Technology promising risk-free vegetables
Print Edition
THE mass-cultivation of plants using hydroponics — without pesticides, fertilizers or soil — could be the future of agriculture in China.
A scaled-down version of such a “plant factory” was one of the most popular exhibits at a recent expo in Beijing on the country’s major technological achievements over the past five years.
The 12-square-meter greenhouse housed a variety of vegetables neatly arranged on shelves containing water and nutrient solutions, and under red and blue LED lights.
Beijing citizen Liu Yuping felt inspired, envisaging a mini version on her balcony at home.
“Not only does it looks beautiful, but it produces safe vegetables, I need not worry about pesticides, because the technician told me there won’t be any pests,” Liu said.
At nearly 10,000 yuan (US$1,520) per square meter, however, there is unlikely to be a rush just yet.
China has scores of large-scale units across the country, managed by research institutes and agricultural firms.
Huang Qingman, a plant factory technician for a project run by the provincial academy of agricultural sciences in east China’s Fujian Province, said technology had made it possible to grow plants almost anywhere.
“Just like some babies are fed formula, we feed our crops with a solution enriched with 16 different nutrients,” said Huang.
The temperature, humidity, lighting and carbon dioxide level in the unit, as well as supplies of water and nutrients, are all carefully controlled, Huang said.
Compared to traditional farming, hydroponic systems are more efficient in terms of space and labor, resulting in increased yields that are not at risk from water, soil or pesticide contamination.
At Huang’s farm, two workers manage a 3,344-square-meter greenhouse and crops are harvested in as little as 15 days.
60 tons a year
A 650-square-meter greenhouse can yield up to 60 tons of vegetables a year, compared with the annual output of around 11 tons from a traditional farm of the same size.
Jobs are more attractive than on traditional farms, said Zheng Huiyong, director of the Institute of Digital Agriculture under Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences. “Here, young rural dwellers have college degrees. They wear leather shoes and don’t have to bend down.”
While there is no doubt such systems will change the sector, commercialization is no easy task, mainly due to the high financial outlay.
Chen Xianqiu, of the agricultural department of south China’s Guangdong Province, said he was excited by factory-based farming, which saves land and is immune from drought, floods and pests.
The potential market is huge, as currently the per capita vegetable consumption of Chinese is only 40 percent that of their European counterparts.
“Let’s assume that our consumption increases to the European level, and 30 percent of the additional vegetables are produced in factories, that would be a market worth hundreds of billions of yuan,” said Gui Shirong, who manages a unit in Foshan, Guangdong.
Construction, maintenance and tech-intensive management have a downside — 500 grams of vegetables will cost 20 yuan, more expensive than organic.
Gui said as time goes on, costs will decline. Factory-based crops are largely still in the research stage, he said.
His farm grows produce with higher economic value, such as asparagus, for hotels and high-end supermarkets.
Yan Wenkai, a technician with the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences said the academy had helped to build plant factories for the military in regions previously thought unsuitable.
“We hope such factories can use abandoned workshops and underground space, as well as wasteland and desert. Who knows? In the future maybe even on moon or other planets,” Yan said.
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