'Ddingdong', Vegetable Seedlings for Three Meals a Day Have Arrived

[Report] Kyowon Wellsfarm Paju Plant Factory
Aseptic and Pesticide-Free Seedling Cultivation in Cleanroom, Establishment of Cold Chain Plant Direct Delivery System
Plant Cultivator Sales Doubled Last Year Due to COVID-19 Impact

Seedlings of pesticide-free vegetables being cultivated at Gyowol Wells Farm Plant Factory. Photo by Heeyoon Kim

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] Tens of thousands of leafy vegetable sprouts were sprouting underground under LED lights. The WellsFarm plant factory, located underground at the Kyowon logistics factory in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, ships about 5,000 seedlings daily. These are the vegetables used in the plant cultivators first introduced by Kyowon in 2017. Seedlings grown hydroponically for about a month in sterile, pesticide-free media grow into semi-mature plants (pre-harvest stage), then are measured for optimal size by variety, upright-packaged, and delivered to customers. Kwak Dongyeop, Development Production Team Manager in charge of seedling production, explained, “In a 700-pyeong (2,314㎡) facility, about 5,000 seedlings are produced daily, totaling 100,000 per month, and shipped directly to customers’ homes. We produce seedlings in a safe environment so that anyone can easily grow pesticide-free vegetables at home.”

A total of 16 types of seedlings are produced in the plant factory. The varieties and functions are diverse, ranging from anticancer leafy vegetables that inhibit cancer cell growth to salad greens like lettuce and chicory, as well as Black Harang lettuce, which has proven sleep-enhancing effects. Including herbs and specialty crops currently being tested according to growth stages, the number reaches about 40 species. The plant factory, operated by an integrated control system that regulates light, temperature, humidity, and air quality in four clean rooms, has the capacity to cultivate up to 1.8 million seedlings.

Up to 20 Times Higher Yield Compared to Open-Field Cultivation... Sterile, Pesticide-Free Seedling Cultivation

COVID-19 has transformed the agricultural distribution system and environment. Additionally, the surge in agricultural product prices caused by abnormal climate conditions has fully exposed the vulnerabilities of traditional agriculture to external factors such as diseases and disasters. As an alternative, Ag Tech (Agriculture + Technology), centered on smart farms capable of vertical farming, is rapidly growing worldwide. WellsFarm’s plant factory also operates intensively by stacking multiple seedling trays like an apartment building. For example, the lettuce yield per unit area in the plant factory is up to 20 times higher than that of open-field cultivation. Furthermore, hydroponic cultivation applied by WellsFarm has been confirmed to have a growth rate up to 20% faster than soil cultivation. Manager Kwak added, “The currently operating plant factory facility accounts for about 60% of the total scale, allowing agile responses to changes in production volume according to market expansion.”

Seeds for seedlings grown in sterile, pesticide-free media are supplied by various companies such as Nongwoo Bio, Asia Seed, and the Dutch company Enza, according to the required varieties. Seeds coated with pellet coating improve seedling quality in a sterile state. The growing medium, made primarily from bamboo, undergoes high-temperature sterilization to remove 99% of harmful substances such as bacteria and mold before sowing. Unlike soil cultivation, which is affected by the presence of microorganisms in the soil, seedlings grown in sterile media are easier to produce stably, according to WellsFarm. Seedlings cultivated for about a month are delivered to customers every two months, providing 1kg (based on 12 heads) of vegetables monthly.

Wellsfarm Plant Factory Cleanroom View. Approximately 5,000 vegetable seedlings, hydroponically grown for about a week in sterile, pesticide-free media, are shipped daily. Photo by Kim Heeyoon

Establishment of Cold Chain Direct Delivery System... Fresh Seedlings Delivered and Installed Directly

The delivery system has also been improved to provide fresh seedlings. Manager Kwak said, “Seedlings originally delivered by courier are now upright-packaged in dedicated packages and protected with air cushions to minimize damage to leaves.” Additionally, a cold chain system has been introduced, and WellsFarm engineers personally deliver to customers while assisting with systematic management such as in-home device inspections and filter replacements.

Since the launch of WellsFarm in 2017, the number of plant cultivators sold was 9,000 units until 2019, but due to the impact of COVID-19, sales doubled to 18,000 units last year. Market prospects are also bright. The Korea Invention Promotion Association’s Intellectual Property Evaluation Center forecasted that the domestic plant cultivator market would grow from 60 billion KRW last year to 500 billion KRW by 2023 through the integration of artificial intelligence functions. Global market research firm MarketsandMarkets analyzed that the global plant cultivator market will grow to 18.4 billion USD (approximately 21 trillion KRW) by 2022.

A Wells representative said, “As interest in plant cultivators that allow easy home cultivation of fresh vegetables has increased due to COVID-19, we plan to diversify cultivation varieties and expand rental services. We will accelerate our efforts to target the home plant cultivator market, which helps secure safe food while providing educational benefits.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.