Hydroponics development in Japan A Case Study About Garlic Sprout Alfred Cheung 7 September 2016 / Asia World Expo Hong Kong 1
CONTENT OUTLINE Hydroponics background Using shipping containers Principle of hydroponics Photosynthesis Pros & Cons of hydroponics Grow food anywhere Transparency & safety Year round supply & logistics saving Case study in Japan Garlic sprout Secret of high yield performance Key take away 2
Background Shipping containers used for hydroponic farming Converting from used or new shipping containers Focusing on green leaves for salad and fruits Avoiding seasonality and adverse weather. Different degrees of insulation for targeted produce Hydroponics cultivation of garlic sprout using shipping container with solar system in Japan ** FreightFarms / AeroFArms / BrightFarms / EdenWorks / Detroit dirt / SproutIO / Fujitsu / Grove Lab / Garden Fresh Farms / Growtainer / Mego Cube 3
Hydroponics - Growing food anywhere year round Sophisticated hydroponics system Infrastructure & tools to support Standardization, simplification and automation Transparency from seed to harvest Clear story of exactly how food is grown Ensure clean, fresh produce using nutrient only Fresh produce year round Controlled climate conditions Independent of exterior environment 4
Basic requirements for hydroponics Temperature Light Water Oxygen Nutrients Physical Support of plants 5
Photosynthesis Plants grow through a process called photosynthesis Using sunlight and a chemical inside leaves called chlorophyll Converting carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen ** Plants can perform photosynthesis with or without the presence of soil 6
Benefits of using shipping containers for hydroponics farming Deploying LED lighting Atmospheric control Temperature & humidity control Factors affecting the rate of photosynthesis Easy traceability Mobile and compact High security fencing off animals & insects Organic farming Easy to apply remote control Shorten first & last miles distance Rate of photosynthesis Rate of photosynthesis Rate of photosynthesis Better quality & freshness with less logistics handling Can apply PVA (Proton Vibration Alignment) technology Light intensity Carbon dioxide Temperature Concentration 7
Pros and cons of shipping containers for hydroponics High mobility at convenient locations even next door to supermarkets. Security level using container is much better than ordinary greenhouse avoiding unexpected intruders like such as theft, animal and insects that will create damage to the crops. LED or other lighting sources can be installed inside the box with specific wavelength for maximum exposure to the growing crops with timer to control the emission period totally independent of sunlight Temperature and atmospheric controls can be easily be installed in shipping containers be it a dry box or reefer box. Recycle of off hired or used boxes Accessibility of light fittings, racks and other utensils for growing crops in containers Easily found in DIY stores or on line including nutrient solution 8
Pros and cons of shipping containers for hydroponics Easy market entry for beginners with training and maintenance programs available Simple operation with remote controlled using PC or smart phones with full transparency and traceability. Harvesting is scheduled independent of weather, pest and animal damages Safe & usually high quality of crops (lettuce may have 12 times of harvest in a year) Reduction of logistics cost from farm to table Most impressive advantage of using shipping container for hydroponics Reducing first mile to last mile to a minimum Selling stall can be placed at the door side of the container Container in the backyard of restaurant or hotel Least transit time using simple or no packaging for crops 9
Pros and cons of shipping containers for hydroponics Disadvantages of using shipping containers for hydroponic farming Initial cost is very expensive compared to ordinary farming due to installation of power, lighting, racks and fitting Usage of specially prepared nutrient liquid Lack of experience results unexpected poor harvest Maintenance of the box and the equipment inside usually comes with demanding bills Low selling price at peak seasons for salad leaves, fruit tomato, strawberry, lettuce etc Epensive initial cost though may be cheaper with more popularity and mass production In USA, one box for hydroponics may start from $50K to $80K depending on options In Japan, for Mego Cube, cost is Yen 8.5M 10
A case study of Hydroponic cultivation in Japan MEGO CUBE For Garlic Sprout 11
Growing garlic sprout in 20 container 12
All in one unit with annual harvesting volume of 580,000 of garlic sprout Growing time only 5 days Annual harvest of 580,000 garlic sprout 60 times of scheduled harvest period in a year Growing temperature set at +25C Deploying 45W LED (red and blue only) Illustration of MEGO CUBE B201 Source : www. Mego-ninniku.com 13
Comparison of mineral content among Garlic Sprout, Spinach & garlic Source : www. Mego-ninniku.com 14
Nutrient solution - Power mineral To be used with 1000 times dilution Source : www. Mego-ninniku.com 15
Other food products arising from garlic sprout hydroponics Garlic sprout MISO (chilly) Garlic sprout MISO (sweet) Garlic sprout syoyu 16
Summary Hydroponics background Recycling of shipping containers Basic requirements of hydroponics Photosynthesis Independent on weather & location Pros & Cons of hydroponics Grow food anywhere Transparency with quality crops Year round supply & logistics saving High initial cost / seasonal pricing Case study in Japan Garlic sprout in 20 container Energy saving with solar system Secret of high yield performance Rich in mineral content 17
Disclaimer This presentation is provided only for general reference. While every effort has been exerted to ensure reliability and practicality of the information so provided, GSAL (Green Society Association Limited) shall not accept any claims and shall not be held liable for errors, omissions, or damages caused by or from the use of the information herein. Alfred Cheung Email: alfredcheungshuwing@gmail.com / alfred@apttpa.com Website : www.greensocietyassociation.com 18