US tech firm to introduce ‘indoor growing systems’

SAN FRANCISCO — As the world faces food safety and other pressing issues, a Silicon Valley company sees opportunities in China to expand its “indoor farming” technology.

“We incorporate hardware, software and plant science into our growing management system repeatedly and consistently to meet customers’ demand for safe, clean and efficient plants,” said Robert Chen, president and CEO of AEssenseGrows, during a twoday Silicon Valley Agtech Conference held last week.

The Sunnyvale, Californiabased company’s core technique is aeroponics, which is growing plants on special racks that allow the roots to hang in midair where they are misted with a water-nutrient solution.

The company’s self-developed “indoor growing systems” are monitored by sensors and managed by software. This technology can help solve the needs for food safety and conservation of resources, said Chen.

It allows large-scale farming in tall buildings rather than spread across farmland, and it also avoids contamination that could occur in fields or in processing facilities, he explained.

“We can harvest lettuce just 12 days after it’s planted,” said Chen.

Founded in 2014, the company has a commercial production base in Shanghai. It’s now working on another indoor growing system, covering nearly 5,000 square meters for supply in Shanghai and Hong Kong, according to Chen.

Early this year, the company set up a joint lab with the Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences to apply the aeroponic technique to growing blueberries. So far, the company has developed aeroponic techniques for more than 70 types of plants like vegetables, flowers and herbs greens, according to a recent company newsletter.

Chen said the government “does play a very important role” in developing indoor farming, just like in promoting solar energy or electric vehicles.

“The government should have some incentives to help develop indoor agriculture,” Chen said. “We firmly believe the cost of indoor farming will continue to go down because of advanced lighting and other controls.”