The EU wants to make the transition to a circular food system, where waste is minimised, waste products are recycled and our impact on the planet is reduced. But what will we eat in the circular food system? What kinds of animals will we keep? And what crops will we grow? An international group of researchers led by Hannah van Zanten (Wageningen University & Research) has outlined the opportunities for the EU & the UK (EU27+UK) in four scenarios, starting with the current system and culminating in a fully circular food system. Their findings were published in Nature Food on…
Author: urbanagnews
5,207 professionals, 40% more than in 2022, and 200 exhibiting companies from 19 countries attended the third edition of GreenTech Americas. 95% of the exhibitors already booked their stand for 2024. The international protected horticulture event, held on 21 – 23 March at the Querétaro Congress Center, Mexico, offered a range of technological solutions to increase production and value. The next edition of GreenTech Americas will be staged from 12 – 14 March 2024. GreenTech Americas is organized by RAI Amsterdam in partnership with Tarsus Mexico. AttendanceThe event was attended by 200 exhibiting companies from 19 countries; Mexico, Canada, the…
Roberto Lopez, an OptimIA project researcher and Michigan State University horticulture professor, is studying how environmental parameters can impact plant growth, quality, yield and morphology of controlled environment crops. Photo courtesy of Roberto Lopez, Mich. St. Univ. OptimIA researchers are studying how the environment can be manipulated to improve crop quality, increase yields and change the plant morphology of leafy greens. You know how important maintaining the proper environment plays in the production of controlled environment crops. Is it possible to change the environmental parameters to improve crop quality and yield? Researchers with the OptimIA project are looking at how…
Indoor Ag-Con, Controlled Environment Agriculture Innovation Center To Co-Host 2nd Annual Edition September 19-20, 2023 in Danville, VA DANVILLE, VA– The Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Summit East is proud to announce its return on September 19-20, 2023 at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) in Danville, VA. Focused on convening the CEA industry and academia, the annual event is co-hosted by Indoor Ag-Con, the premier global gathering of the vertical farming/CEA sector, and the Virginia Tech-IALR CEA Innovation Center, a joint project between IALR and Virginia Tech’s School of Plant and Environmental Sciences and the Virginia Seafood Agricultural Research and…
Indoor AgTech is coming to New York Times Square in 2023, bringing together the world’s leading growers, retailers, tech providers, seed companies and investors on June 29-30 to meet, expand networks and produce fruitful partnerships. After a pivotal year for the CEA sector, the summit will explore what’s needed to ensure the indoor farming industry can continue innovating and growing into a crucial part of the global agri-food supply chain. From multi-acre scale facility design to seed optimization for vertical growing, and from multi-million dollar funding rounds to the fine margins of running profitable farms, an international speaking faculty will…
Survey to provide insight on emerging Controlled Environment Agriculture trends now live SEATTLE, WA March 20, 2023 – IUNU today released their fourth State of CEA Survey. This survey will provide insights on emerging trends and challenges in the Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) industry. IUNU has been releasing the leading industry report on CEA since 2016. The report was formerly titled State of Indoor Farming and managed by Artemis, which was acquired by IUNU in 2021. This year, the company will expand the report to focus on the different leading segments of the Controlled Environment Agriculture industry: greenhouse fruit and…
March 15 webinar will provide an overview of the application process MEDFORD, MA – March 13, 2023 – The DesignLights Consortium (DLC) will begin accepting applications on March 31 from horticultural lighting manufacturers interested in qualifying their products under the DLC’s Horticultural Lighting Technical Requirements Version 3.0. Finalized in December 2022, the V3.0 requirements increase the efficacy and establish additional minimum performance baselines for LED luminaires, lamps, and controls used by the controlled environment agriculture (CEA) industry. V3.0 also introduces a surveillance testing policy intended to protect the integrity and value of the DLC’s Horticultural Qualified Products List (QPL) for all stakeholders. With the North American CEA industry…
