Tek Crop Plot

Farming with its own light

Available in ARK: Survival Evolved and ARK: Survival Ascended, the Tek Crop Plot is the Tek tier take on the crop plot. Its description reads: "Deployable device to promote plant growth using its own light source. Powered by Tek Generator." With its own light source it lets survivors grow crops in caves, and the ARK Wiki notes that it is also known as the Federation Crop Plot. The wiki ties its introduction to Lost Colony and Genesis: Part 2 and lists Fjordur, Lost Island and Genesis: Part 1 as further maps with it.

Engram and recipe

The engram unlocks at level 104 for 32 engram points, level 104 is also needed to craft it, and our records name the Water Jar and the Fabricator as prerequisites. One plot takes:

• 125 Metal Ingot or Scrap Metal Ingot
• 75 Crystal or Primal Crystal
• 55 Polymer, Organic Polymer or Corrupted Nodule
• 50 Sand
• 4 Black Pearl
• 3 Element or Red Element

A craft takes 5 seconds and gives 21.4 XP. A plot weighs 4 and they stack to 100, so a full stack weighs 400. Our records also count 32 crate types that can contain one, for example the Genesis Blue, Green and Orange crates.

How it differs from other crop plots

• Power: unlike regular crop plots it needs Tek Generator power to work, but plants do not die when the power is cut.
• Growth: plants grow quicker without sunlight, and the greenhouse effect reaches up to 500%, which the wiki says makes it 1.5x as fast and efficient as other plots.
• Capacity: it holds 3x the amount its plants produce: up to 900 of a berry such as Mejoberry or Tintoberry, 450 of crops like Citronal or Rockarrot and 30 from plants such as Plant Species Z. It also holds 1200 water.
• Cooling: it refrigerates the plants it holds.

Crops grown in it look warped and stretched, except those of Plant Species R, Plant Species X and Plant Species Z.

Planting and harvesting

Besides power, a crop needs a seed, water and fertilizer. Water usually comes from a source hooked up with a Stone Tap or Metal Tap; rain or a Waterskin work too, but less reliably. Fertilizer from a Compost Bin, a Dung Beetle or a Toilet lasts longest, though plain Feces might be an easier start. Once the plot has water and fertilizer, a seed placed in its inventory is planted after a few seconds. The plant grows through several stages over several day cycles and can be harvested continuously once it reaches the Fruitling stage.