Your factory in Arknights Endfield can do more than just process minerals and craft basic materials. Once you unlock the right facilities, you can grow plants inside your base and use them to create medicine, explosives, and other items that need organic components. This farming system becomes essential fairly early in the story, so understanding how it works helps you stay ahead on resource production.
Planting in Endfield actually works in two stages: first you unlock manual farming at the Eco-Farm, then you unlock full automation through the AIC Planning Interface to build Seed-Picking Units and Planting Units. This guide walks you through both unlock steps, how to build self-sustaining production loops, and how to optimize plant growth for maximum efficiency.
For more tips on base building and resource management, check out our Arknights Endfield guides hub. If you’re looking to optimize your factory layout, our battery production guide covers similar production chain concepts.
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How to Unlock Planting Farms in Arknights Endfield
Unlocking the planting system happens in two distinct stages. You need to complete both to access full automated farming.
Stage 1: Unlock the Eco-Farm (Manual Farming) — Farming Toils Quest
The Eco-Farm and all plant farming functions are unlocked by completing the Farming Toils Exploration Quest, given by NPC Vera at the Originium Science Park in Valley IV.
- Complete Exploration Mission – Outpost: Ifra-Station first. The Farming Toils quest unlocks automatically after this.
- Check your in-game messages — you’ll receive a message from Noffman about Vera needing help at the Eco-Farm.
- Travel to Valley IV → Originium Science Park (near Infra-Station/Hub) and speak with Vera.
- Gather 5 Tartpeppers from bushes on the Cliffside Trail near the Eco-Farm, or purchase them from the Wellmorin vendor nearby.
- Craft a Tartpepper Plot via Backpack → Crafting → Planting tab (requires Tartpepper Seeds and Carbon).
- Place the Tartpepper Plot in the highlighted soil at the Eco-Farm and complete the growth prompt.
- Return to Vera to complete the quest and unlock the full Eco-Farm planting system.
Quest Rewards: 40 Oroberyl, 2,650 T-Creds, 7 Intermediate Combat Records, 4 Protoprism, 6 Arms INSP Kits, and 160 EXP.
After completing this quest, you can craft and plant plots for any plant you’ve collected in the world — including Buckflower, Citrome, Tartpepper, Echotin, Aketine, and more. Plot recipes unlock automatically the first time you collect a plant in the overworld, so pick up every plant you find during exploration.
Stage 2: Unlock AIC Auto-Farming — Planting Node (AIC Level 2)
Manual farming at the Eco-Farm is a good start, but full automation requires unlocking the Planting Node in the AIC Planning Interface. This is the key step that unlocks Seed-Picking Units and Planting Units — the core of infinite auto-farm loops.
- Open the AIC Planning Interface and navigate to the Processing tree.
- Ensure you have Basic AIC II unlocked as a prerequisite.
- Spend 1 Basic AIC Index to research the Planting node.
- This single node unlocks both the Seed-Picking Unit and the Planting Unit.
Once researched, you can place these facilities in any PAC-powered region and begin building automated farming loops.
Understanding the Planting System
Automated plant production happens inside specialized machines built within your PAC building spaces, not in outdoor fields. The system uses two key facility types that work together to create a self-sustaining loop.
Seed-Picking Units convert one plant into two seeds. Think of this as your processing station — it takes raw organic materials from exploration or the Eco-Farm and transforms them into replicable seeds.
Planting Units do the reverse. They take seeds and grow them back into full plants. By connecting a Seed-Picking Unit to two Planting Units, you create an endless production cycle. One seed feeds back into the Seed-Picking Unit to sustain the loop, while the other seed grows into a plant that goes to storage or further processing — giving you a constant surplus.
This setup lets you produce unlimited quantities of plants without constantly gathering them in the field. You just need to kickstart the cycle with a single plant from exploration.
Required Materials to Build Planting Facilities
Before you can start farming, you need to craft the necessary facilities. Here’s what each one costs:
Seed-Picking Unit:
- 20 Amethyst Parts
Planting Unit:
- Carbon
- Amethyst Parts
Getting Amethyst Parts: Send Amethyst Fibers through a Fitting Unit to produce Amethyst Parts. You should have access to Fitting Units relatively early in your progression.
Getting Carbon: Process plants (such as Buckflower) through a Refining Unit in your factory to produce Carbon. You’ll need to gather enough initial plants from exploration to craft your first Carbon batches before you can build the Planting Unit.
For more on processing materials efficiently, check our aerospace materials guide which covers similar material chains.
How to Build a Self-Sustaining Plant Farm (AIC Auto-Farm)
Once you’ve researched the Planting node in AIC Level 2, you can build an automated infinite farm. The optimal layout uses 1 Seed-Picking Unit and 2 Planting Units to create a self-sustaining loop with surplus output.
- Place a Seed-Picking Unit in your PAC zone.
- Place two Planting Units on either side of the Seed-Picking Unit, facing outward.
