Agriculture technology firm GreenVenus announced the introduction of fast-growing lettuce ideally suited for controlled-environment settings. The company is developing specialty vegetables, fruits, and grains. It has now created faster-growing lettuce cultivars, which thrive in controlled environments, growing nearly twice as fast and with larger biomass when compared to conventional lettuce varieties.
The vertical farming industry faces high operational costs primarily due to the substantial energy required to maintain optimal growing conditions. Additionally, a lack of suitable plant genetics that thrive in vertical farming environments — such as under artificial light and controlled climate conditions —has made it challenging to achieve optimal yields with conventional crop varieties, further driving up costs.
Currently, leafy greens and herbs are the main crops grown indoors, but even these struggle to produce high yields in artificial environments, as they were originally bred for traditional agriculture and are not well-suited to the unique conditions of indoor farming, such as specific light, humidity, and CO2 levels.
Dr. Shiv Tiwari, CEO of GreenVenus had this to say: "In addition to lettuce, GreenVenus is working to develop a diversified offering of high-value crops, including berries, tomatoes, spinach, and other vegetables that thrive in artificial environments. The absence of cultivars specifically bred for artificial environments — ones that retain flavor, nutrition, and exhibit early flowering — remains a significant bottleneck for the vertical farming industry. With our introduction of new faster-growing lettuce varieties and our commitment to developing additional crop cultivars, GreenVenus intends to reduce the cost of indoor cultivation and make a sustainable and positive impact on the indoor farming industry."
For more information:
GreenVenus
www.greenvenus.com