United Kingdom
February 29, 2016
Is it possible to grow lettuces underground? As pressure increases to find new ways to grow perishable goods to improve market response and reduce waste we are going undercover to find out what enterprising growers are doing.
G’s Fresh, with a fine reputation for precision production of lettuces and other vegetables in open fields, have also been experimenting with going underground. In our March Pollinator, Daniel Cross will be discussing a trial that is using the constant temperature of disused air-raid shelters as an opportunity to experiment with growing lettuces in a totally controlled environment.
LEDs are more efficient that normal lamps and offer the advantage that they can be optimised to produce light of specific wavelengths and even alter these during the day to emulate natural daylight. The falling cost of LEDs and greater uptake from industry means we are approaching the tipping point where alternative approaches to salad cultivation may be possible. Daniel says there is still much to be done but early results look promising.
Joining him will be Simon Pearson, Senior Lecturer at the University of Lincoln Holbeach Centre for Food Manufacturing, to explain how LEDs can be used for covered crops.
We will also hear from Ian Collinson (picture) about how he has invested in new technology that is able to bunch flowers like a human – improving the quality and speed of production.
Additionally, there will also be an opportunity for an insider’s guide to the Sainsbury’s Laboratory Greenhouses. These state-of-the-art glasshouses are among the finest in the world and this will be a rare chance to find out more about the exciting research that is taking place.
More information can be found on our events page.
Species
