Smart containers ready to grow.

The container known as CropBox, uses a 90 percent less water and 80 percent less fertilizer.

Grow vegetables in a container 30 square meters can achieve the same agricultural productivity in a hectare of land (10.000 M2), cultivated by conventional methods.

But it is not a container any. We're talking about CropBox, a container equipped with a hydroponics system using a 90 percent less water and 80 percent less fertilizer.

Thanks to a complex hydroponics system installed in this container, urban agriculture can make a giant leap and end up being a good alternative to produce large quantities of fresh local produce bio throughout the year.

The invention is not a prototype and is not even in beta testing. Currently, there are several of them in full swing.

The creators of CropBox, an initiative of Williamson Greenhouses, son Ben Greene y Tyler Nethers, which aims to develop The Farmery, a project of sustainable agriculture that seeks to buy and sell food in one place.

In this way, the energy that involves bringing food from the field or place of cultivation to the consumer saves, shortening or deleting steps, in order to create a system that unifies the most.

In one location the food is grown and sold in a market where live plants are exposed to customer, o autocultivan, another option.

Modular structures or containers stacked system transport, like CropBox, They are the most effective way to achieve. In particular, CropBox is giving spectacular results in North Carolina, which they are used to grow lettuce, herbs, mushrooms and strawberries.

Each of the containers currently allows 2.800 seed points, a figure that is not bad when you consider its size 30 square meters.

Get to do this has not been easy, according to its creators. Now, However, once found success formula, regardless of possible improvements, It's just a matter of applying it in each of the containers that are being added to the project.

The containers are equipped with LED lights, heating and ventilation systems, other elements necessary for hydroponics, and it has sensors that keep track of environmental conditions.

In the same way, a multi-device connectivity allows tracking, via mobile phone, tablet or computer for managing the computer network that support the necessary computer system to control all parameters.

The bad news is that acquiring a container type is CropBox around 39.400 EUR. Optionally least bad, you can rent the container to own.

According to its creators, depreciation depends on the skill of the farmer and crop, but could recover investment in no more than 7 months, in the best case, -provided they are legal crops, it is understood- (growing basil, for example) or three years if green vegetables are grown.

CropBox opens up a world of possibilities, because it could be a great alternative to urban gardens, ideal for shops, restaurants and groups of concerned citizens. With the time, It could evolve in a more feasible way to level size and cost to universalize, according to its creators.