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*Naked Seed
Lettuce is one of the most widely grown crops in Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA). Its fast growth cycle, high market demand, and suitability for vertical farming systems make it a favourite among indoor growers. Lettuce is one of the most widely grown crops in Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA). Its fast growth cycle, high market demand, and suitability for vertical farming systems make it a favourite among indoor growers.
From hydroponic greenhouses to high-tech vertical farms, lettuce is often the go-to crop for operations looking to maximise space, efficiency, and yield.
Lettuce’s short cycle time makes it an ideal crop type to benefit from the best possible start offered by ActivatedAir seed priming. Reducing the cycle time by two or more days is readily achievable, offering growers significant productivity and profitability gains.
We will explore Zayndu’s results treating naked lettuce seeds with ActivatedAir.
Germination
Figure 1. Germination Testing of Lettuce. The graph follows the germination process of untreated seeds and ActivatedAir-treated seeds, over a span of 24 hours.
We treated 100 naked lettuce seeds and monitored them alongside 100 untreated seeds to compare the difference in germination. In doing this test, we can demonstrate the types of results our customers already see within their own facilities.
Figure 2. Germination Testing of Lettuce. An image was taken to show the germination difference between ActivatedAir-treated seeds (right) and non-treated seeds (left).
By the 18th hour, 3 times more treated seeds had germinated compared to the untreated ones. By the 22nd hour, the ActivatedAir seeds still showed a 12% increase.
Yield
As we continue to explore the onward growth of lettuce crops, an important aspect for commercial growers is the fresh weight, or more specifically, kg/m2/year.
Figure 3. Fresh Weight Yield Analysis of Lettuce. 72 ActivatedAir-treated and 72 untreated seeds were planted in compost and grown up to harvest, where a Fresh Weight analysis was conducted.
With the head start that the ActivatedAir gave to the seed, the treated seeds held a steady lead with a 19% increase in fresh weight.
So, how does that translate to a commercial operation? One of our customers produces approximately 1,000 tonnes of bagged baby leaf lettuce annually. By deploying ActivatedAir, they can capitalise on the 19% yield increase without building additional growing space, therefore boosting the key kg/m2/year metric.
Figure 4. Fresh Weight Yield Analysis of Lettuce. Comparative images were taken with ActivatedAir-treated on the right and untreated on the left.
Harvested at day 22, we weighed the difference between the untreated and treated. The untreated weight stood at 53.2g, whilst the treated had 63.4g. This type of increase in yield transfers into more profitable produce per cycle.
Further work reinforces the yield gains from ActivatedAir
In a second demonstration of fresh weight differences, we observed a 27% increase in the treated samples compared to the untreated ones when harvested on day 29.
Figure 5. Fresh Weight Yield Analysis of Lettuce. 120 ActivatedAir-treated and 120 untreated seeds were planted in compost and grown up to harvest, where a Fresh Weight analysis was conducted.
As seen in the image below, the lettuce leaves are bigger and fuller on the right side (treated) on day 24 over the leaves on the left side (untreated).
Figure 6. Fresh Weight Yield Analysis of Lettuce. Comparative images were taken with ActivatedAir-treated on the right and untreated on the left.
