomist at Certhon said. “However, we accepted the challenge and decided to go for it as there are a lot of benefits to growing it in a controlled environment.”
After successfully growing strawberries in the Certhon Innovation Centre (CIC), the company has decided to take on another trial of growing fruits indoors. Certhon has been doing lots of research on indoor farming for a long time now. This has allowed them to investigate how to grow more complex crops in a controlled environment without daylight.
Andrea Huegler
Trial results
The main advantage of growing this crop indoors is having higher yields and consistent quality year-round. Certhon sees great opportunities ahead for the crop, due to its premium status and short shelf life. “It makes it a perfect candidate to be grown indoors.” During this trial, common raspberry cultivars were chosen. Certhon used chilled raspberry canes from a propagator, pollination by bumblebees and top and interlighting was used to flourish the crops. The harvesting period comprises 10 weeks, out of a total cultivation cycle of 21 weeks and is expected to end in July 2021.
Cultivation risks
The research was mainly about investigating the right transition of the vegetative state of the crop to the generative state. Andrea says that balancing the climate and light with energy consumption is the trickiest part here. “Ever since the first raspberry trial we’ve been trying to balance out the reduction of energy use, having an X amount of yield at a great quality and extending the harvesting period. Throughout the trials, we have obtained nearly twice as much yield compared to the traditional Dutch polytunnel producers in the summer,” Andrea notes.
However, raspberry cultivation isn’t without challenges. “One of the risks that could come up is growing grey mold,” explains Andrea. “If nectar isn’t removed well from the flower, the fruit can grow mold or have a grey undertone. However, if you manage your humidity wisely, the incidence is severely reduced. That’s the idea behind the CIC, optimizing growing recipes and eventually expanding the product portfolio because we want to provide a wide selection of product options to our clients.”
Greenhouse application
The knowledge that is generated in the CIC can also be applied to the cultivation of raspberries in greenhouses. Growing these crops indoors allows Certhon to generate ideal growing conditions and maximum potential for raspberry cultivation. With this knowledge, Certhon generates a blueprint that growers can follow in greenhouse cultivation as well.
Andrea explains, “For instance, the blueprint can be followed when growers want to know when to: provide extra lighting, shading, or adjust the humidity. In this way, ideal growing conditions can be mimicked to achieve the highest quality and yield possible in a greenhouse.”
Cane risk
Another, very important aspect is the quality of the raspberry canes. In order to have good production, your raspberry canes need to be of good quality and pest-free. “This cannot always be guaranteed, '' says Andrea, “since they are propagated outdoors and therefore bound to the pressures of external influences, such as climate. Although we have not tried it ourselves yet, we think the next step is to also propagate raspberry canes in a controlled environment without daylight.”
For more information:
Andrea Huegler, R&D Engineer and Agronomist
Certhon
andrea.huegler@certhon.com
ABC Westland 555
P.O. Box 90
2685 ZH Poeldijk
The Netherlands
Tel: +31 174 22 50 80
www.certhon.com
Publication date: Mon 7 Jun 2021
Author: Rebekka Boekhout
© HortiDaily.com
Certhon Expands To Bring In Horticultural Experience For North American Market
Besides traditional greenhouses, indoor farming has become a professional segment that develops faster in the United States than anywhere else. In some cases, these facilities are complementary to the greenhouse, but mostly these are stand-alone setups
While celebrating its 125 years of existence this year, Certhon is far from done developing and expanding within the horticultural market. There have been a lot of developments for the company in the last few years. For example, Certhon established its own Innovation Center to research the optimization of technologies in the field of indoor farming. With a team of technology experts and agronomists, Certhon always tries to find ways to improve cultivation methods. Another development is the partnership between DENSO and Certhon that has been established last year. This collaboration is meant to accelerate the technologies used in horticulture.
We also see that projects are becoming more and more complex, large-scale, and international. Certhon is already active all over the world: from Europe to the Middle East and from Asia to North America. Because the demand for fresh greenhouse produce is still on the rise in the North American market, Certhon works to realize a stable presence in the United States. That’s why Timo Kleijwegt and Fred van Veldhoven have joined Certhon to rejuvenate and bring in experience to serve this growing market optimally. This, combined with dedicated local people and a support team based in the headquarters in Poeldijk, the Netherlands, entrepreneurs in North America can rely on the best Certhon has to offer and 24/7 support.
Left: Timo Kleijwegt, right: Fred van Veldhoven
Turn-key greenhouse projects
For expansion of an existing greenhouse, new (indoor) facility, or turnkey set up, Certhon has all the knowledge, know-how, and technologies under one roof to enable entrepreneurs to produce local, fresh food. All in accordance with the local regulations and requirements, and the wishes of the customer. One of Certhon’s solutions is the SuprimAir greenhouse, which is a semi-closed greenhouse that provides optimal growing conditions for various crops like tomatoes and peppers, but also ornamentals like orchids.
“In fact, Certhon doesn’t just design and construct a greenhouse, but creates the optimal climate and conditions to realize the best results,” says Fred van Veldhoven, who recently joined Certhon as International sales manager. “Certhon has its own developed system to obtain a complete and updated backtrack of the climatological conditions of a particular area per hour!” continues Fred. “All available data has been brought together and presents a reliable picture of the local situation. Future developments are being forecasted and extremes are being analyzed. This way, the right facility can be calculated, designed, and built for anything, anywhere.”
The American market is probably the most dynamic and demanding in the world and the consumers are used to have access to high-quality food, flowers, and ornamental plants. “Entrepreneurs choose for the total solution approach of Certhon, so they only have to turn the key,” concludes Fred.
State-of-the-art indoor farms
Besides traditional greenhouses, indoor farming has become a professional segment that develops faster in the United States than anywhere else. In some cases, these facilities are complementary to the greenhouse, but mostly these are stand-alone setups. The legalization of cannabis production in various states in the US and Canada has boosted this development. However, more and more entrepreneurs discover the benefits of fully controlled indoor food production, just around the corner.
Also within the larger agglomeration areas where fresh food is more expensive, indoor farming is part of the supply chain. Recently, Timo Kleijwegt joined Certhon as sales manager for the US market to respond to this development. Timo: “In our Innovation Centre, we have several indoor cells that are all designed differently so we can test which systems are working better for different purposes.
One of the crops we are testing and that is very interesting for indoor farming, are strawberries. Certhon has developed a unique growing concept for indoor strawberry production, which is highly profitable. Besides all the benefits that come with indoor growing, we see enormous positive results in yield and taste of growing strawberries indoors. At the moment, the final trials are being concluded. If anyone is interested in the results, they can contact me for a one-on-one presentation.”
Certhon will be present at key events in the US and Canada to share the latest developments, including the PMA in New Orleans in October. “We are looking forward to talking to ambitious entrepreneurs there,” Timo concludes.
Aspara’s High-Tech At-Home Farm Launches In The U.S.
