"The key question is the cost per head of lettuce"
Source: VFD.com
Greenphyto's Susan Chong on the innovations driving scalable vertical farming "The key question is the cost per head of lettuce" Advances in agritech, automation and controlled-environment agriculture are transforming food security and sustainable food production. Under her leadership, Greenphyto has developed patented technologies that combine automation, AI-driven monitoring, and controlled-environment agriculture to produce high-quality vegetables efficiently and sustainably at scale.
I began my sustainability journey 25 years ago in sustainable packaging, driven by the belief that greater impact comes from preventing waste through better design and material selection rather than simply managing it. These efforts were recognised with Singapore's President's Award for Volunteerism and Philanthropy in 2016/2017.
Through this journey, I recognised an opportunity to apply my supply chain expertise to food security and founded Greenphyto 12 years ago. Another important factor is our ability to transform farming into an advanced manufacturing system through the integration of Industry 5.0 technologies and AI-driven monitoring.
Why this matters: For operators, this is a water-management story. The useful signal is that direct substrate measurements can help cut drain loss materially without giving up yield or fruit quality, which is exactly the kind of controllable efficiency gain a facility can build on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does substrate sensing matter in free-drain strawberry systems?
Because drain percentage tells a grower what already happened, while substrate moisture and EC data show root-zone conditions directly. That makes it easier to cut water loss without guessing.
What is the operator takeaway from this trial?
If the thresholds are understood well enough, growers can reduce drain water materially while protecting yield and fruit quality, which makes sensing an operational tool instead of a reporting tool.
