Fresh Microgreens is running the final tests in Romania to fine-tune the largest vertical orchard in Europe. According to Economica, the startup invested 2.2 million euros to build two vertical gardens in the towns of Ploiesti and Tătărani.
The latter will become the largest vertical greenhouse in Europe when it opens in November. It will produce 250 tons of vegetables for salads per year in 6,500 square meters of crops distributed at different heights that occupy a ground area of only 864 square meters. That is, for every square meter of land occupied, 7.5 square meters of crops are available vertically distributed on hydroponic trays.
"We managed to design an automated system in the cultivation area that ensures extraordinary compaction of the space used and eliminates the need for human presence in the most sensitive area, where plants germinate and develop. This reduces the risk of pest contamination to almost zero and, consequently, makes a zero pesticide policy possible," stated businessman Cristian Tudor.
"In addition, we have high economic efficiency and excellent traceability, as all cultivation conditions are carefully controlled, and the risk of human error has been eliminated," he added.
The development of the concept, from the idea stage to the technical project stage with clear execution and implementation specifications, took almost a year and involved a team of more than 10 people. "We are working at an absolute pioneering level," Tudor stated.
Source: https://romania.postsen.com / bioeconomia.info