This official U.S. launch makes the device available to all U.S. consumer
Hong Kong-based Aspara, which makes high-tech, tabletop-sized farming units for homes, is now shipping devices across the U.S. through retailers like Home Depot, Wayfair, and via its own website.
The Spoon flagged Aspara back in January as a company to watch in the up-and-coming at-home farming space because of the device’s small size, lowish price point, and approach to hydroponics. At the time, the company was selling its system, which can fit easily on a countertop, to customers in Hong Kong and in very, very limited quantities via Amazon to other parts of the world.
This official U.S. launch makes the device available to all U.S. consumers. Speaking on the phone today, Rob Alexander, the Owner of Conducted Sales, the sales agent for Aspara in North American markets, said that Aspara has another eight retailers in the works, though he couldn’t at this point use specific names.
High-tech, hydroponic farms have historically been the territory of industrial-scale indoor farming companies — the AeroFarms and Plentys of the world. But following this past January’s CES show, both major appliance makers like LG and Miele along with smaller startups began to heavily publicize a new kind of indoor farm, one created for the at-home consumer. These devices are typically quite small and meant to feed a single household, rather than supply a grocery retailer.
Alexander said Aspara’s homegrown system differs from others on the market in the way it tackles the hydroponic element of farming. It uses what he calls an “ebb and flow” design, where water for the plant roots is constantly replenished from the side unit (see image above), making the water supply easier to refill than many at-home farms. Aspara’s also has sensors that determine nutrient levels in the water, the current level of humidity in the air, and whether a plant is getting too much light. An accompanying app notifies the user when any of these elements need attention.
“It’s trying to give you feedback to create the optimum growing environment,” Alexander said.
Another differentiation: the device is repairable. While that might first sound like a weird selling point (no one wants to buy tech that might break), it actually speaks to how seriously Aspara is pursuing the idea of making its high-tech grow system the kind of kitchen appliance that’s on par with a dishwasher or refrigerator. You don’t throw out a dishwasher the second something goes wrong. In the same way, Aspara users can replace parts like sensors and light canopies, rather than having to go out and buy a whole new farm.
The company’s approach recently won them the Green Product Audience Award.
Price-wise, Aspara is on the lower end of the at-home farming spectrum.
The device goes for $349 right now at Home Depot online.
Of course these days you can’t have a conversation about at-home food production without bringing COVID-19 up. Since Apsara wasn’t available to North Americans at the height of shelter-in-place mandates, the company wasn’t measuring demand for its product in that region. However, Alexander told me they did see a spike in Hong Kong, where the device has been available for some time.
My guess is that with the product available Stateside, that demand will surface quickly. Other at-home farming systems have seen huge jumps in demand recently as the pandemic, panic-buying sprees, and other factors have made many consumers question their total reliance on the traditional food supply chain.
Next up, Aspara wants to do a widespread launch in Canada, and also broaden the types of plants its system can grow to include other types of plants, including fruits and vegetables.
Swiss To Vote On Whether To Become First European Nation To Ban Synthetic Pesticides
Switzerland could become the first European country to ban artificial pesticides in a June 13 referendum which backers of the initiative hope will trigger similar prohibitions elsewhere.
John Revill
June 8, 2021
Summary
Switzerland holds two votes on June 13
One referendum seeks to outlaw synthetic pesticides
Other vote aims to improve Switzerland's drinking water
Opinion polls show both are likely to be close
ZURICH, June 7 (Reuters) - Switzerland could become the first European country to ban artificial pesticides in a June 13 referendum which backers of the initiative hope will trigger similar prohibitions elsewhere.
Globally, only Bhutan has a complete ban on synthetic pesticides, according to supporters aiming to outlaw the use of products made by agro-chemical giants such as Switzerland's Syngenta and Germany's Bayer (BAYGn.DE) and BASF (BASFn.DE).
Supporters of the ban say the artificial products cause serious health problems and reduce biodiversity. Manufacturers say their pesticides are rigorously tested and regulated, can be used safely and crop yields would slump without them.
Another initiative to be voted on the same day aims to improve the quality of Switzerland's drinking water and food by stopping direct subsidies to farmers who use artificial pesticides and antibiotics in livestock.
Switzerland has been starkly divided by an unusually bitter debate over the initiatives and the votes look set to be close. A recent Tamedia poll showed 48% of voters favoured the drinking water initiative and 49% supported the pesticide ban.
If adopted, the proposals give farmers up to 10 years to make the transition, which would allow Switzerland to become a pioneer in organic food as well as an example to the rest of the world, Swiss wine maker Roland Lenz said.
"Clean water, one of the foundations of life, is endangered," said Lenz, a 51-year-old organic farmer, whose vineyard is surrounded by farmers opposing the initiative.
Syngenta, which is headquartered in Switzerland and owned by China National Chemical Corporation, opposes both initiatives, saying a ban would reduce agricultural yields by up to 40%.
"The consequences of not using them are clear: fewer regional products, higher prices, and more imports. This is not in the interest of consumers, nor is it in the interest of the environment," a Syngenta spokesman said.
A poster stands in front of a field before a vote on agrarian initiatives to curb the use of pesticides, near Ellikon an der Thur, Switzerland. May 27, 2021. Picture taken May 27, 2021. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File photo
LIFE UNDER SIEGE
The clean water initiative also wants farmers to stop using imported animal feed, to restrict the numbers of cows, pigs and chickens in Switzerland along with the manure they produce that can pollute drinking water.
"People have been sold a romantic image of farming in Switzerland, which is far removed from reality," said Pascal Scheiwiller, a backer of the clean water campaign, which estimates 1 million Swiss people drink contaminated water.
The Swiss Farmers Union said many of its members feel their way of life is under siege.
"A lot of people in cities think if they have two tomatoes growing on the balcony of their apartment they understand farming," said Martin Haab, president of the Zurich Farmers Association.
"I look back 200 years ago when we couldn't protect our plants and animals, and we had hunger in Switzerland and all over Europe," said Haab.
Martin's son Dominic, who runs a dairy farm outside Zurich, said the consequences for the rural economy would be brutal, with local businesses also being hit by a fall in animal numbers to comply with the fodder restrictions.
Wine maker Lenz, however, said to continue using pesticides was "sheer lunacy", especially when it was possible to use methods such as growing fruit with thicker skins to make them fungus resistant.
“With a ‘Yes’ vote on both initiatives, we will finally move from the chemical age back to the organic age,” he said.
