Farmer Seiichi Marumoto, 65, is growing lettuce vertically on four-meter (13-foot) walls using artificial light.

Marumoto said he decided on the unusual direction for his field in western Hyogo prefecture as he knew he had to produce more vegetables to survive.

"Even after I built a greenhouse, it didn't pay off because vegetables are priced so low on the market," he told AFP. "By going vertical, I can grow plants 10 times more closely to each other, radically improving productivity."

In the plant, which he calls a farming factory, Marumoto plants leafy lettuce on twin panels sandwiched by walls of artificial light.

By controlling the indoor environment, he needs only one-third of the time usually required to harvest vegetables outside, he said.

In addition, he said his method increases productivity five times more than typical greenhouse farming.

The vegetables grow their roots into an inner space between the two panels, which he fills with mist containing fertilizer.

"Round lettuce or cabbage would not grow well with this farming method," he said. "Eventually I want to grow more leafy vegetables like spinach."

"Since I grow my vegetables only with artificial light, they taste less acerbic than those grown under the sun," he said.

He said he wants to apply his experimental method into full production by next year.

Related Links