Plant Ark in OVC makes farming on Mars a reality

Wuhan Plant Ark Intelligent Technology Co, based in the Wuhan East Lake High-tech Development Zone (also known as Optics Valley of China, or OVC), has developed a "Plant Ark" that enables intelligent industrial planting. This innovation allows plants to grow independently of local soil and climate conditions, making it possible to cultivate fresh vegetables even on Mars.

"This project boasts nearly 100 intellectual property rights, with over 80 percent of the products being self-developed," said Yuan Xianliang, general manager of Plant Ark.

The second floor of Plant Ark is for strawberry seedling cultivation and production. [Photo/WeChat account of Optics Valley of China]

The Plant Ark facility features a two-story structure. The first floor serves as a display area, showcasing glasshouses, automated planting, artificial climate rooms, and a strawberry planting control lab. The second floor is dedicated to strawberry seedling cultivation and production.

"Traditional plant cultivation is heavily influenced by external climate factors, making harvests unpredictable. By creating an artificial climate, we ensure that strawberries and other plants can grow in optimal conditions all year round," Yuan explained.

A central controller uses internet of things technology to regulate water, light, temperature, humidity, and nutrients across the entire planting area, maintaining the ideal climate.

White "Ark Strawberries" that are produced by Plant Ark. [Photo/WeChat account of Optics Valley of China]

Besides climate and water, the special soil – substrate – is crucial for the planting environment. In traditional farming, farmers spend significant resources detoxifying strawberry plants, with pesticide costs averaging around 2,000 yuan ($282.25) per mu (0.07 hectares).

To address this issue, Plant Ark conducted controlled experiments to select the optimal substrate and cultivate virus-free seedlings. The result is "Ark Strawberries", free of pesticides, heavy metals, and ripening agents.

"All of this is due to OVC providing an excellent application scenario and helping us quickly implement our project," Yuan noted. The project went from proposal to operation in just six months.

The Plant Ark has developed a fully automated planting line for environmental adjustments and harvesting. The first fully automated strawberry planting line began trial operations in May and has completed testing.