QUALITY VEGETABLES YEAR ROUND -- ANYWHERE 

In the future, soil may be the last place to grow fruits and vegetables ! Details of a new hydroculture system, designed to produce a stable supply of vegetables anywhere in the world at low cost, have just been revealed. The consortium involved which includes the Q.P. Corporation, a leading Japanese food company, and the well-known tire manufacturer Bridgestone Corporation, is rapidly diversifying into high-growth technologies.

The new system called T.S. Farm features a triangular panel and spray system which produces virtually bacteria-free vegetables in significantly shortened growing times without the use of pesticides!

In what appears to be a respectable break-through in hydroculture (the growing of plants out of soil with only liquid nutrients) the system is expected to produce vegetables of consistent quality and size, regardless of location, season, insects and weather conditions.

By spraying nutrients over the vegetable roots, rather than immersing roots in culture solutions, the roots can better absorb the required oxygen from the atmosphere, thereby allowing faster growth.

Plants that appear suitable for cultivation by this method include lettuce, parsley, celery, spinach and various spices and herbs. Experimental cultivation of strawberries and other fruits is also underway. Consistent high-quality, year-round supplies of such produce in wide-ranging markets have long been a problem for both restaurants and grocery markets. That problem may soon disappear.

T.S. Farms are available in tailor-made sizes ranging from 40 to 650 square metres. Investment costs run from US$40,000 to $1.5 million. Special packaging permits shipping and transportation over long distances thus enabling fresh produce to be produced in both frigid and tropical areas.

The T.S. Farm comprises two insulated rooms. One is a nursery for seedlings; the other provides space for growing the vegetables to maturity. Automatic controls in each room enhance growth conditions such as light, temperature, carbon dioxide and oxygen levels. Modular triangular panels form three-sided pyramids on the inside. The inner surface provides twice the area of cultivation as conventional flattype hydroculture systems.

High pressure sodium lamps, the principal source of light, and the spray system which applies a culture solution to the plants plus the controlled quantity of oxygen supplied to the roots determines growth speed. According to supervising agricultural scientist Shizuka Akaki, of the Q.P. Corporation, they can also control the appearance of vegetables and fruits.

Boston lettuce can be harvested in 28 days in T.S. Farms, compared to 90 days in a conventional greenhouse or 120 days when grown outdoors.

The advantages in turnover of capital, increased productivity per hectare along with year round, pesticide-free supply capability in any area of the world, may in the future make farmland no longer the prime location for such produce. More information: Ted Kitamoto, Marketing Manager, Intl. Operations, Bridgestone Corp., 1-10-3, Kyobashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan 104.

Fax: 81-3-535-2553.

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