Sakata develop seeds using AutoPot 1Pot modules at their Lincolnshire facility in the U.K. Their ultimate goal of this historic Japanese company is to create greener, easier to grow crops that thrive in all environments, reducing the carbon footprint of produce and increasing local food security around the world.
If you know Tenderstem broccoli you know Sakata. The all-in green is perhaps their most famous innovation. However, the company have spent over a hundred years reimagining a vast number of other crops via seed breeding.
A key part of developing versatile seeds is proving their viability in-country. That means setting up breeding operations around the world, including in the U.K. where Sakata’s AutoPot trial has rapidly expanded into full-blown seed production. Having enjoyed great success with an initial run of twelve 15L / 3.9 gal 1Pot modules Sakata recently scaled up to a 350 module system.
1Pot is extremely versatile and can be used for a wide range of plant types and sizes.
Breeder Rory Blackbourn kindly described for us the advantages Sakata have found with AutoPot. ‘As each plant self regulates what water it needs there is no overwatering by hand or drippers and no excess water on the floor, reducing the humidity of the overall growing space’.
As we’ve found with other breeders, the plant controlled irrigation that drives AutoPot Watering Systems is useful when developing plants for seed production. In such instances plants are free to reach their full potential, against which crop production feeding regimes can later be aligned. The elimination of wastage and a reduced need for climatic controls (with humidity kept to a minimum) also dovetail perfectly with Sakata’s commitment to sustainability.