Amsterdam – 9 March 2023. During the GreenTech Americas Conference programme, leading (inter)national experts focus on optimizing crops in a controlled environment. At GreenTech Americas are the latest technologies and innovations of the industry in the region of Americas. From Tuesday, March 21 through Thursday, March 23, 200 companies and 2,400 professionals will be present on the show floor in Querétaro Congress Center (QCC), Mexico. Conference Programme – highlights Tuesday 21 March Wednesday 22 March Check out the full conference programme at https://www.greentech.nl/americas/conference-programme. Partners of the eventThe event is supported by the Asociación Mexicana de Horticultura Protegida A.C. (AMHPAC); the Centro Universitario…
62% Attendance Increase For Las Vegas February 27-28, 2023 Event That Drew CEA Industry Members from 48 US States, 29 Countries Indoor Ag-Con marked its 10th Anniversary Edition with record increases in attendee and exhibitor participation for its February 27-28, 2023 run at Caesars Forum Las Vegas. The exhibitor booth roster doubled with a sold-out show floor featuring 134 companies in 174 booths vs 70 companies in 80 booths for 2022. Attendance saw a 62% increase over 2022 with 1453 attendees from 48 US states, the District of Columbia and US territories, as well as 29 other countries. Attendees included C-level execs…
“Low-pH hydroponic nutrient formula for growing leafy greens for better root-rot disease management”by Dr. Chieri Kubota (Ohio State University) This presentation ’Growing leafy greens with a low-pH hydroponic solution for root-rot disease management” was given by Chieri Kubota (Ohio State University) during our 49th café forum on February 7th, 2023. Indoor Ag Science Café is organized by the OptimIA project team funded by USDA SCRI grant. Café Archive Check out our previous cafés in our Indoor Ag Science Cafe page on the OptimIA website! Indoor Ag Science Cafe is organized by the OptimIA project team funded by USDA SCRI grants program.Previous café recordings…
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University researchers have designed two simple LED lighting strategies to increase yield and reduce energy costs for the vertical farming sector of indoor agriculture. The close-canopy and focused-lighting strategies developed by PhD candidate Fatemeh Sheibani and professor Cary Mitchell, both in the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture in Purdue’s College of Agriculture, capitalize on LED lighting’s special properties. “One is that they are relatively cool at the emitting surface, in contrast with other lighting choices,” Sheibani said. Thus, the lighting system works closer to plants without scorching them. LEDs are also current driven, unlike many energy-intensive, voltage-driven lighting sources. Their work is…
By Jenn Frymark and Charu Sharma The Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) industry is growing rapidly, driven by the increasing demand for fresh, sustainable and locally grown produce globally. As the industry continues to evolve and adopt new technologies, it is essential to standardize reporting metrics. This not only will improve the overall industry output by setting benchmarks for best practices and operating procedures but also will drive the adoption of efficient technologies and techniques that can improve performance. Yield is a key determinant of business revenue and a powerful metric for evaluating the performance of a facility. It can be measured in…
Available now via FreshDirect, The Koyo Berry joins the ever-popular Omakase Berry in Oishii’s offerings of exceptional vertically farmed strawberries that offer a flavor unlike any other. JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY – February 23, 2023 – Today, vertical farming leader Oishii launched The Koyo Berry, the newest varietal grown by the beloved strawberry brand. The Koyo Berry will join the coveted Omakase Berry as Oishii’s second strawberry, bringing an entirely new flavor profile to the table. Each tray of Koyo Berries is non-GMO, pesticide free, perfectly ripe, and always-in-season. Meaning “elated” in Japanese, The Koyo Berry is a Japanese cultivar, traditionally grown…
DALLAS and ELCANO, Navarra, Spain—Feb. 22, 2023—In a move to address agriculture’s mounting labor problems, while also providing a more environmentally sustainable solution, commercial horticultural supplier Hort Americas announced today it’s now the exclusive distributor of Agrifast’s Tomsystem in the United States and Canada. Between limited availability and the rising costs of employing qualified ag labor, farms and greenhouses continue to face significant workforce challenges. At the same time, increasing numbers of business owners and investors are turning to greenhouse technology to explore more eco-friendly methods for growing fresh produce. Hort Americas and Agrifast see the Tomsystem as a simple…