Planting vegetables in a clean room
The Advanced Plant Factory Research Center (Director: Professor IKEDA Takashi of the School of Agriculture) held an experiential learning class for elementary school students, Growing Vegetables in a Plant Factory, on July 23. This event is held every summer to promote plant factories and to interact with the local community. This year, amid the scorching heat, there were participants not only from nearby areas but also from far away. A total of 15 elementary school students participated in two sessions, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon.
The class began with a mini-lecture, and participants learned about the significance of the technology for growing vegetables in environmentally controlled plant factories in a stable and hygienic manner, regardless of weather or season, and its potential for future agriculture. After the mini-lecture, participants experienced the process of seeding, planting (transplanting), and harvesting vegetables in a clean room (a plant factory with artificial light). The following comments were received from elementary school student participants and their parents: “It was great to have an experience that I can’t learn from a textbook.” “I learned that there are various problems and issues with vegetables that I eat everyday.”
The Center will continue to work on the development of functional vegetables, cultivation techniques, and human resources, aiming to contribute to the development of sustainable agriculture and society.