News Grains
Wheat up to 230 tons/ha possible by stacking
A wheat yield of 40 tons to 230 tons per hectare is possible, according to researchers from universities in Australia, the Netherlands and China. The secret is stacking. The so-called vertical farming. Under ideal growing conditions with artificial light, an annual yield can be achieved that is up to 600 times higher than the current global average.
The average wheat yield worldwide is currently a mere 3,2 tons per hectare. There are outliers. For example, the average wheat yield in Ireland is 9 tons per hectare and the Netherlands is also in the top. In New Zealand, the record of 17,4 tons per hectare was recently set broken† However, these yields are dwarfed by growing the plants in a conditioned environment.
5 harvests per year
Vertical farming is not new and is also used in the Netherlands. We mainly know the technique for growing vegetables and fruit. However, 90% of the food grown is grains and potatoes. Globally, 20% of all calories and protein in the human diet come from grains. By growing these in huge warehouses, production can be increased significantly. This is based on 2 important factors. In this way, several layers of the same crop can be grown on top of each other and – in the case of wheat – 5 harvests per year are possible.
Researchers from different parts of the world put wheat on a steroid diet. For example, they receive an enormous amount of artificial light, at a constant temperature of 23 degrees and with an increased content of CO2 in the air. The crop is ready for harvest in just 70 days. The secret lies mainly in the extra light (20 hours a day), because plants simply cannot absorb that much sunlight. In this way a yield of 14 tons was achieved per hectare. That is neat – compared to a normal plot. However, by growing 5 crops per year, the total yield per hectare is much higher.
Not economically feasible
The researchers tested the wheat experiments on a scale of 1 square meter. They mention in their article It goes without saying that growing grain in this way is not economical, because the worldwide market price is too low. They see an additional advantage for the climate. Thanks to the controlled environment, considerably less water is required and the use of crop protection products is also much lower. In specific areas, it could offer a solution, the researchers believe.
To be able to say more with certainty about the yields, tests on a larger scale are first required. In the experiment, for example, the yield (converted) came to 75 tons per hectare, while in theory 200 tons should have been stacked over 10 layers. These tests were carried out by the WUR, among others. The system in which 1 hectare of wheat is grown 10 layers thick consumes energy, which means that the costs per ton are far too high. Even when only solar energy is used and less light and water are administered, the costs remain too high to make it economically possible.
Niels van der Boom
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