After several years of research and development, the Swiss company CleanGreens Solutions SA, which is expanding, is experiencing a strong commercial boom due to the unique positioning of its mobile aeroponic system designed for growing leafy greens in greenhouses. Until now, hydroponics has imposed itself commercially on the cultivation of CEA, as aeroponic technology was quite mature. CleanGreens Solutions intends to change this status.
“We have developed a system called GREENOVA, equipped with a robot that moves up and down the greenhouse compartment and sprays the roots with a highly diluted nutrient solution. Having a moving robot allows us to really reduce maintenance costs and spray all plants evenly. This is our secret sauce, ”says Bruno Cheval, CEO.
Less phytosanitary risks
GREENOVA is designed to physically separate leaves that grow in full light from roots that need a dark and moist environment. Both parts benefit from a large amount of oxygen. The wet area is not exposed to light, and the roots hang down independently of each other. These two elements dramatically reduce the risk of phytosanitary contamination and virtually eliminate the risk of cross-contamination between plants.
“This is a key aspect for many of our customers: they can’t afford to lose one or two crops plus a negative attitude towards product recalls,” said Bernhard Baumgartner, commercial director of CleanGreens Solutions. This system also provides simpler and more stable climate control in the root zone, which is especially difficult to achieve in hot climates such as the Middle East.
Product range
Roots in the air allows GREENOVA users to explore new varieties that are now very difficult to grow using classic hydroponic systems.
“With GREENOVA, our customers can constantly grow large cobs of lettuce weighing more than 500 g throughout the year. This is especially important for processors and their suppliers,” says Bernhard.
Resources used
By increasing the size of the lettuce and maintaining cycle times and densities similar to hydroponics, CleanGreens Solutions customers can produce more than 950 tons per hectare per year. And this is done using only 10 liters of water per kilogram of products and without any pesticides.
“In a world where resources are becoming increasingly scarce, this is becoming increasingly important. In the Middle East, the first question is usually asked: how much water does the system use? We are very proud that here we have the best indicators in our class. , – says Bruno.
In addition, several published studies of basil and lettuce show that aeroponics is the best way for plants to absorb nutrients and thus grow healthy. This efficiency of consumption leads to less nutrients used and lower costs.
CleanGreens Solutions does not stop at hardware when executing a project.
“From discussions with first clients, we noticed that they were dissatisfied with their crop management software. It is often not adapted to their cultivation system or their crops. That’s why we developed GURU, our patented software. It is designed specifically for our aeroponic cultivation systems. “Our customers can manage their farms from sowing to harvesting and plan for the whole year ahead with full traceability and data review. The combination of GREENOVA and GURU really makes life easier for our customers,” said Bernhard.