Lead photo: A sign to vote "no" is pictured ahead of a Swiss vote on June 13 on two popular initiatives to curb the use of pesticides in agriculture, in Penthaz, Switzerland, May 31, 2021. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File photo
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Reporting by John Revill; Editing by David Clarke
15 Best Plants For Aquaponics
Aquaponics is a combination of aquaculture (raising aquatic animals) and hydroponics (using nutrients and water rather than soil to cultivate plants). It typically requires less water, less energy, and less labor than traditional farming
May 28, 2021
When it comes to growing plants, aquaponics is one of the most sustainable food production systems around. Aquaponics is a combination of aquaculture (raising aquatic animals) and hydroponics (using nutrients and water rather than soil to cultivate plants). It typically requires less water, less energy, and less labor than traditional farming,
Definition:
What Is an Aquaponics System?
An aquaponic system uses the nutrient-rich water from fish tanks as a natural fertilizer for plants. The plants, in turn, help purify the water for the fish habitat, mimicking nature’s ecological process found in lakes, rivers, and other waterways.
Both the water and nutrients in an aquaponic system are recycled in a closed-loop manner, oftentimes while being more productive than conventional soil farming.
Warm freshwater fish are known to benefit leafy crops the best, while other plants adapt better depending on the size or type of aquaponic system and the amount of sunlight available. Many aquaponic growers use freshwater tilapia fish in their tanks, although catfish, trout, bass, crustaceans like crayfish, and even saltwater fish can be used.
Both the fish and plants you choose for your aquaponic system should have similar temperature and pH needs, and while most commercial growers tend to lean toward leafy crops like lettuce and herbs, it is also possible to grow more exotic fruits and veggies like bananas and pomegranates.
Whether you’re growing on a large scale or just starting a new hobby at home, here are 15 of the best plants for aquaponics.
Lettuce
Leafy lettuce is probably the most commonly grown aquaponic plant, mainly because it is also the simplest and the most productive. The nutrient demand is low, while the pH requirement is between 6.0 and 6.2, and the temperature should be between 60 F and 70 F. Lettuce also has a shorter growing cycle and loves the sunlight, so it is ideal for outdoor aquaponic growing systems. Maintenance is typically limited to checking the pH level once a week, and you can harvest your lettuce in as little as a month’s time.
Kale
Kale plants grow so well in aquaponic systems that they can easily get out of hand if not harvested regularly. Also, kale can handle a slightly higher pH and temperature limit with a lower nutrient requirement than lettuce, and can be planted directly in sunlight outdoors as long as the temperature stays within 55 F to 70 F (it prefers temperatures on the cooler side, however). The plants do well in most aquaponic systems, but are partial to gravel growing media. After about five to six weeks, aquaponic kale is ready to eat.
Spinach
Low nutrient requirements and a wider margin for error in terms of pH makes spinach another amazing leafy green to plant in an aquaponic garden. The green superfood plant likes temperatures between 45 F to 75 F, but too much sun outdoors can cause bolting and a subsequent bitter taste in the crop. Since it has shorter roots, spinach doesn’t need a deep growing bed in order to thrive, making it ideal for nutrient film technique aquaponics and raft systems.
Tomatoes
Although tomatoes require a higher amount of nutrients, they can handle warmer temperatures (up to 85 F) and grow wonderfully in water. Because they are high nutrient plants, tomatoes are best reserved for larger systems with more time to establish themselves. Just like tomatoes grown in traditional gardens, aquaponic tomatoes will likely need a support structure to handle their tall growth—up to 6 feet for some plants. The best options for these plants are fish that like warmer water, such as tilapia, koi, and goldfish
Watercress
Usually the biggest problem with aquaponic watercress is how fast it grows and multiplies. One small plant quickly turns into many more and before you know it, you have way more watercress than you need. Plus, if it isn’t harvested regularly enough it can easily clog your grow bed, creating issues for the rest of your system. Watercress can even be cultivated circularly, as it is easy to grow from cuttings and from seeds, meaning you can produce it continually and for little to no additional cost.
Radish
From white daikon to classic red, radishes are one of the easiest vegetables to grow via aquaponics. Those who grow them regularly swear by using wood fibers to help sprout the seeds, but clay and pumice are also good growing mediums for radishes. They prefer cooler temperatures as low as 60 F but up to 80 F, and pH levels between 6.0 to 7.0, so common tilapia and koi are often used.
Carrots
Carrots need a lot of sunlight to thrive, though they prefer cooler temperatures between 59 F and 65 F. These veggies are considered difficult to grow, but all it takes is a correctly set up aquaponics system with a fine, pH neutral growing medium and at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily. A media bed aquaponics system is best for carrots as they do not do well in other methods, and they can be harvested from seeds in two to three month’s time.
Strawberries
Strawberries are best grown using a vertical aquaponics system since they multiply quickly and require very little space. The only catch is, since most aquaponic strawberry plants only produce a few individual fruits, it is wise to plant as many as possible and give them plenty of space if you want to create a large yield. They require medium to high amounts of nutrients and prefer a ph between 5.5 and 6.5, with a temperature between 60 F to 80 F. Unlike leafy greens, strawberries require more potassium, so most growers will add them into their aquaponic systems after they’ve already become more established.
Basil
This herb’s natural ability to tolerate high heat and moisture makes it one of the best plants to include in an aquaponic system. It grows fast and can germinate in under a week, with plants ready to harvest and eat within just 25 days. Basil has low nutrient requirements and a temperature preference between 65 F and 85 F. Just like traditional soil-growing basil, it's important to remove flowers as they form in order to increase yield, and be sure to harvest it sparingly to lengthen its life.
Mint
No matter which variety of mint you choose to grow, they are almost sure to flourish in an aquaponics system. This isn’t always a good thing, as mint grows so fast that it runs the risk of overwhelming the entire growing system and keeping the rest of the plants from growing.
If you do choose to plant mint, keep plants 18 to 24 inches apart so the roots don’t compete over precious water and nutrients. Mint also requires partial shading, temperatures from 65 F to 70 F, and pH between 6.5 and 7.0.
Cucumber
As lovers of warm weather, cucumbers grow best in an area with plenty of access to sunlight and humidity (artificial lights if growing indoors). Keep a close eye on their complex roots to ensure they don’t clog up the piping within the aquaponic system, and keep plants between 11 and 23 inches apart so they don’t hoard nitrogen from the rest of your plants.
Cauliflower
Thanks to cauliflower’s natural hardiness, it requires little maintenance and will thrive in a water-based aquaponics system. Since it is also extremely resistant to pests and disease, it is another one of the best aquaponic veggies for beginners. Keep your cauliflower out of direct sunlight, and especially frost, if growing outside; it can also thrive in a greenhouse.
Cabbage
Westend61 - Michael Bader / Getty Images
Another easy plant to grow in aquaponics, cabbage does best with a pH of 6.2 to 6.6 and in temperatures between 45 F and 75 F. Cabbage seedlings should be kept warmer than a crop that has already matured, but otherwise, these vegetables require little maintenance outside of watching for the regular pests and rot. Harvest aquaponic cabbage after nine weeks. Since they are rather nutrient hungry, you’ll want to monitor them for nitrate levels, and consider a nutrient film technique system because of their shallow roots.
