UK agtech start-up Airponix has teamed up with Dyson Farming to develop a research and demonstration facility aimed at tackling one of the UK’s lesser-known agricultural challenges: the supply of high-quality, disease-free seed potatoes
The two-year project, funded through Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme and delivered by Innovate UK, will evaluate whether England can establish a commercially viable domestic source of Generation Zero (G0) seed potatoes using Airponix’s patented fog-based growing technology.
For Airponix founder and CEO Michael Ruggier, the opportunity extends beyond a single crop. Seed potatoes sit at the foundation of the potato supply chain, and securing a reliable domestic supply could help address growing concerns over food security, climate resilience and post-Brexit supply constraints.
Why seed potatoes matter
The collaboration centres on the production of G0 seed potatoes, the first disease-free generation from which all subsequent seed potato crops are multiplied.
According to Ruggier, England has historically relied on seed sourced largely from Scotland and overseas markets, but access is becoming more difficult.
“We share one challenge: England has not produced G0 seed potatoes for decades if at all, and sourcing reliable, good quality and disease-free seed potato tubers is proving to be more and more difficult,” he told AgNavigator.
Growers typically multiply G0 seed three or four times before it reaches commercial potato producers as G3 or G4 seed. Any disruption at the earliest stage of the supply chain can therefore have significant downstream impacts on productivity, availability and disease management.
The challenge is further compounded by plans to phase out peat-based production systems by 2030, creating demand for alternative propagation methods.
Combining Airponix technology with Dyson’s farming expertise
The partnership emerged after the two companies were introduced through Barclays Eagle Labs in 2025 and subsequently connected again during the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit in London.
Under the collaboration, Airponix provides its patented fog-growing platform, sensors, control systems and AI-driven monitoring technology, while Dyson Farming contributes glasshouse facilities, agronomy expertise, field trial capacity and links to tissue-culture supply.
“The combination is what makes the project credible,” said Ruggier.
A key objective is to track how Airponix-produced seed performs through multiple generations of field multiplication compared with conventionally produced certified seed.
Fog technology aims to lower costs and resource use
Unlike conventional aeroponic systems, Airponix uses an ultra-fine nutrient-rich fog that surrounds suspended roots inside an enclosed environment.
The company says the approach allows plants to absorb water, nutrients and oxygen more efficiently while maintaining a sterile growing environment.
The technology has already been deployed commercially in Saudi Arabia through a 940m² facility built for NADEC, capable of producing around one million mini-tubers annually from 33,000 plants while using approximately 3m³ of water per day.
The Dyson Farming project will test the same technology under English conditions, using natural light and peat-free production systems.
“We can continuously pick tubers at the size required throughout the season instead of digging them all at once,” said Ruggier.
The trial facility consists of four Airponix A-frames containing more than 6,000 plants.
AI-driven optimisation
The project will also serve as a proving ground for Airponix’s machine vision and artificial intelligence capabilities.
Cameras positioned throughout the system monitor root development, foliage growth and tuber formation around the clock, generating data on crop vigour, tuber numbers and plant stress.
According to Ruggier, these insights enable growers to immediately adjust nutrient composition, fog delivery and environmental conditions to optimise performance for specific potato varieties and growth stages.
“The key advantage of our system over any other is that we can immediately modify the fluid and fertiliser composition for a desired effect,” he said.
Measuring whether English seed production stacks up
Running until April 2028, the project is designed as a feasibility study rather than a commercial operation.
Researchers will assess:
- G0 yield and quality per plant and per square metre
- Cost per mini-tuber
- Water and input efficiency
- Field performance over successive generations
- AI operating models and production protocols
- Potential routes to English seed certification
Airponix is targeting production costs less than half those of existing methods.
Ruggier believes the technology could also accelerate the breeding and commercialisation of climate-resilient potato varieties.
“A controlled, disease-free environment like this also lets breeders bring new and climate-resilient varieties to market much faster, which we see as an important opportunity.”
Blueprint for commercial expansion
The partnership is intended to create a repeatable model for future commercial facilities.
According to Airponix, UK demand for G0 seed potatoes is between 3.5 million and 4 million tubers annually. Ruggier believes a commercial facility spanning a few thousand square metres could eventually supply a substantial share of that market.
If successful, the company plans to commercialise the technology through turnkey installations, licensing agreements, joint ventures and build-own-operate partnerships.
The Dyson Farming site will also act as a showcase facility for potential customers from Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Australia.
Upcoming milestones include the first G0 production results during the 2026-27 season, field multiplication trials in 2027 and 2028, progress on certification pathways, and the publication of the project’s final findings in spring 2028.
“The project is designed to produce a blueprint that can be replicated, backed by evidence,” said Ruggier. “The Dyson Farming site will also serve as our UK showcase and R&D centre for international markets.”
