Get fresh air, vegetables inside home

A visitor checks out a family plant factory at a demonstration room at the company's office in Handan, Hebei province, March 30, 2014. [Photo by He Yini / chinadaily.com.cn]

Remember how many times you have complained about the air quality or worried over food safety in China? Well, you can banish all those thoughts with a tailored plant factory in your own house - a futuristic practice that perfectly blends food and art while creating a natural oxygen bar at the same time.

"Such kind of family plant factory, with a smart system that controls plants' surroundings, including temperature and humidity, uses ecological light conversion glasses that are able to partially transform LED light and sunlight into blue and red lights," said Wang Baoan, founder and chairman of AOBO Group, a high-tech company that has turned the magic into a reality.

Blue and red lights, plants are more sensitive to them, can largely facilitate the process of photosynthesis, and plants can grow around-the-clock with an LED light source while releasing large amount of oxygen, he said.

"It largely shortens the growth cycle, reduces plant diseases as well as keeps insects and pests away, and improves the indoor air quality. More importantly, it's safe, energy-saving and environment-friendly," he added. "Other than that, the process is quite similar to regular soilless cultivation."

According to Wang, people can grow a variety of plants, such as vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers, in a multi-layer equipment structure of different designs.

The company plans to launch the factory within one or two years in the Chinese market, said Wang.

Output value of family plant factory equipment is expected to hit 15 billion yuan ($2.41 billion) by 2017, and that of LED ecological light conversion glass will reach 5 billion yuan by that time, he added.

AOBO Group has been dedicated to glass research and development since its establishment in 2003, seeking to transform from traditional manufacturing to green and energy-saving agricultural technologies underpinned by photo-electricity information science and engineering.

"Technological innovations have increasingly become a key driver behind China's agricultural modernization amid the country's green transformation and urbanization," said Ablet Abdurishit, vice chairman of the 11th national committee of CPPCC, during a recent visit to the company in North China's Hebei province.

"What AOBO Group has been doing to lead national efforts in the country's eco-agricultural development should be supported and widely promoted," he added.

China has stepped up efforts to modernize its agriculture and upgrade the technologies in the field, which was made loud and clear when the country rolled out a landmark urbanization plan on March 16.

"Application of LED light-conversion technology into agriculture is a fledgling practice in China, and needs more government support and worldwide cooperation," said Jon Li, secretary general of International Energy Conservation Environmental Protections Association, or IEEPA, a non-governmental organization dedicated to help push forward China's green transformation.

The organization has been leading a cooperative effort to promote an international ecological agriculture strategic project undertaken by AOBO Group in recent years.

"Ecological agricultural products have been popular among urban residents, despite their relatively higher prices," said Zhou Changyi, director of the energy-saving and comprehensive utilization department in the ministry of Industry and information technology.

"But the thing is, the whole operating system should be convenient and compatible with their living environment which is quite different from the laboratory." he added. "As much as the idea is thrilling, it takes time to sell it. To finally succeed in the market, the company needs to conjure up an appropriate business model that can be well accepted by the public."

Hugo Juarez, counselor of the United States of Mexico Embassy to China, said: "The family plant factory is a beautiful and nice try. But if it is too expensive or inconvenient for regular people in their houses, it will not go far in the market. Cost/benefit matters a lot to consumers."

The company's chairman Wang Baoan said they are trying to make a specific calculation of the costs and benefits of the family plant factory, and will probably establish a demonstration area in Hebei's Handan city.

"It's a tough road ahead, but we are very confident and optimistic about its outlook," said Wang.