Sunflowers
Goroda / Getty Images
Aquaponics isn’t just for fruits and vegetables, but for flowers and ornamental plants as well. Under the right conditions, sunflowers can go from seed to 4 or 5 feet tall with an aquaponic system and will do well in both a greenhouse and outdoors in a warm climate. They can be grown without the use of chemical fertilizers or pesticides and are both edible and aesthetically pleasing.
Peppers
Kwangmoozaa / Getty Images
Opt for pH-neutral growing media like shale or clay pebbles to support your aquaponic pepper plants from seed to maturity, and remember that they grow best with their roots in water that is between 60 F and 75 F. However, hot peppers like cayenne or habanero will likely be more tolerant to warmer temperatures. They also prefer moderately acidic levels between 5.5 and 6.5, so they work with multiple fish options (even smaller fish like tetras thrive alongside pepper plants).
CANADA - QUEBEC: Billionaire Project In Saint-Bruno
This project is extremely interesting because it combines data centers with greenhouses. As you may know, data centers produce huge amounts of heat
Editor’s Note: This project is extremely interesting because it combines data centers with greenhouses. As you may know, data centers produce huge amounts of heat. In the cold climate of Quebec, greenhouses could use some more heat. It will be interesting to watch this project develop, and see if this new model for using waste heat to help grow food year-round is viable!
Martin Bouchard, the founder of the Copernic search engine and the 4Degrés data centers, wants to eventually build at least three high-intensity data processing complexes including the recovery of thermal waste. The total estimated bill will be around 5 billion.
Is the plan complicated? To put this into words: artificial intelligence, innovation, circular economy, high capacity computing servers, clean energy, greenhouse production, food autonomy; stir calmly and you will obtain the successful project on which Mr. Bouchard and his associates Vincent Thibault and Dany Perron have been working for three years.
The Quebec government is receptive to this project, La Presse has learned. The role of the monopoly of electricity distribution is essential since such a data center dedicated to artificial intelligence consumes twice as much energy in a year when compared to a city the size of Drummondville.
Construction has started on the first campus located in Lévis. Completion is scheduled for November 2022. The daily Le Soleil described the main features recently. QScale is planning a second branch in the Ecoparc de Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, on the South Shore of Montreal, just behind the commuter train station.
“Saint-Bruno would be half the size of that of Lévis, our flagship. Ultimately, our vision is to be present in the main regions of Quebec.”
— MARTIN BOUCHARD
The unveiling of financial and strategic partners will be done soon. “We would like to make an announcement in the next few months, if not the next few weeks. We are going to announce our plan to become the world's top 3 in computing. We must have our food autonomy, but also our calculation autonomy, ”emphasizes Mr. Bouchard.
The serial entrepreneur, along with private investors, invested 30 million to start the project. The rest of the financial package will be revealed at the time of the official announcement. "We are working very hard to ensure that the ownership of the company remains entirely in Quebec. "
We are talking about big bucks: from 2 to 3 billion for the Lévis complex, 1 billion for the Saint-Bruno complex.
What is it about?
QScale aims to be a data processing campus with high computational density. Campuses seek to meet the needs of machine learning, the demand for which is growing with the arrival of artificial intelligence in enterprises. Consider the data calculations required to safely move autonomous vehicles forward. Mr. Bouchard cites Tesla, Volkswagen, Pfizer, and Goldman Sachs as potential customers.
“Compared to what you would find in a conventional data center, our fridge-sized server cabinets will have five times the processing capacity. It's going to heat up even more, ” notes the 48-year-old entrepreneur. Quebec has the advantage of having clean and cheap energy.
This type of infrastructure is only just beginning to emerge in the world.
“There is not yet a leader in high density processing. Americans like Colovore, in Santa Clara, and ScaleMatrix, in San Diego, are powered by fossil fuels, without heat recovery, and with high electricity costs. We will be at least 10 times bigger than them only with Lévis.”
— MARTIN BOUCHARD
The business plan provides for the recovery of heat released by servers to heat agricultural greenhouses.
"We want to contribute to the food self-sufficiency of the province with a potential of 400 hectares of greenhouses just for the first campus," he insists. However, all greenhouse vegetable production is currently grown on 123 hectares. "For this component, we are in discussion with several players," says Mr. Bouchard. Consultant for Savoura, André Michaud confides that he has never been contacted by QScale. He said he was puzzled when he learned about the outline of the project.
"We have a greenhouse robotization project using artificial intelligence to potentially automate physically demanding jobs," retorts Mr. Bouchard. In Lévis, we have adjacent farmland which is equivalent to the equivalent of 80 football fields, enough to produce 2,880 tonnes of raspberries and 83,200 tonnes of tomatoes. "
That's not all. Mr. Bouchard wants to add to these complexes an innovation zone specializing in artificial intelligence. “The AI Zone is the missing link between basic AI research and its application in manufacturing companies. "
IQ analyzes the file
The pharaonic project has appeared on the radar screen of the Legault government. "We heard about it," said an unnamed government source. It’s an interesting file that is being looked at.
It is at Investissement Québec (IQ) that the file is analyzed. The state's financial arm was on the list of organizations QScale wanted to solicit, after being listed in the Quebec Lobbyists Registry.
As for electricity, "we already have agreements with Hydro-Quebec. Everything is in order. They are very happy. I cannot disclose anything, it will be announced. It’s very large, ”says Mr. Bouchard.
It is the user-pays principle that applies when the promoter of a project wants to have access to the Hydro-Québec network. QScale's land is conveniently located near high-power substations.
For data centers, hydro rates typically start at 4.04 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) when the economic development rate applies. If applicable, the price is 5.05 ¢ / kWh.
CONTENT AND IMAGE SOURCED FROM LA PRESSE
Lead photo: QScale has started construction of the first high-intensity data processing complex in Lévis. Completion is scheduled for November 2022; Image sourced from QScale
June 3, 2021
WRITTEN BY:
ANDRÉ DUBUC, AND
JULIEN ARSENAULT
Pure Harvest Aims To Change The Face of Fresh Food
Having secured $60 million in funding, Pure Harvest Smart Farms is looking to expand its operations into Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, using advanced technology to bring food security to the arid Middle Eastern climate.
Having secured $60 million in funding, Pure Harvest Smart Farms is looking to expand its operations into Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, using advanced technology to bring food security to the arid Middle Eastern climate.
7 June 2021
Year-round Local Fresh Food
Pure Harvest is a farming startup using hi-tech, fully climate-controlled greenhouses and a coconut shaving hydroponic solution. Their aim is to provide year-round fresh food in a region where nearly 90% of food is imported. Having secured $60 million in funding, with a further $100 million earmarked by Kuwait’s International Investment Company (Wafra), Pure Harvest Smart Farms is looking to expand its operations into Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, using advanced technology to bring food security to the arid Middle Eastern climate. CEO and co-founder Sky Kurtz described their pilot project in Abu Dhabi as showing promising results with the “potential for year-round local production at very high quality and at a very good cost structure.”
