High-tech farming without soil and without sunlight

@scheng1 (24649)
Singapore
April 16, 2016 1:34am CST
Farmers in many countries probably do not believe that you can grow vegetables without soil, and without sunlight. Yet this is something that high-tech farmers have achieved. One very successful high-tech farming company is Panasonic. The way Panasonic farms vegetables is like operating a factory. Every process of the farming is controlled, and the vegetables are free of pests and virus. The price is obviously higher for such vegetables. Personally I still prefer the traditional way of farming, but then I am just a hobbyist, not a farmer. For me, planting vegetable is more of a therapeutic activity than a way to make a living. If I want to make a living as a farmer, I will choose high-tech farming too. The result is more consistent, and the harvest is assured.
Singapore’s small but advanced vegetable farming industry is attracting Japanese firms eager to invest in or adopt its technology
7 people like this
6 responses
Hazel Vee
@epiffanie (11325)
• Australia
16 Apr 16
That is awesome for all the farmers if they can access that technology too.. But like you , I also prefer the traditional way .. I love having a veggie patch in the backyard.
2 people like this
scheng1
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
16 Apr 16
I think for large commercial farms, they have to think about innovation. They have to use high-tech farming so that weather does not affect the harvest.
1 person likes this
Hazel Vee
@epiffanie (11325)
• Australia
17 Apr 16
@scheng1 governments in countries like the Philippines, providing high tech for the farmers is not their priority ..
1 person likes this
vanny
@vandana7 (102698)
• India
11 Aug 16
oh...even more interesting is the fact that aquaponics can be combined with beautiful fish...better utilization of water.
1 person likes this
scheng1
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
11 Aug 16
Not really practical for commercial use. It is good for home use only.
1 person likes this
youless
@youless (114117)
• Guangzhou, China
17 Apr 16
This is very cool and I like the high-tech which will make our life better. I hope there will be a mini storage box with this high-tech so that I can grow plants inside without the soil and sunlight. I like to grow something by myself
1 person likes this
scheng1
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
18 Apr 16
I think the priority of the government and the companies are to maximize output, and have a stable supply of vegetables without relying on the weather. So far, the large commercial space lowers cost. I do not think we are going to get a home-based one soon. Many hobbyists are making their own hydroponic kit at home.
1 person likes this
Gudheart
@gudheart (12659)
•
16 Apr 16
Did not think it was possible to do it that way without nature so to speak. Interesting though :D
1 person likes this
scheng1
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
16 Apr 16
It is good to hear about high-tech farming. This just shows that farmers do not need to rely on weather for harvest. However, it costs a lot of money to set up.
DianneN
@DianneN (254949)
• United States
16 Apr 16
I know about biospheres for farming and saw a few.
1 person likes this
Valerie J. Routhieaux
@just4him (323168)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
16 Apr 16
It doesn't sound appetizing though. No soil - no nutrients. No sun - nothing of whatever the sun contributes to plants. Probably tasteless and of no nutritional value.
1 person likes this
scheng1
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
17 Apr 16
Not true. It tastes much better than soil-grown vegetables. The nutrients are specially formulated for the plants, and the lighting fixtures are specially formulated to stimulate growth. The vegetables grow faster, because they do not have to suffer from bad weather. The temperature is also set to the optimum for plant growth.