PROBLEM

This vertical farm had previously suffered a catastrophic event: fungal disease and tip burn decimated the crop, forcing a complete production shutdown, full system sanitisation, and a restart. The root cause: no reliable monitoring system to detect issues before they propagated. After restart, wastage remained punishing: Basil 60% · Lettuce 10% · Coriander 60%.

ECOSENSE INTERVENTION

Installed cameras and air nodes across multiple zones and levels — every microclimate in the facility under continuous observation. Identified zones where conditions were drifting from optimal and recommended targeted corrections. Studied lighting effects on plant health and recalibrated to suppress tip burn at its source.

RESULTS

• Tip burn — the largest single source of waste — was significantly reduced.
• Growing conditions stabilised at levels that suppress fungal disease before it can take hold. Wastage reduced to: Basil 10% · Lettuce 5% · Coriander 10%.
• Added revenue per year: Basil $208,565 · Lettuce $14,235 · Coriander $179,366. Total revenue added per annum from reduced wastage: $402,167 USD — and the foundational risk of another full shutdown removed

RELEVANCE TO YOUR VERTICAL FARM

The worst outcomes — full shutdowns, contamination resets, months of lost production — are almost always preceded by weeks of detectable conditions drift. Continuous monitoring is the difference between catching the drift and living through the shutdown.