Pioneering Innovations in Vertical Lab Cultivation Technology

Grönska is a leader in vertical cultivation technology. One of Europe’s largest vertical growers, the Swedish company has recently opened a new facility, with a capacity of 80,000 herbs and salad plants per month.

Vertical cultivation uses LED lighting and hydroponic irrigation in a controlled indoor environment, allowing year-round growth without pesticides. Committed to sustainable practices, Grönska relies on circular irrigation, recycling any water that is not absorbed— consuming just 3% of the water used in outdoor cultivation. Further diminishing environmental impact, Grönska adds plant nutrients directly to the circulating water; because no substances are released into sewers, the eutrophication of water bodies is reduced. 

Lastly, their reliance on LEDs, which are more efficient than traditional greenhouse lamps, additionally decreases the company’s energy footprint in Grönska’s vertical growing facility. In its growing process, Grönska has historically relied on a standard, nitrogen-based, nutritional solution for its plants. Conscious that food waste is readily available and would be more in line with its circular ethos, the company recently decided to attempt a switch. Ingrid Lund, R&D, Grönska, approached METTLER TOLEDO for instrumentation to support the efforts.

Grönska can easily access food waste from grocery stores. A digestate byproduct from biogas synthesis—the so-called “red residue”—is a rich source of ammonium that could be diverted to hydroponic cultivation. Yet plants consume nitrate more readily, necessitating nitrification. Lund notes that while the process of preparing the new solution is not complicated, the right instrumentation makes it easier. The team uses METTLER TOLEDO’s precision balances (see Figure 1), as well as perfectION combination NO3 − and DX218-NH4 ion-selective electrodes, which are specialized in measuring the concentration of nitrate and ammonium ions, respectively. The electrodes are used in combination with a SevenCompact™ pH / Ion S220 meter (a new generation of this instrument, SevenDirect™, is now available), whose robust design, disposable cover and IP54 protection make it durable and resistant to chemicals. Together, the instruments enable precise monitoring of the nitrification process.

So far, Grönska has experimented with ten types of herbs and lettuces, with amazing results. While several other companies are currently exploring the idea of more environmentally friendly bio-based solutions, Lund feels that Grönska is well on its way to expanding the new solution to their entire process, then scale up to multiple sites. “Achieving success went so much faster than we expected!” Lund says. “The right instruments mean you can see early on what’s right and wrong. I could have been tearing my hair out for months, if not years, to get these results. We are very pleased that we reached our goal so quickly.