KPU鈥檚 Institute for Sustainable Horticulture (ISH) worked with 性视界传媒-based Aeroroot Systems to optimize a method of growing basil plants using aeroponics, without soil.

After trials at the ISH鈥檚 Langley greenhouses, researchers have developed a growing procedure that can be used for a future sustainable agriculture operation, the university claims in .

Aeroroot鈥檚 project is 鈥渁 great example of how new technologies are being successfully applied to agriculture for commercialization,鈥� according to Dr. Deborah Henderson, ISH director. 鈥淚t鈥檚 always gratifying when we can help and then see the success.鈥�

The 性视界传媒 company鈥檚 vertical, air-based growing system is said to use 90 per cent less water and 70 per cent less fertilizer than traditional farming methods.

To optimize growing, researchers at KPU tested everything from seed selection and production rate to growing media and nutrient volume. Trials were supported by high-tech systems monitoring for potential pests and diseases.

鈥淲hen it comes to production, it鈥檚 really easy to draw something on paper, but to run it through three growth trials, that鈥檚 another,鈥� Aeroroot president Peter Atwal said in KPU鈥檚 news release.

鈥淲e wanted to validate that we could make a product using our technology. There鈥檚 nothing new about basil plants, but what is new is using our technology to produce them.鈥�

While high operating costs have long been prohibitive for vertical farming companies trying to make a profit, Atwal says his model will undergo further examination of energy costs before moving forward with building an efficient demonstration greenhouse.

鈥淭here鈥檚 so much uncertainty with farming technology and systems,鈥� he noted. 鈥淭o go big and to construct something huge is a capital mistake without actually building something at a smaller scale.鈥�

Aeroroot鈥檚 project is among the first funded through the B.C. Centre for Agritech Innovation, a new research hub led by Simon Fraser University. The centre brings together experts from higher education in B.C., including KPU.

In January 2023, Aeroroot Systems was , 鈥渢o help ensure the province鈥檚 food systems remain secure, resilient and sustainable.鈥� The three others were Agrotek Industries (Burnaby), Bakerview EcoDairy (Abbotsford) and Lucent BioSciences (West Vancouver).

ISH at KPU is a partnership of academia with B.C.鈥檚 horticultural industries and the community 鈥渢o support B.C. in meeting demands for a higher level of sustainability and environmental responsibility. Its researchers aim to provide innovative biological and technological solutions for use in agriculture and landscape management to strengthen sustainability and resiliency.鈥