Plant Cultivation Containers:40 ft Vegetable Container Farm Arugula Programme
Arugula behaves predictably here: 15 - 20 days per cycle, 30 - 50 g per head and 120 - 200 kg per cycle. Predictability means you can price, contract and deliver weekly instead of betting the crop on weather.
The controller stores a recipe per variety - photoperiod, intensity, nutrient concentration, irrigation frequency and climate - so a crop change is a recipe call, not a rebuild.
The fastest specialty leaf with the highest harvest count; high value per kilogram but low yield per cycle.
Contract farming and cooperatives schedule backwards from the contract: 120 - 200 kg of Arugula per cycle and 16 - 20 cycles a year map directly onto delivery terms.
CROP AND OUTPUT DATA
Variety | Arugula (Specialty green) |
Growing cycle (transplant to harvest) | 15 - 20 days |
Unit weight | 30 - 50 g |
Plants per cycle | approx. 3,300 - 5,800 |
Yield per cycle | 120 - 200 kg |
Cycles per year | 16 - 20 |
Annual output (estimate) | 1,920 - 4,000 kg |
Propagation | Direct seeding |
Crop difficulty | Easy |
Figures follow the 40 ft standard container baseline with about five growing tiers. Yield per cycle and annual output are estimates; actual results vary with tier count, light recipe, CO2 level and crop management.
KEY ADVANTAGES
· Rated Easy in difficulty and run from process cards, the crop is workable by general staff.
· 3,300 - 5,800 plants per cycle and 120 - 200 kg per cycle make output plannable against contracts.
· Rotation and zoning reduce disease pressure and chemical inputs.
· Controlled cycle: Arugula reaches harvest 15 - 20 days after transplant, more than 50% faster than open-field production.
· The insulated envelope with fresh air and dehumidification holds recipe conditions all year.
· No soil in the room means clean leaves and less post-harvest washing.
· Per-tier LED recipes give more uniform leaf colour, plant shape and head weight.
· At 15 - 30 kg of fresh greens a day, one unit matches a mid-sized restaurant or community scheme.
CONTAINER CONFIGURATION
Footprint | 12.19 x 2.44 x 2.90 m (40 ft ISO container) |
Growing system | Approx. 5 tiers, hydroponic or aeroponic |
Scale per cycle | 3,300 - 5,800 plants |
Temperature | 18 - 24 °C, set per variety |
Relative humidity | 60 - 75% |
CO2 concentration | 800 - 1,200 ppm |
Lighting | LED recipe, dimmable per tier |
Nutrient solution | Closed loop with automatic EC and pH control |
Energy reference | 0.8 - 1.2 kWh per kg of fresh greens; electricity about 60 - 70% of operating cost |
Control and monitoring | PLC, touchscreen HMI, remote monitoring and alarms |
Delivery | Pre-commissioned at the factory, set and connected on site |
CLIMATE AND CONTROL
Lighting is specified per tier rather than per room. Independent dimming keeps the daily light integral similar on top and bottom tiers, avoiding stretch or pale leaves in the lower canopy.
Nutrient solution runs from the tank through pumps and manifolds to each tier and returns via filtration, disinfection and inline monitoring. EC and pH are corrected automatically against the recipe, removing manual mixing drift.
CULTIVATION AND SCHEDULING
Planting density is held at 3,300 - 5,800 plants per cycle, with spacing and tier height matched to plant habit; harvest is graded to 30 - 50 g per head.
The standard schedule assumes a 40 ft unit with about five tiers: plant one batch and harvest one batch each week, giving 16 - 20 Arugula cycles a year. Adjust to order structure and harvest labour.
DELIVERY, TRAINING AND SERVICE
Commissioning covers nutrient mixing, EC and pH probe calibration, per-tier light measurement and climate interlock tests, confirmed item by item against the recipe.
Quarterly preventive maintenance covers filter changes, probe calibration, pump inspection, light-output measurement and alarm testing.
