Jeonbuk National University (JBNU)'s Iksan Campus will host the nation's largest LED (Light Emitting Diode) plant factory at the 'LED Agri-bio Fusion Technology Research Center'.

This plant factory is being implemented as part of the Ministry of Knowledge Economy's "LED Agri-bio Fusion Technology Development and Industrialization Support Project." It will receive KRW 900 million in project funding by November to establish an LED plant factory with a cultivation area of 1,650 m².

Once completed, the facility will install eight-tier cultivation systems over an area of 330 m², enabling production of 100 kg of salad vegetables per day.

A plant factory is a systematic form of agriculture in which light, air, temperature, and nutrients are artificially controlled within a regulated facility, allowing plants to be produced in a planned manner like manufactured goods without being affected by the natural environment.

Officials say that by supplying only the minimal nutrients plants require through a hydroponic system, completely pesticide-free cultivation is possible.

Meanwhile, the LED Agri-bio Fusion Technology Development Project is a national program running from last year through 2015. A total of KRW 32.5 billion, including KRW 25 billion in national funding, will be invested to carry out R&D related to the industrialization of agri‑bio light-source technologies.