Gronos

Gronos is not just an investment in the technology; it’s an investment in the future. With the ability to produce high-quality cherry tomatoes consistently throughout the year, growers can meet the demands of the market, secure their supply chain, and provide fresh, healthy produce to consumers.

A revolutionary cherry tomato production system. It is designed to be a turnkey solution, with all components integrated seamlessly for maximum efficiency. Truly the future of commercial cherry tomato farming.

 

Labour efficient

A tomato plant that doesn’t need any manual actions, from seed to harvesting. And a smart infrastructure with full integration of internal logistics and robotization, including a harvesting robot, for maximum labor efficiency.

Stable and higher yields

A dark winter day in the north of Finland or a boiling hot day in the desert of the USA, Gronos grows a higher yield of high-quality and tasty tomatoes year-round. Truly growing anything, anywhere.

Reduced risks

Plants go from seed to one single harvest in 15 weeks, having a short life cycle. This leads to a simplified pest and disease management, reducing the risk of unexpectedly impact on your crop significantly.

Gronos Image - Automised Cherry Tomato Production - Square
About the system

Creating the perfect balance

Using our many years of experience in developing cultivation concepts, we have engineered a fully automated production system called Gronos. A turnkey solution that is able to operate with an incredible reduction of labor. A computer controls and adjusts the growing conditions within the greenhouse and you know exactly what output to expect.
Crops move to where they need to be in custom-made NFT gutters that provide the plant the support it needs. Extra support sticks are automatically removed before the plant makes its way to the specially engineered harvesting machine. This machine harvests the loose tomato cherries without anyone having to touch the plant. A fully-automated system.

Gronos Tomato
About the plant

Breaking the rules

We have spent years developing a tomato plant that could thrive in a fully-automated environment. Many tests of different varieties have been run. An intense collaboration between our agronomists and R&D specialists. Seed breeding and technology joining forces.
The tomato plants grow from seed to single-harvest-ready within 15 weeks. Due to the shape of the plant, significantly less intervention is necessary. No need for cutting leaves or wrapping the plant around wires, saving in time and money. The plants grow up to 40 cm meaning they’re movable throughout their lifecycle. They start in the cultivation room, are moved to our specifically engineered greenhouse, and eventually make their way to the harvesting machine. And with a short crop lifecycle, the risk of pests and diseases is lowered significantly.

Unique elements

Every element of Gronos has been engineered through strong collaboration between our many departments within Certhon:

Gronos Indoor Farming Automation

Fully automised

The crops move through the greenhouse automatically, using machines and robots. Sowing, transplanting into gutters, spacing, and harvesting can all be done by Gronos itself.

Gronos Water Evaporation Sustainability

A special collaboration

Gronos is the result of an intense collaboration between lots of highly-skilled people, all extremely knowledgeable in their own expertise. A unique partnership in seed breeding and development, together with technology. That's the only way Gronos was made possible.

Short cycles

A plant that grows from seed to harvest in under 15 weeks has a lot of benefits. A simplified pest and disease management, reducing the risk of unexpectedly impact on your crop significantly. And changing to a different tomato type multiple times a year, so it's particularly relevant for the season.

“Ingenuity and innovation are the core of our mission. We have been reinventing cultivation systems for decades. Combining smart technology, agronomy and the philosophy that you need all disciplines under your own roof is our recipe for true and sustainable success. That makes us different, and we are proud of it.”
John van der Sande Co-founder and CINO Certhon

Meet Gronos as fully-indoor concept

Meet Gronos as fully-indoor concept

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Projects

We make the impossible, possible.

Interested?

Curious about the results we could achieve for you? Our international team would love to assist you. We look forward to hearing from you.

Martin Veenstra Sales Consultant