|
Iron Ox uses robots that are integrated with a
hydroponic system consuming 90% less water than traditional
farms, said CEO Brandon Alexander.
The company is putting that system to work at a 10,000-square
foot (930 square meter) greenhouse in Gilroy, California, where
a self-driving robot named Grover moves pallets of Genovese
Basil and a robotic arm system lifts the pallets for inspection.
Sensors check the water for nitrogen and acidity levels for
healthy growth.
"Then they say, 'What is missing? What does that plant need that
we're not giving it'," Alexander said. Any water not used can be
pumped back into the system to be reused later.
Agriculture plays an important role in California's economy, but
water usage is increasingly in the spotlight. The last major
drought in 2012-2017 cut irrigation for farmers, forced strict
household conservation measures and stoked deadly wildfires.
Iron Ox grows Thai basil and strawberries and is working on
cilantro, parsley, and tomatoes. The company is also building a
new 535,000-square-foot greenhouse in Lockhart, Texas, 30 miles
(48 km) south of Austin.
Alexander said hydroponics - saving water by growing plants
without soil - is just one piece of the puzzle for future
farming.
"To really eliminate waste, to really get to that next level of
sustainability and impact, we have to rethink the entire grow
process," he said.
The funding round included investors from Crosslink Capital, R7
Partners, and Pathbreaker Ventures, among others. Iron Ox
declined to comment on its valuation.
(Reporting by Nathan Frandino in Gilroy, California; editing by
Richard Pullin)
[© 2021 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2021 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
|
|
