USDA Contracts AmplifiedAg For Vertical Farming Research Labs

Key Takeaways

1. AmplifiedAg, a leader in controlled environment agriculture (CEA), has been awarded a contract by the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) to supply vertical farming research labs.
2. The labs, known as AmpLAB, will be customized for CEA vegetable production research and located at the agency’s Horticultural Research Laboratory in Fort Pierce, Florida.
3. AmplifiedAg has previously supplied 16 vertical farming labs to the USDA-ARS U.S. Vegetable Research Lab in Charleston, South Carolina.
4. AmpLABs are equipped with hydroponic propagation stations, NFT channels, proprietary environmental control systems, and SaaS-based farm software for comprehensive lab management.
5. The company is also involved in extensive R&D programs, including cultivating various crops and collaborating with farms to develop healthy transplants.

AmplifiedAg, an agricultural technology company specializing in controlled environment agriculture (CEA), has announced a significant contract award from the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS). The contract supplies customized vertical farming research labs to the agency’s Horticultural Research Laboratory in Fort Pierce, Florida.

Customized Research Labs

The AmpLABs, as they are known, are purpose-built research modules that come complete with hydroponic propagation stations and Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) channels for dual growing functions. These labs fully integrate with proprietary environmental control systems and a SaaS-based farm software platform, enabling comprehensive lab management.

Previous Collaborations

This is not AmplifiedAg’s first collaboration with the USDA-ARS. The company has previously supplied 16 vertical farming labs to the USDA-ARS U.S. Vegetable Research Lab in Charleston, South Carolina. These labs support various CEA research, including vegetable growing processes, LED spectrum analysis, renewable energy, plant pathology, and plant breeding for controlled environments.

Versatility of AmpLAB

AmpLABs are designed to be highly customizable, accommodating the study of an unlimited variety of cultivars. This makes them suitable for different research programs conducted by government agencies like the USDA, universities, corporations, or NGOs. The labs include certified food-safe work zones with storage, sinks, and dedicated research workspaces.

Extensive R&D Programs

In addition to supplying labs for third-party research, AmplifiedAg has an extensive R&D program. This includes the CEA cultivation of crops like tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, potatoes, rice, and medicinal herbs. The company also collaborates with farms to develop healthy fruit and vegetable transplants for greenhouse and field production.

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