- Connect the Seed-Picking Unit output to both Planting Units (one seed per unit).
- Loop the first Planting Unit’s output back to the Seed-Picking Unit input — this keeps the cycle running indefinitely.
- Connect the second Planting Unit’s output to your Protocol Stash / Depot — this is your surplus production line.
- Place a Relay Tower / Electric Pylon to power all three machines in the same PAC region.
- Feed one plant (e.g., one Buckflower) into the Seed-Picking Unit to start the cycle.
Why this works: The Seed-Picking Unit converts 1 plant into 2 seeds. One seed feeds back through the loop to sustain itself; the other seed grows into a plant sent to storage. The system runs forever from a single initial input.
Important: Make sure the Planting Unit that loops back always has one output connected to the Seed-Picking Unit input. If both outputs go to storage, the loop breaks after one cycle.
Blueprint Share Code (Self-Sufficient Farm): EFO017i8euu8365uO0Ai (Asia server)
If you’re struggling with factory layout in general, our blueprints guide explains building placement and connection mechanics in more detail.
Eco-Farm vs AIC Auto-Farm: Which to Use
Endfield has two farming methods and knowing when to use each saves time and resources.
Eco-Farm (Manual Farming) at the Originium Science Park in Valley IV is ideal for smaller quantities and for high-tier plants like Firebuckle and Umbraline that cannot be placed in automated Planting Units. You manually plant plots, germinate, water, and harvest after the growth timer. Each plot has a different growth duration. The Eco-Farm holds up to 20 plots. The best early crop to grow here is Reed Rye, used to craft Valley Pie (instantly restores 20% Max HP plus 975 HP).
AIC Auto-Farm (Seed-Picking Unit + Planting Unit) is recommended for most plants and large-scale production. It is faster, completely unattended, and produces a continuous surplus. Use this for Buckflower, Citrome, Aketine, Sandleaf, and other standard plants.
Wuling Agricultural Test Site — A second farm unlocks in Wuling City. It becomes available automatically once the Endministrator plants the Core AIC in Wuling City during Main Mission Chapter 2: Process II – A Breeze Away. The best crop to grow here is Redjade Ginseng. Watering can be automated at this farm using Sprinklers connected to a Fluid Pump placed near a water source, though germination, harvesting, and fertilizer application remain manual.
Why Buckflower Farms Matter in Arknights Endfield
Buckflower production becomes particularly important once you reach Valley IV. This region has a refugee camp outpost that buys Buck Capsule (B), one of the most valuable items you can sell. Creating a steady supply of Buck Capsules generates significant income for upgrading your base and operators.
Beyond selling them, Buck Capsules also serve as tactical healing items for your operators. When equipped, they automatically activate when an operator drops below 60% HP, restoring 655 health instantly. This can save you during tough encounters, especially before you have dedicated healers built up.
For more on healing mechanics, check our revive and heal guide.
Optimized Farm Designs and Blueprint Codes
Here are the community blueprint codes you can use to import optimized farm layouts directly into your AIC:
- Self-Sufficient Farm (Valley IV): EFO017i8euu8365uO0Ai — Asia server
- Optimized Valley IV Farm (alternate): EFO01ouiIuU47e60IieO — Asia server
- Wuling Auto Plant Farm: EFO01u8U47O48E09UAoOU — Asia server
These codes currently only work on Endfield’s Asia server. If you’re on a different server, replicate the layout manually using the setup described above.
As you expand your base through our expand Core AIC area guide, you’ll have room for multiple farming setups running different plant types.
What Plants Can You Farm in Arknights Endfield
Each region of Talos-II introduces new plants. Collecting a single specimen in the wild permanently unlocks that plant’s plot recipe, so make a habit of picking up every plant you encounter. Here’s a breakdown by region:
- Valley IV: Buckflower, Citrome, Echotin, Aketine, Sandleaf, Tartpepper
- Wuling: Yazhen, Jincao (water-fed; use Fluid Pump for automation)
- Later Regions: Redjade Ginseng, Mossfield (unlocked via story progression)
Note that certain crops — including rice, ginseng, and pepper varieties — cannot be placed in the AIC Auto Planter and must be grown manually at the Eco-Farm or Agricultural Test Site.
Expanding Your Production Lines
As you progress, you’ll need more complex production chains that incorporate plants. Buck Capsule (B) production, for example, requires Ferrium Bottles in addition to Buckflower. Industrial Explosives require Aketine, so automating Aketine cultivation is also highly recommended. This means running separate production lines and merging outputs.
Factory building gets complicated fast once you start layering multiple production chains. You have a few options: build layouts yourself for a deeper understanding of the system, copy existing blueprint codes from the community for faster setup, or mix both approaches by copying a base structure and customizing it for your available space.
Our Control Nexus Growth Chamber guide covers additional facility types you’ll unlock later that complement plant production, including growing rare materials for operator promotions.
