FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Predictable Farming
What does predictable farming mean?
Predictable farming is an approach where decisions are based on historical and real-time data in order to achieve higher yield and/or better quality
Who can benefit the most from your solutions and services?
Our solutions are primarily designed for farmers and greenhouse owners, food processing companies and their suppliers, to ensure the quality and quantity of produce, as well as to those who are looking to invest in new growing methods and technology.
As a farmer how can I reduce risk with Growberry’s solutions?
Our plant trial service analyses the performance of crops in different conditions to understand what works best and therefore enables the optimization of traditional growing methods. It also serves as a return on investment and profitability test ahead of a significant investment in new technology or the introduction of new production methods.
How can I benefit from your solutions as an agritech company?
We enable agritech companies with evidence-based testing to demonstrate the benefits of their technologies, services, and supplies.
Does Growberry take on projects such as the complete outsourcing of a business’ farming research & development?
We do offer white-label agreements and partnerships.
Are the plants grown in chambers certified as organic?
Although there is no need for the use of pesticides in controlled environments, according to EU legislation only products grown in soil (and meeting strict requirements) can be certified as organic.
Who will own the data and the test results?
The length of a test depends on the scope of the project. Our Plant Intelligence solution for basil, for example, takes between 2-3 months to run its course.
Will I need to adjust my farming processes & technology based on the deployment method you suggest as the result of the test?
We align our test environments to our customers’ needs; whether you plan to continue with your current technology or are considering switching to something else, we can provide you with a customized solution that bears your requirements in mind.
Services & Solutions
What kind of solutions are you offering?
We specialize in plant research and growth optimization in controlled farming environments.
How can Growberry’s solutions help minimize the risk in plant production and supply?
Predictable quality and quantity of plant supply is an ongoing challenge to many manufacturers globally. We enable them and their suppliers with research and evidence-based plant growing know-how to make their supply chain more predictable and their business operations more profitable.
Do you offer solutions for outdoor/traditional farming as well?
Our chambers can replicate the conditions of outdoor environments. This allows us to test variations of plants and environmental conditions to find those that perform the best within a given set of conditions.
Will I be able to use your services if I am not using hydroponics?
Hydroponics is just one methodology for growing plants in a controlled environment. Our solutions and services include but are not limited to hydroponics, are personalized to our customers’ growing technology.
Where are you located?
Our horticulture lab and offices are based in Szarvasgede, whilst our client lab is located near Budapest in Gödöllő, Hungary.
Do you work with customers outside of Europe?
We are staffed, skilled and equipped to collaborate with customers globally.
Are you familiar with plant growing methods outside of Hungary?
Our knowledge and experience is not limited to Hungary or to the EU, we have worked with clients from all over the world.
How can I use your solution if I am not located in Hungary?
Our solution works remotely and virtually; we assess your needs and communicate regular status reporting via digital channels. Data and final results are delivered digitally.
Do you offer consultation to better understand the actual process of your solutions?
All our experiments begin with an in-depth consultation to provide our clients with the most suitable solution.
Do you sell the chambers as well?
Our hardware solutions are currently not commercially available outside of the context of our overall testing solution.
Can I buy results from previous projects?
We offer growing algorithms and data from previous projects for purchase.
What kind of analysis do you provide?
Beyond the design of our smart plant-growing algorithms, we offer return on investment analysis, new investment assessments and comparative analysis.
What types of plant-growth criteria and conditions are worth A/B testing?
We primarily test a combination of nutritional compounds, LED spectral distribution, climate conditions, yield, quality and quantity against set benchmarks.
Will Growberry’s hardware technology be available for purchase?
We are currently developing our custom-designed, autonomous, zero-carbon, zero-waste greenhouses for commercial sale. Watch this space for updates.
Technology & Infrastructure
What is an NFT irrigation system?
Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) is an irrigation technique used in hydroponics. Nutrients are dissolved in a shallow stream of water and re-circulated, allowing the roots of plants to take up the nutrients directly from the water.
What type of plants do you work with?
To date we have performed successful tests on tomatoes, peppers, a variety of herbs, leafy greens and berries. Please get in touch to discuss how we can help.
What is a growing algorithm?
A growing algorithm is a timestamped data collection of growing conditions used during the plant-growth process; an algorithm can be used for a specific plant and against pre-set criteria to achieve the desired results.
What is the capacity of your chambers?
Our chambers are 1 sq meter, and can accommodate up to 60 herbs or leafy greens each. We currently have 15 chambers with a total capacity of 750 plants.
What is the capacity of your demo greenhouse?
Our demo greenhouse is 100 square meters.
Can I visit the chamber and if yes, how often?
During the project you can check in on progress in person, if you wish. You will also receive daily reports with the key data and findings, a planned vs. actual analysis and an evaluation of progress. Through our built-in camera system, you will also have round the clock remote access to the plants in your chamber.
Who is providing the seeds?
Seeds and plants are provided by our customers, however we can advise on suppliers.
What will I receive as an output of the test?
You will receive a plant-growth analysis, a feasibility study and plant samples, and additional outputs can be negotiated as part of an agreed scope of work.
What factors are you controlling?
All conditions that may impact the optimal development of a plant are controlled, including temperature, humidity, lighting, nutrient solutions, and more.