Environment Secretary Commits to Horticulture Growth

Plans to boost home-grown fruit and vegetable production and drive the growth of high-tech horticulture have been set out today by Environment Secretary Ranil Jayawardena. Ralph Weir, CEO of Zayndu, argues that investment in plasma-tech as a non-microbial biostimulant for seeds would also help the sector increase plant health, boost yield and meet environmental commitments.

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Improving Food Security

To help the UK get more self-sufficient in crops such as tomatoes and cucumbers, and support the growth of Controlled Environment Horticulture, the government is announcing funding for agri-tech that will help drive growth.

The latest funding is directed at automation, but the Environment Secretary has written to a number of major Controlled Environment Horticulture growers to seek the industry’s views on how HM Government can best support its expansion and ensure government policies reflect industry needs.

Improving the resilience of plants so they can withstand adverse conditions and disease risk is an area where emerging agri-technologies are providing solutions, without the need for chemicals.

Ralph Weir, CEO of Zayndu, argues the sector needs support with investment in other technologies.

He says: “Plasma-agriculture provides an environmentally friendly alternative to synthetic chemicals. Our technology has been shown to prime seed, acting as stimulant to germination and accelerating growth. It provides an alternative to washing or synthetic chemicals and would help the sector to reduce waste through lost crops, to boost productivity and meet environmental commitments.”

Priming Seed to Boost Yields

Ralph comments: “Vertical farmers are using our technology to boost seed health, often seeing 10-40% increases in crop yields at harvest time. Plasma-tech stimulates the seed, enabling higher yields per square metre and potentially reduces the water requirement, all without the need for synthetic chemicals, many of which can have a negative effect on the environment for years.”

Zayndu recently exhibited at the Seed Meets Technology exhibition in the Netherlands, meeting greenhouse growers and seed breeders. The Environment Secretary also visited the Netherlands to learn more about high-tech greenhouses and vertical growing approaches, touring a robotics institute and a glasshouse business which uses artificial intelligence, robotics, renewable energy and water-neutral systems to grow produce.

Ralph continues: “The current funding is aimed at automation and robotics, but de-risking the adoption of other types of agri-tech for greenhouse cultivation would also support the government objectives.”

The UK currently grows only 25% of the cucumbers and 17% of domestic demand for tomatoes. The Environment Secretary has today (11th October 2022) committed a £12.5m investment in automation and robotics through the Farming Innovation Programme. Previous funded projects have included fruit scouting robots, automated vegetable harvesters and new types of fertiliser.

The fund opens in January with ‘UK Research and Innovation’ (UKRI) and will match-fund projects that will drive economic growth, food security and deliver on environmental commitments.

Environment Secretary seeks input from the sector

The Environment Secretary has written to a number of major Controlled Environment Horticulture growers to seek the industry’s views on how HM Government can best support its expansion and ensure government policies best reflect industry needs.

To create a positive investment environment for the horticulture sector, HM Government has already signalled its commitment to including industrial horticulture in decisions on industrial energy policy and reviewing the planning permission process to support new developments. Plans to incentivise the sector to make use of surplus heat and CO2 from industrial processes, and renewable sources of energy are also being considered.

To find out more about our technology, visit our website, or send us an email at info@zayndu.com.