"Inside the 40-foot steel box, 1,800 premium wasabi plants thrive under LED lights, nourished by circulating purified water and monitored by AI-powered sensors. This isn't a futuristic concept. It's a solution to a very real crisis threatening one of Japan's most iconic flavors. Tokyo-based AgriTech startup NEXTAGE has partnered with global technology firm Macnica to develop the Wasabi Cultivation Module. This container-based plant factory allows wasabi to be grown anywhere in the world."
"Climate change, declining agricultural workers, and the strict environmental demands of traditional cultivation have created a perfect storm for this notoriously temperamental crop. Wasabi has always required clean water, precise temperature control, and meticulous soil management. Traditionally grown in cool mountain streams, the plant is particularly vulnerable to typhoons and floods. Climate change has intensified these challenges, threatening the survival of historic wasabi farms that have operated for generations."
"The cultivation module addresses these vulnerabilities through total environmental control. Each container houses five-tiered shelves equipped with sophisticated systems, including air conditioning, dehumidifiers, LED lighting, water temperature controllers, and carbon dioxide management devices. Cameras and sensors throughout the container continuously monitor conditions, tracking everything from temperature fluctuations to door usage that might affect air circulation. This data feeds into an AI-powered remote monitoring system, allowing NEXTAGE experts to provide"
The Wasabi Cultivation Module uses a 40-foot shipping container to grow 1,800 premium wasabi plants under LED lights with circulating purified water and AI-powered sensors. NEXTAGE and Macnica equipped each container with five-tiered shelves, air conditioning, dehumidifiers, water temperature controllers, CO2 management, and continuous camera and sensor monitoring. The system tracks temperature, door usage, and environmental variables to enable remote AI monitoring and expert management. The approach aims to stabilize supply threatened by climate change, declining farm labor, and the strict environmental needs of traditional stream cultivation, while enabling wasabi production outside native mountain stream habitats.
Read at Yanko Design - Modern Industrial Design News
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