By 2030, the Singapore Food Agency’s aim is for the agri-food industry to produce 30% of the nation’s nutritional needs and in the context of produce, this is a big goal to achieve. In 2021, it was reported that 90% of our food is imported and only four per cent of the vegetables we consume are sourced from local farms. Enter Unitatem CULTURA™, a proprietary technology invented by JAH Tech which in turn, is the parent company of agri-tech firm JAH Cultura.
To put it simply, Unitatem CULTURA™ is a field generated by JAH Cultura’s proprietary ceramic-alloy: no need for additional energy sources, rearranges the molecular structure of water for easier absorption, and most importantly, shortens the seed-to-harvest stage.
Here, Tan Chong Hui — the CEO and Co-Founder of JAH Tech — takes a walk with Farmer Nick of Nature’s International Commodity (the first partner to test the tech) and explains the tech in simpler terms.
Practical applications for Unitatem CULTURA are varied, but with the rising food insecurity due to poor crop yield, JAH Cultura looked into providing agricultural solutions that were environmentally and socially conscious.
This led the company to develop products and processes to integrate this technology into farming processes easily without the use of additional resources.
This includes creating tools made out of JAH Cultura’s proprietary ceramic- alloy. They include capsules in which seeds can be treated, an irrigation pipe (literally a “plug and play” system) to treat water used to grow crops, and pegs that just need to be inserted into the soil of the plant.
Nature’s International Commodity (Nic) is set up by Singaporean Farmer Nick. And Farmer Nick is JAH Cultura’s first partner to test its technology on his farm.
His urban rooftop farm unlocks 2,500sqm of previously underutilised space in an HDB multi-storey carpark. The farm also produces up to six tonnes of fresh vegetables. In December 2021, a pilot series of vegetable farming incorporating Unitatem CULTURATM was rolled out at the rooftop farm.
The two companies subsequently signed a memorandum of agreement on 6 June 2022 to implement Unitatem CULTURATM across Nature’s International Commodity farms in Singapore and Cambodia via its sister company Twinagri Tech Co Ltd.
Set out to revolutionise agriculture in an environmentally and socially conscious manner, JAH Cultura’s research and development discovered that the EM field generated by Unitatem CULTURATM improved the absorption of water and nutrients in stem cells in a certified safe manner.
Further research revealed that this technology helps to increase crop yield.
In 2021, JAH Cultura engaged Republic Polytechnic Agriculture Technology to test and verify the previously observed effects of Unitatem CULTURATM in agriculture.
A feasibility study of the effects of JAH Cultura’s treated water on the growth of vegetables was conducted at Republic Polytechnic’s Agriculture Technology laboratory. An increase of 21.42 per cent in yield was observed for treated Bok Choy seeds, and Bok Choy plants growing with treated water showed an increased yield of 18.5 per cent under laboratory conditions.
This means more vegetables in the same amount of time, given that all other conditions remain suitable!
The technology is a green solution as it interacts directly with the water supply to increase plant yield and does not require any other energy resources.
The soil can also be treated using Unitatem CULTURATM pegs inserted into the ground.
JAH Cultura’s technology allows growers to customise its system so that existing farm infrastructure or home garden setup need not be affected.
Studies by Denova Sciences have proven that Unitatem CULTURATM enhances the properties of yield by interacting with the plants’ stem cells. This result has since been successfully translated to improve the yield from vegetable growth in a variety of different vegetables.
Some of these vegetables include Cai Xin, Bok Choy, Royal Cabbage (Jiu Bai Cai), and Green Beans.
Farmers can have a real cost-efficient and easy setup with minimum disruption to their infrastructure for this to work. It also does not require any electricity or other resources. Those with green fingers can simply buy the treated seeds, or capsules to treat their own seeds, and also the pegs for the soil at very affordable prices.
And voila, have a flourishing garden or a little urban farm in their own home!
Once you’re done with this story, click here to catch up with our August 2022 issue!
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