Gov hydroponic centre unveils homegrown cucumbers & microgreens

Hong Kong's government-run hydroponic research centre has unveiled its first homegrown cucumbers and microgreens which are pesticide-free -- with some taking shorter time to harvest.

Tiny, colourful and packed with flavours -- and nutrients, these young shoots called "microgreens" -- harvested between sprouting and full maturity -- have gone from being a garnish to a staple in many salad dishes.

For the first time, the city's government-run Controlled Environment Hydroponic Research and Development Centre has developed four varieties of hydroponic microgreens, including broccoli and alfalfa.

Each takes around nine to 16 days to reap.

By precisely controlling temperatures, humidity and water levels, the crops can be grown pesticide-free, with more stable yields and quality.

Agricultural Officer (Agro-technology), AFCD Dr. LEE YIU-YIU: "We have encountered a number of different challenges such as one of them we remember very vividly is the presence of the moulding. Also it is due to the high level of water content when we cultivated this type or variety of crops (which) we then overcome."

The centre has also unveiled two inaugural varieties of homegrown hydroponic Dutch cucumbers after a year of research and development. They can also reach the harvesting stage around a week earlier than traditional greenhouse farming.

The centre has shared their technology with seven hydroponics farms, including Kanaya

CEO, Kanaya Agricultural Technology Company EDWIN HO： "The AFCD, just for our agriculture technology support, can make our farm easy to build up the facility or how to cultivate the cucumber and micro greens."

Besides cucumbers and microgreens, the hydroponic centre is also researching marketable crops such as bell peppers and watermelons. Once the trials are successful, the centre will share their research outcome with the industry.

The cucumbers are sold at 36 dollars for a 300-gram bag, while a box of microgreens costs 28 dollars -- on par with similar organic produce on the market.