Taming the Desert with High Tech Solutions
Farming consumes huge amounts of water, leading to water scarcity even in temperate regions such as Europe and America. In the arid, dry desert wasting even a drop of water is inconceivable, and Pure Harvest Smart Farms claims their self-contained greenhouses offer a level of efficiency 30 times greater than traditional field farms.
This model of controlled-environment agriculture (CEA) uses greenhouses that go far beyond glass walls to isolate plants. A climate chamber removes heat and humidity from the outside air; this humidity is condensed and fed to the plants inside. There is no soil as plants are grown inside a nutrient rich solution and monitored by sensors to keep the plants healthy. Triple-paned smart glass windows and over-pressurized airflow help manage temperatures to within a 1 degree Celsius margin and carbon dioxide is added to optimize plant growth.
Kurtz claims that Pure Harvest is expecting a yield of six to eight times more food per meter than other greenhouse farms, while using only one-seventh the amount of water. It will produce 17 to 23 times more food per meter than a traditional field farm.
A Large Market but Pure Harvest struggles to Gain Funding
Despite the success of the pilot, Pure Harvest has a long way to go. According to Kurtz, once they are producing at a scale of 30,000 square meters the produce should be 20-40% cheaper than imported fresh food giving them a very promising market.
But even with the investment of $60 million, and the $100 million soon to follow, Pure Harvest has struggled to secure the funding to expand. The industry is extremely capital intensive, and the Middle East venture capital market is less developed than in other countries. The company has managed to raise $50 million through bonds known as “Sukuk,” Shariah law compliant Islamic bonds, with a further $10 million investment from a January fundraising round led by Sancta Capital.
With the additional $100 million from Wafra, the total sum might appear to be significant, but compared to comparable ventures it is low. Recently a vertical farming firm in the U.S., Plenty, raised more than $500 million in funding.
A Promising Future for Local Food
With global supply chains heavily disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic and further shaken by the blockage of the Suez Canal by the Ever Given in March 2021, the UAE region has become increasingly concerned about securing a food supply. If Pure Harvest can deliver on their promises, they stand to benefit handsomely. At the moment there is no reason to suspect otherwise as the company moves forward with expansion plans. Already the Pure Harvest has reached a $35 million agreement with The Sultan Centre in Kuwait to build a farm stretching across 80,000 square meters that can produce millions of kilograms of fresh fruit and vegetables, well past the size that Kurtz marks for profitability.
Photos: findwonder.abudhabi / agfstorage.blob.core.windows.net
New AeroMax Growing Media From OASIS Grower Solutions Increases Hydroponic Crop Growth by Up to 30%
Engineered with a unique open matrix, the increased porosity of the new Horticubes® AeroMax growing media leads to greater airflow and maximizes the opportunity for oxygen to get to a plant’s root zone
(Kent, OH) – OASIS Grower Solutions, a worldwide leader in propagation and division of Smithers-Oasis Company, understands the importance of propagation. Not only helping plants grow but generating big ideas as well. The most recent of which is the revolutionary new substrate engineered for precision hydroponic farming called Horticubes® AeroMax.
New Horticubes® AeroMax growing media introduces a higher level of porosity for faster, healthier hydroponic crop root growth.
Before creating a new media to support the production of leafy greens, herbs, and other crops for hydroponic farming, Vijay Rapaka Ph.D., Global Research Manager set a rather lofty goal: “To create a smart substrate designed for today’s precision growing systems. Through extensive research over the last 24 months, we’ve achieved an ultra-low density that allows unrestricted root growth of young plants, so they can express their full growth potential of up to 30%. This innovative purpose is precisely why we named it AeroMax.”
Engineered with a unique open matrix, the increased porosity of the new Horticubes® AeroMax growing media leads to greater airflow and maximizes the opportunity for oxygen to get to a plant’s root zone. This helps crops grow faster and stronger, allowing young plants to prosper in the maximum air-filled substrate. Due to its enhanced porosity, air and nutrients constantly replenish a plant’s root zone, promoting stronger and healthier roots through each watering cycle.
The maximum airflow created with new Horticubes® AeroMax substrate helps get this young lettuce off to a great start.
Created with support from John Bonner of Great Lakes Growers, AeroMax has already delivered some impressive results. “The more porosity, the greater opportunity for air to contact the root zone,” begins Bonner. “And that happens more often with AeroMax, so we get fuzzy, almost hairy-looking roots. And when you get that type of growth, the plants simply grow faster. Since we started using AeroMax, we’ve seen faster crop growth upwards of 15%,” grins Bonner.
In addition to delivering greater oxygen to the crop’s root zone, AeroMax’s increased porosity and airflow enables it to drain more easily. This improved drainage keeps the top of the AeroMax growing media drier, dramatically reducing algae blooms and subsequent disease – creating a wonderfully clean and pathogen-free environment for young plants to grow.
Dr. Vijay Rapaka of OASIS® Grower Solutions and John Bonner of Great Lakes Growers review the incredible success of the new Horticubes® AeroMax.
AeroMax has a multitude of other functional benefits that support improved propagation. Its rich black color was strategically selected to increase the surface temperature and synergize well with photosynthetic light spectrum to produce more well-toned young plants. Plus, the less dense, almost spongy nature of AeroMax minimizes dust generation throughout the production process, making it easy to work with.
AeroMax has also been designed to separate easily at transplant through a unique etching around each cube, which also supports uniformity and precision growing. AeroMax growing media works well in NFT, Deepwater, and Vertical hydroponic systems, and is available in single-seed and multi-seed dibbled sheets of 50ct, 104ct, 162ct, and 276ct. The 50ct, 104ct, and 162ct sheets are top-grooved for easier separation.
For more information on Horticubes® AeroMax, contact Shannon Enoch, at Senoch@smithersoasis.com, customer service at 855.585.4769, or visit us online at www.oasisgrowersolutions.com/aeromax.
USA - ALABAMA: Yellow Hammer Farms Opening Birmingham-Based Hydroponic Farm, Market
The farm and market will operate using technology that will be able to provide fresh and affordable produce year-round. A typical farm may be limited to five or six harvests a year for some crops, but Yellow Hammer Farms can have 11 to 12 harvests a year within its climate-controlled environment
Yellow Hammer Farms is opening a new indoor farm near downtown Birmingham. YELLOW HAMMER FARMS
Birmingham will have a hydroponic farm and market starting this weekend.
Owners Frank and Jillian Fitts will open Yellow Hammer Farms on June 18 at 702 Third Ave. N.
The farm and market will operate using technology that will be able to provide fresh and affordable produce year-round. A typical farm may be limited to five or six harvests a year for some crops, but Yellow Hammer Farms can have 11 to 12 harvests a year within its climate-controlled environment.
