Søstrene Øyo

Automated production of high-quality, non-toxic organic strawberries We will grow quality strawberries all year round indoors. The project is planned as a pilot for both technological and economic verification of Intravision’s Autoberry system for automated production of high-quality, non-toxic organic strawberries. The Autoberry system uses a moving conveyor system to transport towers of strawberry plants. The conveyor system brings the plants through a daily “loop” where they pass between special LED lights that have optimized light spectra for the strawberry plant’s production phases, such as vegetative, flowering and berry production. The plants are supplied with hydroponic nutrients and continuously treated with air that is optimized to prevent typical challenges for strawberries such as the formation of fungi or powdery mildew. The system therefore avoids the use of chemicals such as pesticides and herbicides. The pilot project is being carried out in parallel with and in collaboration with a larger research project at CESRF at the University of Guelph in Canada, which is funded by the “Weston Foundation”.