Indoor Ag-Con and substrate from Mars

April 2016 was the month that the international controlled environment industry gathered in Las Vegas for the 4th edition of the annual Indoor Ag-Con. From small indoor growers of microgreens to operators of large scale multilayer plant factories and greenhouse facilities; you could find them all in Las Vegas. The event again proved to be a not-to-miss conference for those either already active in or planning to enter the upcoming indoor farming industry. With interesting keynotes and a large number of speakers addressing all challenges, solutions and most recent innovations in controlled environment agriculture, the Indoor Ag-Con has become a one-of-its-kind conference that knows how to serve this vibrant and relatively new and upcoming industry.

More remarkable news from April 2016? Yes! On April 1, we had the scoop of with a story of a large scale greenhouse trial with substrate from Mars. ncreased rooting, less disease pressure, a lower energy bill, maximum yield. These are just few results of the large scale commercial trial with Martian soil substrates at Dutch greenhouse grower Yob de Sjin. The bell pepper and tomato grower got acquainted with Martian soil after reading about it in several news media. "Researchers from Wageningen University were trialing the Martian soil. I realized the potential of it and bought some Mars to trial in my own nursery."

A more serious article that was very well read in April 2016 was the recap from the Ask-me-Anything session with Village Farms' CEO Mike DeGligio at the Indoor Ag-Con. In this article, the CEO of one of North America's largest growers of premium quality greenhouse tomatoes, bell peppers and cucumbers, voiced his trust in the development of protected agriculture.