“From the beginning, our mission has been to bring Birmingham high-quality, locally grown produce," Frank Fitts said. "With so many of Birmingham’s residents living in a food desert, it was vital that we find a location where we could provide everyone a convenient option for affordable, fresh produce. Working in the food and beverage industry, I also saw firsthand the need and desire of restaurants and consumers wanting to purchase local produce throughout the year. So much of the produce that comes to this area travels a long distance. We are hoping to change that.”
The venture began with the Fittses converting an empty warehouse in the Titusville community. The building now is retrofitted with an advanced vertical hydroponic growing system to create a highly efficient, controlled growing environment that uses no soil. Water loaded with nutrients recirculates throughout the system, feeding the plants, while LED lights and a climate control system are overhead.
Crops that will always be on hand include basil, lettuce mix, kale, and other leafy greens and herbs. Other produce will be featured throughout the year, and 20 items will be available on June 18 for the grand opening.
Hours of operation will be Tuesday through Friday from noon to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m
OptimIA Program Analyzes Fruitfulness of US Vertical Farms
In a research fact sheet, a USDA Specialty Crop Initiative team outlines results with a model for calculating profitability potential against various factors that impact the return on investment of CEA operations
In a research fact sheet, a USDA Specialty Crop Initiative team outlines results with a model for calculating profitability potential against various factors that impact the return on investment of CEA operations.
May 21st, 2021
Image created with Adobe Spark using Pixabay free library. Data from OptimIA fact sheet, "Potential Profitability and Economic Success of Indoor Agriculture in the United States."
As we have heard from many industry speakers and reported in horticultural lighting coverage, global urbanization and population growth will continue to put a strain on the food supply. Such wide-scale concerns also breed opportunities for innovative research which will ultimately support technology development that helps improve the food supply.
I recently learned of Optimizing Indoor Agriculture (OptimIA), a Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) supported by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). The larger objective is to extend the knowledge base regarding controlled environment agriculture (CEA) — often referred to as indoor farming, vertical farming, and indoor agriculture — to support long-term goals of:
Increasing uptake of CEA practices
Addressing food supply — quality, quantity, and availability, particularly in areas where food inequities are prevalent
Bringing sustainable, profitable operations and techniques to CEA growers
The initiative draws from team members across education and commercial horticultural/agricultural organizations: Dr. Greenhouse, Inc.; Michigan State University; Ohio State University; Purdue University; University of Arizona; and the USDA Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS). Some of the participants are familiar names from speaking at past LEDs Magazine events, such as Purdue’s Cary Mitchell, MSU’s Erik Runkle, and Dr. Greenhouse president Nadia Sabeh.
Digging into the OptimIA website, I saw the project team had posted a fact sheet of research highlights titled “Potential Profitability and Economic Success of Indoor Agriculture in the United States.” These highlights were collected in preparation for contributing a chapter to the upcoming book Plant Factory Basics, Applications, and Advances. The fact sheet offers a balanced summary regarding challenges to quantification of profitability, benchmarking data, and other factors. Researchers used a Japanese Plant Factory with Artificial Lighting (PFAL), base-case model, to perform their analysis of the profitability of US-based vertical farming.
The most interesting points I have included in the infographic above. But this general conclusion from the highlights comes as no surprise, really: “The changes with the most potential to increase profitability are those that focus on enhancing market price for the quality of product delivered, decreasing capital costs, and improving elements of biomass (plant size, density, and type of crop).” You can download the fact sheet from the OptimIA website.
That’s where the hands-on research will come in and why we continue to refine the program for HortiCann each year. We continue to pursue experts with scientific findings, case studies, and system developments that can decrease the capital costs of horticultural solid-state lighting (SSL) and AgTech systems and enhance grower operations with solid data and monitoring for buildable results. For example, look to last year’s HortiCann presentations on updated research findings on light spectra for various plant characteristics, data-driven automation, and our blog on the grower panel, which centered around end-user experiences in applying LED lighting to greenhouse operations — lessons learned and how they plan to evolve operations with future updates.
Watch the HortiCann Light + Tech website for updates to the program and register to join us for the free virtual event Sept. 28–29, 2021.
Visit the OptimIA website for more information on the project and other published research.
PODCAST: This Weeks Episode - Season 3 Episode 35
Join Harry Duran, host of Vertical Farming Podcast, as he welcomes to the show, co-founder and CEO at Oishii, Hiroki Koga. Oishii grows the best fruit in the world by deploying ground-breaking vertical farming technology that pushes the boundaries of agriculture
Join Harry Duran, host of Vertical Farming Podcast, as he welcomes to the show, co-founder and CEO at Oishii, Hiroki Koga. Oishii grows the best fruit in the world by deploying ground-breaking vertical farming technology that pushes the boundaries of agriculture. Today, Harry and Hiroki talk about the origin story of Oishii and how they became the first in the world to grow fruit in an indoor vertical farm at commercial scale.
Hiroki reflects on lessons he’s learned throughout his entrepreneurial journey, speaks to those who have influenced and inspired him, and expounds on the importance he places on living up to the quality and standards of the Oishii brand. Finally, Hiroki shares his excitement for future expansion of his business and what excites him the most about the future of Oishii.
Listen & Subscribe
CANADA: Thursday, July 8th, 2021 - 12:00 PM EST
Sit back and learn more about Growcer's beginnings, our farm's uses, and essential considerations for starting your own Growcer project. It will be an informal opportunity to ask our team questions and learn more!
Every first Thursday of the month, we'll be hosting a Meet and Eat that anyone can join; however, we're going to have it on the second Thursday in July to accommodate for the statutory holiday on Thursday, July 1st.
Register Now →
Sit back and learn more about Growcer's beginnings, our farm's uses, and essential considerations for starting your own Growcer project. It will be an informal opportunity to ask our team questions and learn more!
SIGN UP TODAY
Thursday, July 8th, 2021
12:00 PM EST
Re-Nuble And KETOS Partner To Provide Turnkey On-Site Food Waste Recovery Solution For Soilless Farms
Re-Nuble’s on-site food waste recovery system helps soilless farms optimize their operations while reducing costs
By 24-7 Press Release
June 17, 2021
NEW YORK, NY, June 17, 2021 /24-7PressRelease/ — Re-Nuble has announced a new strategic partnership with water innovator KETOS today, providing soilless farms across the United States with a turnkey on-site food waste recovery solution. By combining the technology of Re-Nuble’s on-site food waste recovery system with the KETOS SHIELD, soilless farms will not only be able to produce their own free supplementary and sterile biostimulants and potable water for reuse, but they will also gain access to industry-standard lab data on the quality of their treated water.
