Future Crops establishes indoor vertical farming system

Published: 13-Dec-2021

The facility is powered primarily by solar energy and can provide suitable growing conditions for a broad spectrum of leafy greens and herbs

Agri-tech start-up Future Crops has developed an indoor vertical farming system to grow crops in a proprietary soil substrate composition.

The Israeli-Dutch venture has established an automated 8000 sqm indoor vertical farm in Westland, Netherlands. The facility is powered primarily by solar energy and can provide suitable growing conditions for a broad spectrum of leafy greens and herbs.

The company claims this method of cultivation enables the produce to retain its original taste and aroma while maximising yield per area unit in comparison to traditional agriculture.

The company utilises data-driven technology to tailor environmental conditions for crops within a controlled, automated structure. The system controls dozens of parameters of growth conditions, including humidity, temperature, and lighting to create optimal climatic conditions to suit each crop.

CEO Gary Grinspan said: “Plants will draw what they need from nature. Our team of agronomists are able to ‘listen’ to each plant to determine its individual needs in real time—how much ‘sleep’ versus light, the type of light, air quality, how much water, specific nutrient needs, etc. The plants ‘respond’ in their own unique language as expressed via small nuances such as changes in morphology, shape, size, and colour. Via these signals, our algorithm can be primed to provide the plants precisely what they need at each stage of their life cycle.”

This vertical farming method potentially offers a means of achieving voluminous crop outputs in limited space. The company claims plants grown in this system have demonstrated a longer shelf-life and reach full growth in significantly less time, enabling multiple growth cycles.

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