S08 - Session P2 - Agronomic growth characteristics and cost price of medicinal plants, Euphorbia peplus and Artemisia annua, in vertical farming

Authors: Francoise Bafort *, Ayoub Bouhadada, Nicolas Ancion, Nathalie Crutzen, M. Haïssam Jijakli

Diversification in vertical farming by cultivating high added value plants is seen as economically less challenging to ordinary leafy green crops. Euphorbia peplus , a species of the euphorbiaceae family, produces sap rich in bioactive metabolites. Artemisia annua , a plant of the Asteraceae family, produces active medicinal substances in leaf. In hydroponics, the abiotic factors are essential for optimizing the growth of the plant. The objectives of the study were the optimization of the plant biomass of E. peplus and A. annua and the calculation of their cost price under vertical cultivation conditions. The growth dynamics of E. peplus was characterized by acting on the nutrients and substrates. Three substrates and two nutritive solutions were tested on 24-plants tray with 6 repetitions per combination, for a total of 864 plants tested. Agronomic characterization of A. annua vertical growth was measured by acting on temperature, CO 2 level and light. Two temperature, light intensity and CO 2 level were tested on 12-plants tray with 2 to 3 repetitions per combination, for a total of 168 plants tested. Both plants were adapted to vertical farming. For E. peplus , no combination of substrates and nutrient solutions seems to be most effective for all the parameters tested, but some combinations allowed a better accumulation of biomass, height or leaf surface. In case of A. annua , a specific combination of light, CO 2 and temperature allowed a significant increase of shoot biomass by 93% as compare to the less favorable combination. The cost of producing 1kg of fresh E. peplus and A. annua varied respectively from €192 to €213, and €175 to €79. Factors that influence the cost price are discussed. The pharmaceutical sector demands constant production with high quality for high added value medicinal plant, and this is what vertical farming could offer.