Re-Nuble’s on-site food waste recovery system helps soilless farms optimize their operations while reducing costs. Through its Organic Cycling Science™ approach, farms can finally use a fully integrated, closed-loop, and self-sustaining nutrient system, capable of reducing input and disposal costs, while delivering biostimulants capable of improving crop yield and nutritional value. However, as water droughts and erratic weather patterns become more frequent, the need for resource efficiency using circular economy strategies, particularly water reuse, is becoming increasingly necessary.
“We’re here to help our clients be proactive about water reuse in order to create a fully circular food production and hedge their risks. For that reason, we saw an immense value add for our clients by partnering with KETOS,” commented Tinia Pina, Founder, and CEO of Re-Nuble.
The KETOS SHIELD is part of a fully integrated solution offering valuable water insights including automated reporting, real-time alerts, EPA-compliant or custom threshold-based diagnostics, custom reports, historical trends, and more. These insights are used for water quality, safety assurance testing, protecting liability, understanding process optimization, improving crop yields and water data for farming and protecting consumer health.
“We are pleased to partner with Re-Nuble, as water quality and conservation is critical for agricultural applications – particularly in instances where nutrient management, water availability, water quality and consistency, or product safety is essential,” said Meena Sankaran, Founder and CEO of KETOS. “For many farmers, poor nutrient management, a lack of water, low water quality, inconsistent or varied water sources, and safety concerns can have a significant impact on both revenue and profitability.”
Re-Nuble noticed this was a salient challenge for all farms but more prevalent amongst the growing indoor, controlled environment agriculture market due to the frequent wastewater discharges not reclaimed. However, the solution is also of interest to soil-based farms as more municipalities seek to limit nutrient runoff and water contamination, impacting underground water tables.
Today’s announcement builds on Re-Nuble’s mission to help global agricultural communities reimagine localized food waste for more sustainable growing practices.
ABOUT RE-NUBLE
Re-Nuble is an MWBE-certified agricultural technology company that uses organic cycling science™ technology to transform unrecoverable vegetative food byproducts into a platform of sustainable technologies for soilless farming. Our closed-loop process transforms unrecoverable food byproducts into organic goods while eliminating landfill waste and greenhouse gasses. We were founded with the mission to help global agricultural communities reimagine localized food waste for more sustainable, environmentally-friendly growing practices.
For more information, please visit www.re-nuble.com.
ABOUT KETOS
KETOS delivers smarter, safer, and more sustainable water solutions to change the way the world thinks about water. This is done through a comprehensive offering of industrial-grade patented hardware, an IoT communication framework, and a robust software platform to address global water management issues. Real-time monitoring and understanding of water, both quantitatively and qualitatively, helps address both water efficiency (leak-detection & usage) and water quality (safety), ultimately increasing water availability. With the power of actionable and predictive water intelligence on a global scale, KETOS seeks to solve a number of the world’s water challenges with the goal of preserving this quintessential resource for generations to come. Learn more at http://www.ketos.co.
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Inside Larry Ellison's Futuristic Indoor Farming Company, Whose Massive, Tesla Solar-Powered Hawaii Greenhouses Are The First Step Toward An Ambitious Goal of Feeding The World
Sensei Ag is an agriculture-tech firm bent on changing the way food is grown worldwide. The company's mission is to feed the world by making produce more nutrient-rich and accessible and lowering the barrier to entry for vertical or greenhouse farming
06-15-21
An employee at Sensei's farm in Lanai, Hawaii. Sensei Ag
Oracle billionaire Larry Ellison created an indoor farming company called Sensei Ag in 2018.
The goal of Sensei Ag is to feed the world by making produce more nutrient-rich and accessible.
Sensei Ag's Tesla solar-powered greenhouses grow produce that's distributed throughout Hawaii.
Picture this: You're driving along the highway on the island of Lanai, Hawaii's smallest inhabited island. All of a sudden, the verdant landscape gives way to futuristic greenhouses powered by an array of solar panels.
This is the first outpost of Larry Ellison's 3-year-old indoor farming company, Sensei Ag.
Sensei Ag is an agriculture-tech firm bent on changing the way food is grown worldwide. The company's mission is to feed the world by making produce more nutrient-rich and accessible and lowering the barrier to entry for vertical or greenhouse farming.
And while the company is young, it has the backing of Ellison, the tech titan whose net worth hovers around $95 billion and whose aggressive bet on the future of database management turned Oracle into a $200 billion behemoth.
Ellison's latest venture seems to have an equally ambitious outlook on the future.
"In the next three-to-five years, our goal is to feed the top three quintiles of the world with our products and employ the bottom two," Sensei Ag CEO Sonia Lo told Insider. "And then in the next eight-to-10 years, it is to feed everybody."
Here's how Sensei Ag is working to making indoor farming mainstream and use its Hawaiian homebase as a "lab for the world."
Sensei Ag is the brainchild of Ellison and Dr. David Agus, a cancer physician, and professor at the University of Southern California.
Larry Ellison, left, and Dr. David Agus. Sensei Ag
Ellison is the cofounder of cloud-computing firm Oracle. The 76-year-old billionaire, who announced last year that he moved to Lanai full time during the pandemic, is known for being something of an international playboy, as well as an outspoken advocate for health and wellness.
Ellison and late Apple CEO Steve Jobs were close friends for 25 years and often spent time hiking together near their neighboring homes in Woodside, California, prior to Jobs' death from pancreatic cancer in 2011. Ellison gave a eulogy at Jobs's funeral.
Agus, 57, is a prominent physician who treats patients with advanced forms of cancer and leads the USC cancer institute funded by Ellison.
Agus and Ellison became close friends while Agus was treating Jobs' cancer, according to Forbes.
Ellison and Agus founded Sensei in 2018, and recently split the company in two: A data-driven wellness spa called Sensei Retreats, and Sensei Ag.
A person receiving a massage at Sensei Retreats in Hawaii. Robb Aaron Gordon
Located at a Four Seasons resort known as Sensei Lanai, Sensei Retreats offers guests a customizable experience: They can set physical and mental goals for their stay, and the spa will track their sleep, nutrition, and blood flow.
Sensei's overarching goal is to help people live longer and healthier lives by improving sleep, movement, and nutrition, the company says.
Sensei Ag's primary focus is to bring healthy, affordable food to the masses by making indoor farming more accessible and more sustainable.
Inside a Sensei Ag greenhouse on Lanai. Sensei Ag
"Larry's perspective and David's perspective is that indoor growing is revolutionary and that we can move the needle on feeding people globally and diminishing water use and land use," Lo said.
This goal will come with significant costs and an ambitious technology rollout, she said but cited the environmental benefits of moving farming indoors, particularly when it comes to water use: Indoor farming is shown to use significantly less water than outdoor farming. Greenhouses use roughly 10% the amount of water used in an open field, and vertical farms use even less — closer to 3%, Lo said.
In addition to focusing on sustainability, Sensei employs a team of plant scientists who are working on maximizing the nutrients in the crops Sensei grows.
