Growing Tomatoes Indoors With 94% Less Water And No Soil

Summary

This video takes viewers inside a massive, 250,000 square meter greenhouse complex in Victoria, exploring the world of indoor farming. The focus is on hydroponic tomato farming, where plants are grown on rockwool slabs, drip-fed nutrients, and require manual pollination due to the lack of insects. The video highlights the efficiency of this system, using only 12 liters of water per kilogram of tomatoes, compared to the 200 liters needed in traditional field farming. It raises questions about the future of sustainable farming and the role of technology in feeding a growing population.

Takeaways

• 😀 The greenhouse complex in Victoria spans 250,000 square meters, demonstrating large-scale indoor farming.
• 😀 Tomatoes are grown in rockwool slabs, a fiber made from basalt rock and chalk, serving as an efficient growing medium.
• 😀 The hydroponic system allows for high plant density, with up to six tomato plants growing in one slab of rockwool.
• 😀 Carbon dioxide is pumped into the closed environment to facilitate photosynthesis and maintain plant health.
• 😀 Maintaining the right temperature and humidity costs around half a million dollars annually in energy bills.
• 😀 Each tomato plant can grow up to 15 meters tall and produce one bunch of tomatoes per week.
• 😀 Pollination is a challenge in the closed environment, requiring manual intervention to transfer pollen between male and female flowers.
• 😀 The pollination process is performed by shaking the plant to release pollen, ensuring fruit production.
• 😀 It only takes one second to pollinate an individual flower, but the large scale of the operation makes it time-consuming.
• 😀 The greenhouse uses significantly less water, with only 12 liters needed to produce one kilogram of tomatoes, compared to the 200 liters typically used in field farming.
• 😀 Water used in the greenhouse is recycled and treated for reuse, enhancing resource efficiency.

Q & A

What is the primary goal of the greenhouse complex described in the script?

The primary goal of the greenhouse complex is to grow tomatoes in a controlled indoor environment, aiming to create a sustainable and efficient farming method.

How does the greenhouse farming method differ from traditional soil-based farming?

The greenhouse farming method uses hydroponics, growing tomatoes in rockwool slabs instead of soil, which allows for higher plant density and more efficient resource use.

What is rockwool, and why is it used in this greenhouse?

Rockwool is a growing medium made from basalt rock and chalk. It is used in this greenhouse because it provides a perfect environment for roots to grow, offering water retention and stability for the plants.

How is water used in this greenhouse farming system?

Water is drip-fed to the plants and is recycled within the system. For every kilo of tomatoes produced, only 12 liters of water are used, which is highly efficient compared to traditional field farming.

How are carbon dioxide levels managed in the greenhouse?

Carbon dioxide is pumped into the closed greenhouse environment to ensure optimal conditions for photosynthesis, as plants need it to grow.

What role do pollinators play in the greenhouse, and how are they managed?

In the greenhouse, pollination is managed manually by workers who shake the plants to release pollen, as there are no natural insects to pollinate the flowers in this controlled environment.

How tall do the tomato plants in the greenhouse grow, and how often do they produce tomatoes?

The tomato plants can grow up to 15 meters tall and produce a fresh batch of tomatoes every week.

What is the significance of the greenhouse's controlled environment in terms of energy costs?

Maintaining the right temperature and humidity in the greenhouse costs around half a million dollars annually in energy bills, or about three cents per kilo of tomatoes produced.

Why are there no insects in the greenhouse, and how does this affect tomato production?

There are no insects because the greenhouse is a closed, controlled environment. This means pollination must be done manually to ensure the plants produce fruit, as natural insect pollinators are absent.

How does the greenhouse farming method help reduce water usage compared to traditional farming?

The greenhouse farming method is far more efficient in water usage, using only 12 liters of water per kilo of tomatoes, compared to the 200 liters typically used in traditional field farming.