Chiba, Japan—Think of this as an industrial plant for plants.
Approximately 13 million people worldwide suffer from chronic liver problems which are exacerbated by potassium intake. By growing low-potassium vegetables, Fujitsu—or, rather, Fujitsu’s agribusiness customers—can expand healthy eating options for a large number of people. The system reduces potassium by 86%, dropping it from 490 milligrams per 100 grams to 69 milligrams.
The interesting part is that Fujitsu isn’t accomplishing this with GMOs or designer vegetables. Instead, it is a combination of two technologies: a sodium-based fertilizer for hydroponic growing facilities invented by Professor Atsushi Ogawa and Akisai, a cloud-based monitoring system invented by Fujitsu. Akisai monitors vital signs such as carbon dioxide levels, solar radiation, nutrient levels and moisture levels for hydroponic facilities.
Fujitsu began to grow small amounts of lettuce in 2012. Lettuce will start to grow in larger, commercial/demo levels the Aizu Wakamatsu in January.
There’s a lot to like about the experiment. Agribusiness will be one of the first large industries to be directly impacted by climate change. Prolonged droughts in Australia and other regions have already exacerbated price swings in the last several years. Many have said that the Arab Spring in part was caused by rising staple prices. As a result, technology investors and entrepreneurs have begun to move into agribusiness.
At the same time, many consumers and regulators object to genetic engineering. Cloud computing, potentially, can help meet future demand without controversy. The system also can help economize on water and fossil fuel-based fertilizer.
It’s also a great example of recycling. Semiconductor fabrication facilities are only cutting edge for a few years. Many companies have to sideline them long before what would be the natural life for an industrial building. They also don’t make great offices: they are wide, empty buildings equipped with air handling systems to eliminate particulate matter. In other words, the perfect location for hydroponic plants.