What makes Sensei Ag different from other indoor farming companies, Lo said, is that it works as a franchise model.
An exterior view of Sensei's greenhouses. Sensei Ag
For the average farmer, shifting to indoor production can be prohibitively expensive, which is what's held back the indoor farming movement up to this point, Lo said.
Farmers who opt for traditional outdoor growing have "a whole infrastructure that supports you," Lo said. That includes the ability to lease a tractor, lease land, and borrow other growers' cold storage and packing infrastructure.
"Whereas if you want to be an indoor grower, you have to come up with several hundred thousand dollars, at a minimum, if not several tens of millions," Lo said.
What Sensei Ag offers is the "whole franchise package." That includes helping a farmer identify the right indoor growing form factor for their farm, whether that's a glass greenhouse or an indoor farm; setting up a "cold chain," or refrigerated supply chain; and locking in transportation and logistics.
There's also a data component to what Sensei Ag is offering to farmers. Sensei tracks factors like crop selection and what type of light a grower users, then feed that information into a dataset to help inform future Sensei partners.
The produce grown by Sensei's partners can carry the Sensei Farms branding, and Sensei will help with distribution.
Crops growing inside a Lanai greenhouse. Sensei Ag
Lo said that a benefit to being one of Sensei's franchisees is the ability to distribute your produce at major US retailers.
"If you go to Walmart and you say, 'I have a 200,000-square-foot greenhouse and I want to deal directly with you,' Walmart will say, 'Oh gosh, you know, we really can't manage you as a vendor that's that small,'" Lo said.
"Whereas if you go to Walmart and you say, 'We're Sensei, and we have 200 farms across the US,' that's a risk that Walmart is willing to take," she said.
Not all types of crops are suited to growing indoors, and what's typically grown today meets a three-pronged threshold: good nutrition, reliability, and affordability.
Tomatoes growing inside one of the greenhouses on Lanai. Sensei Ag
Lo pointed to tomatoes as a good example of food that is almost entirely grown indoors, because growers can offer good value to customers.
"That's taken 15 years and it's taken a lot of technology, a lot of reliability of growing, a lot of just processes and procedures that have come into play," Lo said.
Lo predicted that the next crops to move primarily indoors will be leafy greens and strawberries. Strawberries, in particular, are becoming harder to grow outdoors due to a change in pesticide laws.
But there are downsides to indoor growing, particularly when it comes to energy use.
Tesla solar panels at Sensei's Lanai greenhouses. Sensei Ag
Indoor farms are often powered by coal, so they still have a carbon footprint.
And while there are vertical farms that are powered by solar energy, they require as many as 20 acres of solar panels, which means you're not really using less land.
At Sensei's farm on Lanai, there are six greenhouses spanning 120,000 square feet that are capable of producing over a million pounds of food per year, according to Forbes.
The greenhouses have sensors and cameras that track data about the farms, including water usage and airflow, and are powered by Tesla solar panels. (Ellison sits on Tesla's board.)
Lo called Sensei's farm on Lanai its "lab for the world."
Sensei's farm on Lanai. Sensei Ag
"Islands are incredibly tough," she said, citing water, land, and labor constraints that make farming challenging on Lanai. But she said that the company has already met its initial goal of feeding the Hawaiian islands.
Sensei had its first harvest in August 2020, and by December, its produce was sold on every Hawaiian island. The food is packed on Lanai, then taken by barge to central Honolulu — from there, its distributed to the other islands, Lo said.
Food that's grown at Sensei Farms is distributed at the Nobu restaurant located inside the Sensei resort nearby, with the aim of measuring the effect the food has on people who visit the Sensei Wellness program.
"Now our goal is to not just make food an export of Lanai, but also to take the learnings from Lanai — the business processes, the franchising model on the island, the water conservation, the water reuse — and really make it an intellectual product and then export that intellectual product," she said.
She added: "If it works on an island in the middle of the Pacific, it will work anywhere."
USA: NEW JERSEY - Livingston Considers Resident's Sustainable Hydroponic Pilot Project Proposal
As the Township of Livingston continues to brainstorm ways to make the best use of its open spaces, Keith Hines and sustainable agriculture expert Tom Erickson recently proposed a hydroponic pilot project that would use a nutrient solution and water in lieu of soil for a community garden
By ELISE PHILLIPS MARGULIS
June 7, 2021
LIVINGSTON, NJ — As the Township of Livingston continues to brainstorm ways to make the best use of its open spaces, Keith Hines and sustainable agriculture expert Tom Erickson recently proposed a hydroponic pilot project that would use a nutrient solution and water in lieu of soil for a community garden.
After the duo’s initial proposal to implement the project at the Essex County Riker Hill Art Park fell through, the township is now looking into the possibility of doing so at the recently purchased Strahman Hill Park property.
Erickson recently presented a slideshow to the township illustrating how hydroponic technology works and demonstrating how hydroponic farming utilizes rain and solar power to grow healthy produce that can be donated to local food pantries.
“The project itself uses horticulture hydro-culture techniques to sustainably produce crops in an efficient organic manner with no impact to air, water or local environment, which is pretty important to us,” said Erickson, who also explained that hydroponics have a zero-carbon footprint. “We also plan on using the latest low-cost electronics to add a layer of control and monitoring that allows participation of the town administrators, fire, and police.”
According to Erickson, the hydroponic project could also provide unique educational opportunities for students interested in agricultural engineering and environmental sciences.
Erickson’s slideshow, much of which can be seen in the photos above, depicted a concept drawing of a greenhouse, plant-growing racks inside the greenhouse, the low-cost computer that would run the program, piping to transport the water and nutrient solution, sensors, a water pump, an aeration pump, a storage battery to operate the system at night and on rainy days, multiple solar panels and more.
He also demonstrated that easy-to-install solar kit power all water flow, aeration, lighting, monitoring, and security and that a basic, low-cost computer can monitor temperature, humidity, and liquid levels, security cameras, and sound or motion detectors.
“Our mission is to supplement the local food pantries in a sustainable, organic and efficient fashion with low environmental impact and potential for education,” said Erickson. “I think this has high potential to team up with the high school, the elementary school and open up doors to learning and training at the educational level.”
Hines, who is known in the Livingston area for his philanthropic endeavors, thanked the township council for considering a project that he feels would be important to the entire community.
“It's obviously incredibly high-tech stuff and really fascinating in terms of what can be accomplished with the technology and the fact that it's not going to have any footprint at all,” said Mayor Shawn Klein, who was impressed that the project has the potential to generate nutritious food for people who don't have access to it without causing problems with fertilizer or run off. “I think it sounds great, and hopefully we'll have a lot of success and be able to expand even in the same footprint as the county park or maybe even in town.”
To learn more or to view Hines and Erickson’s full presentation to the Livingston Township Council, CLICK HERE. (The slideshow can be found about 23 minutes into the hyperlinked video.)