A high-yield indoor farming system ideal for the city

As prolonged droughts occur more frequently in South Africa, some entrepreneurs are investing in and developing new technology and farming methods, such as indoor growing systems, that ensure consistent, high-quality food production. Juan-Griffith Pollard, CEO of Urban Cultivation International, spoke to Pieter Dempsey about his scaleable hydroponic farming system.

- Pieter Dempsey

More frequent and long-lived droughts. Global warming. Water scarcity. Higher input costs. These are some of the factors driving the growing interest in new technology that enables a farmer to produce the same quality and yields as conventional farming, but using indoor farming systems instead.

Hydroponics, or indoor soilless cultivation, as Urban Cultivation International (UCI) calls it, is a method of growing plants in a water-based, mineral- and nutrient-rich solution instead of soil, and under artificial LED lights instead of sunshine.

According to Juan-Griffith Pollard, the CEO of UCI, indoor farming uses up to 90% less water than traditional farming practices, and far less space. In addition, plants can be grown pesticide-free and closer to high-consumption areas, such as densely populated cities. These reasons, and more, explain why an increasing number of growers have begun exploring indoor soilless cultivation.

PRECISION GROWING

The system provides the optimal growing conditions for plants, enabling them to develop much faster and be far healthier than is the case with traditional outdoor cultivation.

According to Pollard, the evolution of new technology, such as LED grow lighting and the Internet of Things (IoT), has complemented the development of indoor soilless cultivation systems.

“IoT can be used to automate and regulate indoor farming by monitoring water levels, nutrient levels, pH levels, and temperature and light requirements of plants.

“A farmer can be in control of the harvest at all times, wherever he or she is physically present.