The Benefits of Breeding for Greenhouse Vegetable Production

breeding panel

Photo: Indoor AgTech Innovation Summit; Rethink Events

When you think about technology for controlled-environment agriculture (CEA), it’s not always about the equipment or the automated systems. Technology development also applies to innovations in plant breeding. This is true now more than ever in CEA production and vertical farming. With the market’s rapid growth, breeders and growers alike are placing a greater emphasis on developing varieties best suited for indoor production.

Advertisement

In fact, the very nature of a controlled-environment facility allows breeders to either focus on plant traits that are enhanced when grown indoors, or to deemphasize issues that would be of top concern for outdoor production.

“We continue to look at disease resistance, but we also know, for example, that shelf life may be less of a concern for this industry, where the food miles are less because producers are trying to meet regional needs,” said Gretchen Raymond, Managing Director of Rijk Zwaan, during a panel discussion on genetics and breeding (specifically, optimizing seed for resilience, nutrition, and flavor) at last month’s Indoor Ag Tech Innovation Summit in New York.

Moderated by Joel Cuello, Professor of Biosystems Engineering at the University of Arizona, the list of speakers also included Jade Stinson, Co-Founder and President of Vindara; John Reich, Scientific Program Director at the Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research; and John Purcell, CEO and President of Unfold, a seed and digital solutions company that recently joined forces with Bowery Farming to accelerate the development of new plant varieties specifically for the vertical farming industry.

Top Articles
Why This Hydrangea From Green Fuse Botanicals Is a Gamechanger (Video)

Stinson noted that breeding for disease resistance is not as much of a concern for the CEA market, which allows breeders to focus more on the traits that consumers demand, such as flavor and nutrition. However, she also cautioned that new strains of diseases can still develop.

“We can’t fool ourselves into thinking diseases will never be a problem,” Stinson said.

Despite breeders’ continued focus on the CEA market, Purcell said the market is still somewhat underserved by seed companies, which is why the industry veteran (he was previously head of R&D for Bayer Vegetables) opted to start his own company.

“I saw the role our industry could play in de-risking the supply chain, which is more important today than ever,” Purcell said. “It also gave us the chance to focus specifically on the top crops in our industry.”

In addition to these crops, which include lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers, Stinson noted that there is great interest in high-value niche crops moving forward, a thought that was echoed by Raymond.

“I’m asked all the time about whether you can grow X or Y crop in a greenhouse,” Raymond said. “The answer is almost always yes, although continued research is still critical.

Watch for more thoughts from the panel, and additional coverage of the Indoor Ag Tech Innovation Summit, here.

0