Crop selection and planning for CEA systems

Understanding the challenge of crop selection in CEA

Generally, in controlled environment agriculture (CEA) systems, the selection of structure and planning is more straightforward than crops selection and planning. For crop selection and planning, you need to select crops which have high values in the available markets in your country with easy and reliable transportation routes as well as high consumer demand.

Despite high-value rates, easy and reliable transport routes, and high consumer demands, the most important consideration is the option to preserve and process your crops to reduce the risk of waste. CEA is a high-investment farming system. It requires substantial initial capital to grow non-seasonal crops, whether they are vegetables, leafy greens, herbs, fruits, or flowers. You cannot afford to waste your produce at any level.

Usually, CEA produce has high chances of wastage at the post-harvest level, most particularly vegetables, leafy greens, herbs, fruits, and flowers. When market demand from the country is fulfilled, remaining produce is stored in refrigerators or chilling rooms to increase shelf life. But this effort is temporary. The produce loses quality and taste, which may lead to consumer dissatisfaction and consequently produce wastage and discarding.

What should we consider for crop planning and selection in CEA systems before starting up?

We should consider zero-waste crop production strategies. This means if fresh produce is not in demand, we need a plan for how to process it into valuable products so the produce does not become waste while maintaining high market value and extended shelf life.

Crop selections with zero-waste strategies

There are multiple crops which align with zero-waste strategies. Below, I've organized them with consideration for fresh market demand, processing options, and value-added product potential from consumer markets.

Vegetables categories

• Cherry tomatoes
• Colorful bell peppers
• Jalapeños
• Colorful long peppers
• Broccoli

Herbs categories

• Basil
• Oregano
• Thyme
• Rosemary
• Spearmint
• Lemon balm
• Sage

Flowers categories

• Chrysanthemum
• Marigold
• Chamomile
• Nasturtiums
• Lavender

Fruits categories

• Strawberry
• Blueberry
• Cranberry
• Raspberry
• Goldenberry

Above is a list of crops that relate to zero-waste strategies and have importance in most agro-based industries worldwide. These crops work particularly well in vertical farming systems and intensive CEA operations. Below, we compare the selection and planning of crops with fresh market demand, processing/value-added products, and their importance in agro-based industries so farmers and related sectors can make informed decisions before investing in CEA systems.

Comprehensive crop comparison chart

Making your CEA system economically viable

My suggestion is to select crops like those in the chart above for your CEA system, crops with minimal waste potential. If there's demand for fresh produce, excellent. If not, you can process it or create value-added products and sell them in the market.

Alternatively, grow crops that have established agro-based industry demand:

• Medicinal herbs and berries for nutraceutical companies
• Vegetable crops for FMCG industries
• Export-quality crops for international markets

With this approach, you can ensure that your CEA system will be economically viable and profitable. You won't need to worry about your fresh produce because you'll have pre-established demand from agro-based industries, as well as demand from marts, grocery stores, and supermarkets in your town and city.

Key takeaway: Diversifying your market channels (fresh, processed, value-added, and industrial) is the foundation of a successful zero-waste CEA operation.