b'Vertical Veggies Mean Opportunities for Seed Companies are Sky-HighNew production practice spurs demand for specialized plant genetics.Sonja BegemannAS YOU LOOKto the future of vegetable growing, look up, not out. Vertical farms are taking urban centers by storm, and seed and agriculture companies are poised to meet the unique challenges this environment poses.The trend is proven with fledgling U-Pick operation, FairyTail Gardens Owner Racheal Marsh, in Alberta, Canada. This grow-ing operation will add vertical production greenhouses to their repertoire. After Marsh completes the purchase of a six-acre plot, it will include two acres of orchard trees and up to 10 vertical greenhouses, covering the remaining four acres.When I think about the seeds well buy, it needs not only the same or better yields, but I want to make sure the flavor and colors are the same, Marsh says. Ill also want to keep an eye out for nutritional value.With certain cropping systems moving to indoor environ-ments, it provides new opportunities for seed breeders. Because the crop wont be exposed to abiotic stressors, weeds and other pests found in field environments, it means breeding can be far more offensive than defensive for this growing strategy.Plants have been bred and selected for field situations, says Gail Taylor, professor and chair of the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of California in a recent article by the college. In vertical agriculture, well need new types of plants, and well need to re-engineer them in ways that are suitable for growth. Seed companies were basically just giving these growers To this point, vertical vegetable growers have simply beenwhatever they developed for Salinas Valley, or the Arizona desert using commercial field varieties. As seed companies see poten-whatever was there. Were lacking genetics honed for use in tial for this growing medium, new breeding and research effortsthese systems.are underway. Purcells company, Unfold, was funded by Temasek and Bayer The environment in which vertical grown crops are producedto focus entirely on producing new varieties catered to vertical is entirely different than field crops and even greenhouses farming, in addition to testing todays approved varieties to see which means the breeding priorities should be and are different. whats the best fit. We have five crops to start: lettuce, spinach, tomato, pepper A $30 million approach and cucumber, Purcell says. As we expand, we have the oppor-Advancing vertical farming-specific varieties is twofold: one, itstunity to add more crops like berries.finding current seed options that are best suited to the environ- Fruiting crops such as berries arent common to the vertical ment; two, its creating new varieties through breeding. Both ofproduction system, which favors leafy greens, herbs and spices. which will take dedicated effort, time and resources. Ive found a lot of emphasis on lettuce and leafy greens, I noticed we have these amazing indoor facilities, just amaz- Marsh says. I want to see if we can start producing rooting ing operations, and theyre just desperate to find seed, saysvegetables like carrots in this system. Im not hearing a whole lot John Purcell, CEO of startup Unfold, a California-based startupabout that and its important to my market.with a focus on identifying and creating varieties for verticalIts clear, the future for vertical farming, with more research farming.and effort focused on the practice, is looking up.SW10/ SEEDWORLD.COMSEPTEMBER 2021'