Hello everyone! I’m Shohei.
Recently, lettuce produced in plant factories has been on the rise. Currently, the cultivation of leafy greens, especially lettuce, is mainstream in plant factories.
Plant factories and lettuce are a good match, but to understand why, we need to consider both the characteristics of plant factories as a production facility and the growth characteristics of lettuce.
I have been working in a plant factory for over 10 years, and lettuce has always been a mainstay.
The image of plant factories and lettuce is strong both within the industry and among the general public. While leafy greens are generally well-suited for plant factories, the following article also discusses this. Please have a look.
The Current State of Lettuce Cultivation in Plant Factories
The characteristic of plant factories is that they utilize environmental control technology to enable planned production that is not affected by weather. Because they don’t rely on sunlight and use artificial light to grow vegetables, stable year-round production is possible. Furthermore, temperature, humidity, and CO2 can be controlled to create the optimal environment for plants. Since they are isolated from the outside, the occurrence of pests and diseases is also suppressed.
On the other hand, lettuce is a representative leafy green. It is an essential ingredient for salads and sandwiches, and has a stable demand throughout the year. However, lettuce is prone to damage, and quality control requires meticulous attention.
Against this background, many plant factories have focused on lettuce cultivation because the following growth characteristics of lettuce match the characteristics of plant factories.
Lettuce Growth Characteristics Suitable for Plant Factories
Here are the reasons why lettuce cultivation is suitable for plant factories.
Reason 1
Firstly, short cultivation periods can be cited. Lettuce is an early maturing vegetable that can be cultivated from sowing to harvesting in about 30 days, allowing for a high turnover rate. For facilities with large capital investments like factories, it is important to maintain a high utilization rate, and the short cultivation cycle of lettuce is a major advantage in this regard.
Reason 2
The second reason is that lettuce has a compact shape. This allows for the efficient use of limited cultivation space. Lettuce doesn’t have a stem that extends, and its leaves spread out from the base in a rosette shape. In other words, it is short and can be cultivated with narrow spacing. If combined with multi-tiered shelving for vertical cultivation, the yield per unit area can be drastically increased.
Reason 3
The third reason is that lettuce is traded at a relatively high price. However, this is only slightly higher compared to typical field-grown lettuce and is not drastically high. Nevertheless, combined with its high turnover rate, it is possible to set a price that covers the production cost in a plant factory.
As explained above, the growth characteristics of lettuce match the operational characteristics of plant factories, resulting in the widespread adoption of lettuce cultivation in plant factories.
Lettuce is Easy to Cultivate
In my opinion, lettuce is a crop that is relatively easy to manage. Even without deep consideration, it generally grows without issues, and there is little variation in growth. Even if temperature control is neglected or the nutrient solution concentration is inappropriate, it is unlikely to lead to a complete crop failure. Of course, producing high-quality lettuce and maximizing growth requires meticulous management and the accumulation of know-how.
However, compared to other crops, the entry barrier is significantly lower. Even newcomers with limited knowledge can easily take on lettuce cultivation. If the equipment is in place, it is possible to ship products relatively quickly. This is likely one of the reasons why lettuce has become a mainstay in plant factories.
Many companies that are new entrants to the plant factory industry are from different sectors. They tend to avoid cultivating vegetables that are difficult to grow.
Challenges of Plant Factories and Breaking Away from Lettuce Dependency
However, lettuce dependence is not necessarily a desirable situation for plant factories. Currently, lettuce produced in plant factories is in oversupply in the market, weakening the pricing power of producers. A focus solely on lettuce will make it difficult to further expand the business.
However, the introduction of new items requires improvements in cultivation techniques and market development. These may not be as easy to cultivate as lettuce, and the outlook for demand is unclear. The entry barrier is high, but this also means that higher added value can be expected.
On the other hand, lettuce has become synonymous with plant-factory grown vegetables.
The situation where lettuce remains the mainstream in plant factories will likely continue.
If that is the case, we should strive to cultivate with the highest possible productivity.
However, the reality is that it is difficult to obtain concrete know-how that leads to improved on-site capabilities.
This site provides a collection of know-how that I have systematized from my years of on-site experience. If you are interested, please check it out.
Even though lettuce is and will remain the mainstay, fruits are also becoming popular recently.
As I wrote in the following article, the number of plant factories cultivating strawberries is increasing.
Wasabi is also gaining attention.
What are the Conditions for Vegetables Suitable for Plant Factories?
Now, let’s revisit the conditions for vegetables suitable for plant factories.
Considering the case of lettuce, the following points are considered essential.
- Short cultivation period: A short cultivation cycle is desirable to increase facility utilization rates and accelerate investment recovery.
- High space utilization efficiency: It is essential that the plant is compact so that limited space can be used efficiently.
- Certain price level: The business cannot succeed without vegetables that can achieve a selling price that exceeds production costs.
- Stable demand: As long as year-round planned production is carried out, items with year-round demand are suitable.
- High added value: If there is added value that can be differentiated, such as functional ingredients, it is possible to differentiate from competitors.
The strength of lettuce is that it meets these conditions to a high level. When searching for new items, it is an important criterion to determine how much these conditions can be met.
Towards the Development of Plant Factories
Plant factories can be said to be a still developing industry. Production capacity is increasing along with the number of entering companies, but concerns about excessive competition are also growing. Differentiation is essential to improve business profitability.
The key to that differentiation could be the introduction of new items.
The development of high value-added products, such as vegetables with enhanced functional ingredients and rare vegetables, is expected. This will enable us to avoid competition with simple commodities and open up lucrative niche markets.
However, it is important to select items based on the characteristics of plant factories. While not necessarily as high as lettuce, it is essential to have a certain degree of high turnover rate and a sufficient price level. Misjudging this point could lead to failure to recoup high investment costs.
- What are the characteristics of lettuce in plant factories?
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- Short cultivation period (about 30 days from sowing to harvesting)
- Compact shape that allows for the efficient use of cultivation space
- Traded at a relatively high price
- What are the challenges of plant factories?
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- Lettuce dependency and declining pricing power due to oversupply
- High initial investment and running costs
- Difficulties in acquiring cultivation techniques and developing sales channels for new items
- Why is lettuce grown in plant factories?
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- Short cultivation period with high turnover rate
- Compact plant shape allows for efficient use of cultivation space
- Relatively high selling price offers the prospect of profitability
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