In the world of Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA), one key factor underpins long-term success: economic viability. Whether you’re a small-scale grower, a commercial farm, or a non-profit initiative, maintaining a profitable and efficient operation is crucial. This means more than just producing high-quality crops—it requires maximizing your productivity and optimizing your resources.
That’s where the concept of Crop Turn Technology (CTT) comes in. In this article, we’ll explore what Crop Turns are, how CTT can increase your efficiency, and why this method could be a game-changer for your farm’s profitability.
Understanding Crop Turns: What Are They?
A Crop Turn refers to the number of harvests you can achieve per Finishing Site (the final planting holes in your hydroponic channels) each year. For example, if your system has 5,000 finishing sites and your plants reach harvestable size every 6 weeks, that’s approximately 8 cycles per year. This gives you a Crop Turn Rate of 8. However, if you optimize your system to harvest every 4 weeks, you can achieve 13 Crop Turns per year, which significantly boosts your annual output.
By tracking Crop Turn Rate, growers gain a clear metric that measures the frequency and consistency of their harvests. The higher the Crop Turn Rate, the more plants you harvest per year—allowing you to scale up your production and revenue.
What is Crop Turn Technology?
Crop Turn Technology is a proprietary three-step growing system designed to increase the efficiency of your plant production by maximizing your Crop Turn Rate. Developed to improve traditional hydroponic methods, it introduces an intermediary growing step that enhances space utilization and reduces growth time.
The system follows three stages:
Propagation Stage: Plants are first started in densely-packed Propagation Trays. Here, young seedlings begin their journey in a controlled environment, where you can nurture hundreds of plants in a small footprint.
Nursery Stage: Once seedlings have sprouted, they are transferred to Nursery Channels. These channels have tighter spacing (around 2 inches apart), allowing more plants to mature simultaneously in a relatively small area. By the time they are ready to move to the final stage, they’ve developed a strong root system and are prepared for rapid growth.
Finishing Stage: Finally, plants are transferred to Finishing Channels, where they’re given more space to spread out (around 8 inches apart). Here, they complete their growth cycle and reach their full size, ready for harvest.
Why Use Crop Turn Technology?
The primary advantage of CTT is that it allows you to optimize space utilization and significantly increase the number of plants you can produce in a given area. Instead of using fully-spaced channels from the start, CTT’s additional nursery stage enables juvenile plants to grow densely before being spaced out, doubling your annual production rates.
For instance, in a standard 30’ x 96’ greenhouse, a traditional hydroponic setup with fully-spaced finishing channels can yield around 1,300 plants per week. By implementing the CTT three-stage process, you can increase that number to 2,600 plants per week—effectively doubling your output without expanding your growing area.
Benefits of Crop Turn Technology for Commercial Growers
Increased Productivity: With more plants harvested per year, growers can boost their profitability by maximizing the use of every square foot of their greenhouse.
Shorter Growth Cycles: The nursery stage allows plants to be kept at a high density until they reach a more advanced stage of growth, meaning they spend less time in the final finishing channels.
Space Optimization: By allocating space according to plant development stages, you reduce the need for additional infrastructure while increasing yields.
Improved Crop Consistency: The system’s structured approach helps create a stable environment, minimizing variables that can affect plant growth.
Horizontal vs. Vertical Farming: Where Does CTT Fit?
A frequent question from growers is how CTT stacks up against vertical farming. Vertical farming is a popular trend in CEA, offering the potential for high-density production in limited spaces. However, there are notable drawbacks, especially when comparing productivity and quality.
With the high-profile closures of several indoor vertical farms, it’s clear that the model has significant economic and logistical challenges. While vertical setups can increase the quantity of plants grown per square foot, they often face difficulties in maintaining plant health, consistency, and cost-effectiveness, particularly in the long run. In contrast, Crop Turn Technology prioritizes both quality and efficiency, striking a balance between high yield and optimal plant health.
Choosing the Right Setup: Vertical or Horizontal?
If you’re evaluating your options between traditional horizontal systems and newer vertical technologies, consider the following:
Production Capacity: Crop Turn Technology maximizes the use of horizontal space and enhances plant density through a structured three-stage growth process. For most growers, this results in higher annual yields compared to single-stage vertical systems.
Cost Efficiency: While initial investment in vertical setups can be high, CTT’s structured approach keeps costs manageable while delivering significant productivity gains over time.
Plant Health and Quality: With a focus on maintaining plant health throughout the growth stages, CTT produces robust, high-quality crops that meet the standards of commercial buyers and consumers alike.
Key Takeaway: Maximizing Efficiency with Crop Turn Technology
At the end of the day, choosing the right system depends on your specific goals and market needs. But with its ability to boost productivity without compromising plant quality, Crop Turn Technology offers a powerful solution for growers looking to optimize their operations.
By investing in a system that focuses on increasing Crop Turns rather than simply adding more space, you can achieve higher profitability and long-term sustainability. Whether you’re growing leafy greens, culinary herbs, or even vine crops, CTT can help you get the most out of your greenhouse or CEA facility.
If you’re interested in learning more about Crop Turn Technology and how it can transform your growing operation, reach out to us today or sign up for our newsletter for regular updates, insights, and exclusive promotions!
Stay tuned for more tips on maximizing efficiency and profitability in CEA!
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