"Many of the farms we've developed eventually shuttered. Sometimes it's due to sales issues, and other times, it's a lack of domain know-how that affects the farm's baseline," says Edwin Ong, Founder of Arianetech, a Singaporean CEA supplier.
Aiming to avoid this, Arianetech will start operating farms themselves from this year on. "If we operate a vertical farm, we can create an energy-efficient and profitable model that serves as a strong reference for our clients, both existing and potential entrants to this business," Edwin adds.
Edwin Ong
At the just-held GPEC event, Arianetech showcased a prototype of a seedling transplanter robot, set for launch this October. "The robot is designed to transplant young hydroponic seedlings onto grow-out trays in Arianetech's Smart-Agro Growing system. The robot is equipped with an AI-powered camera to ensure only healthy seedlings are transplanted, automating the process and improving the quality of transplants.
Automating the simplest processes
The company's research and development unit in Singapore is currently focused on finding the optimal combination of LED lighting, ventilation, irrigation, and growth mediums to enhance farm efficiency. "Having the best and most efficient equipment doesn't automatically mean the farm can be profitable," Edwin notes. That's why the team is working on developing modular automation equipment aimed at reducing the OpEx.
"We're looking into automation solutions that cover seeding, transplanting of seedlings, automated harvesting, packing, and autonomous transport robots. Our ultimate goal is to bring down OPEX costs to enable farms to sell their produce at market-acceptable prices."
The Ezygro LED growth light
Tapping into LED efficiency
The company's latest innovation is its 6th Generation Ezygro LED growth light, launched last October at Agri-Week in Chiba, Japan. Designed to reduce energy consumption and thermal emissions, the team is set to further optimize the product. "We've achieved a 30% improvement in light output, with peak Photosynthetic Photon Efficacy (PPE) reaching close to 4.0 µmol/J."
The new model also features secondary optical lenses that reduce stray light emissions, increasing efficiency by directing light precisely where the plants need it. In the latest LED trials, the R&D team was able to produce 1 kg of frill lettuce with just about 3 kWh of energy. "This significantly reduces lighting costs and makes it feasible to adopt renewable energy sources like solar power," Edwin affirms.
Market opportunities in Southeast Asia
Looking at the future, Edwin hopes to see more government support for the Southeastern market to encourage more adoption of vertical farming technologies. "For more consumers to become aware of the benefits of vertical farming technique, we need more public awareness driving that market growth."
While the company is not currently involved in any projects in Malaysia, Edwin gave away that they are soon announcing an upcoming project. "We're in the midst of completing a national project to be launched on the 8th of September. It's a farm within a garden." More details will be shared soon when it's open to the public.
For more information:
ArianeTech Pte Ltd Singapore
Edwin Ong, Founder and CEO
[email protected]
www.arianetech-sg.com