Accelerating first harvest
At LettUs Grow, a significant portion of our work focuses on expanding the potential of controlled environment agriculture (CEA) beyond herbs, salads, and leafy greens. By strategically employing aeroponic technology during crucial plant development stages, particularly propagation, we aim to enhance the productivity, efficiency, and sustainability for a diverse range of crops.
We partnered with UK commercial greenhouse growers La Serra to conduct innovative tomato propagation trials. The initial aeroponic trials were conducted at LettUs Grow’s research center in Bristol, and the transplants transferred to La Serra’s unique Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) greenhouses to grow on.
Overview
Trial aims
La Serra are a winter grower and currently harvest tomatoes nine months of the year. By working with LettUs Grow, they’re aiming to extend their harvesting season by allowing their picking to start earlier in the year. The overall aim was to improve overall quality, consistency and sustainability of tomato plant propagation.
Operational findings
LettUs Grow’s Advanced Aeroponics has been shown to accelerate the growth of crops in their early stage through to first fruiting, with healthy root systems and thus has huge potential in commercial propagation.
Transplanting highlights
The transplants were cultivated from seed using LettUs Grow’s Advanced Aeroponics. After approximately 30 days in aeroponics, when first flowering trusses were visible and the stems were approximately 30cm tall, the crops were transplanted into the La Serra greenhouse NFT hydroponic system to grow on.
Key results
Plant performance and quality
The transplants, cultivated from seed in LettUs Grow’s R&D facility using Advanced Aeroponics, exhibited significantly better root development when compared to La Serra’s conventionally propagated plants. A strong root system is crucial for crop establishment once transplanted, and the aeroponic system has clearly demonstrated healthier root systems
Reduced propagation time
Early results suggest that LettUs Grow’s aeroponic technology reduces plant propagation time. This could lead to an increased number of harvests per year for tomato growers utilising the system.
Next steps
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These commercial tomato propagation trials, following previous research collaborations with Harper Adams University, are showing positive results. The impressive rate of root growth in the Aeroponic transplants is a key indicator of success. The greater strength of the root stock could lead to earlier first harvests and greater seasonal profits for greenhouse growers.
These results emphasise that utilising aeroponic technology in greenhouse and propagation settings could have a big impact on grower economics by extending the season and reducing resource consumption through efficient aeroponic propagation.
Talk to us
Talk to our team about trialling Advanced Aeroponics™ in your facility or exploring a commercial project.