Simulation of the Number of Strawberry Transplants Produced by an Autotrophic Transplant Production Method in a Plant Factory with Artificial Lighting

To verify the productivity of the autotrophic transplant production method (ATPM), a novel propagation method in a plant factory with artificial lighting for transplant production (T-PFAL), strawberry transplants were produced by the ATPM for 365 days. A total of 3497 transplants were produced by the ATPM over 365 days with nine propagules in a cultivation area of 3.6 m2 in the T-PFAL. When the simulated results were fit with the measured results, the propagation cycle timescales from planting propagules to producing the first, second, and third runner plants were 15, 27, and 43 days, respectively. The cumulative number of transplants (CNT) produced from 5, 10, and 20 initial propagules in a cultivation area of 36 m2 over 365 days was simulated by the verified program along with the propagation cycles, and these values were 27,970, 30,010, and 31,900, respectively. The simulated CNTs from nine initial propagules in 18 and 72 m2 over 365 days were 15,950 and 55,940, respectively. These results indicate that the ATPM is an appropriate propagation method to produce transplants rapidly in a T-PFAL, especially when the number of propagules or propagules is limited.