Using Plants for Advanced Crafting
Plants feed into numerous crafting recipes beyond healing items:
Explosives (Industrial Explosives): Require Aketine. Used to destroy walls and boxes blocking your path during exploration. Our Aburrey Quarry Aurylene locations guide mentions needing explosives for collectibles.
Medicine & Food Buffs: Healing items like Buck Capsules (B) and Valley Pie for your operators. Fortifying Infusion requires Jincao Powder from Wuling plants.
Trade Goods: High-value items like Buck Capsules for selling to outposts for Stock Bills.
Refining Materials: Carbon and other processed materials for facility construction.
Crafting Manual Rewards: Harvesting large amounts of specific plants contributes to one-time milestones in the Crafting Manual, rewarding Oroberyl and other valuable items.
Managing Power and Resources
Plant production facilities consume power like any other factory component. Make sure you have sufficient power generation before expanding your farming operations. Our increase power output guide explains how to scale your energy production.
You’ll also need consistent material inputs to seed new farm loops. Set up collection routes near plant spawn locations so you can gather Buckflower and other organic materials during exploration. Our quick stash guide helps optimize inventory management during gathering runs.
General Farming Tips and Progression
Pick up every plant you find: Collecting a single specimen permanently unlocks its plot recipe. Even if you have no immediate use for it, this habit pays off when you need to spin up new farm loops later.
Prioritize Buck Capsule production early: The income from selling them at the Valley IV outpost accelerates your progression significantly.
Use fertilizer at the Eco-Farm: Items like Bumper-Rich Fertilizer or Burdo-Muck can be applied after germination to increase yield or shorten growth time. In Ulin, you can pet a packhorse in the “outskirts of the wasteland” area to get natural fertilizer.
Buy seeds from Wellmorin daily: After completing the Farming Toils quest, Wellmorin at the Originium Science Park sells seeds. His stock refreshes every day after the daily reset — a good supplement to your auto-farm output.
Expand PAC space gradually: Don’t rush to fill every space immediately. Build what you need, test it, then expand. Use gear templates via our gear templates guide to stay organized across operators.
For additional resource types and farming strategies, see our origeometry guide and extra tokens guide.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Farming
Skipping the Farming Toils quest: You must complete this quest before any planting features unlock — including crafting plant plots. Don’t skip it assuming planting is automatically available.
Not unlocking Basic AIC II first: The Planting node in AIC requires Basic AIC II as a prerequisite. Unlock all of AIC Level 1 before attempting to research Planting.
Breaking the loop by connecting both outputs to storage: The Planting Unit that sustains the cycle must always have one output feeding back to the Seed-Picking Unit. If both outputs go to storage, the loop stops after one cycle.
Forgetting to seed the initial plant: You need at least one plant to start the cycle. Build the facilities and then feed them a single plant to get production running.
Not connecting the Electric Pylon: All three machines (Seed-Picking Unit and both Planting Units) must sit in the same PAC region and be powered by the same Relay Tower / Electric Pylon. Without power, nothing runs.
Neglecting the second farm in Wuling: Many players forget there are two farms in Endfield. The Wuling Agricultural Test Site is valuable for rare crops like Redjade Ginseng and unlocks automatically once you access Wuling City.
Team Building While Your Farms Run
While your factory produces plants in the background, focus on building strong operator teams. Check out our team composition guides:
- Best starter teams guide
- Best Pogranichnik teams guide
- Endministrator best teams guide
- Laevatain best team comp guide
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you unlock planting farms in Arknights Endfield?
Planting farms unlock in two stages. First, complete the Farming Toils Exploration Quest by speaking to NPC Vera at the Originium Science Park in Valley IV (requires finishing Exploration Mission – Outpost: Ifra-Station first). This unlocks the Eco-Farm for manual planting. Second, unlock the Planting node in the AIC Planning Interface under the Processing tree — this requires Basic AIC II and costs 1 Basic AIC Index. Researching this node unlocks the Seed-Picking Unit and Planting Unit for full automation.
When should I start building plant farms?
Start the Farming Toils quest as soon as it becomes available after completing the Ifra-Station mission in Valley IV. Then research the Planting node in AIC Level 2 as soon as you unlock Basic AIC II. Don’t wait until you need plants — set up production preemptively so materials are stockpiled when crafting recipes require them. Buck Capsules provide valuable income and healing early on.
Can I grow plants other than Buckflower?
Yes, the same Seed-Picking Unit and Planting Unit setup works for most plant types. Valley IV plants include Buckflower, Citrome, Echotin, Aketine, Sandleaf, and Tartpepper. Wuling introduces Yazhen and Jincao. Later regions unlock Redjade Ginseng and Mossfield. Note that certain high-tier plants like Firebuckle and Umbraline, and some crops like rice and ginseng varieties, cannot go into the AIC Auto Planter and must be grown at the Eco-Farm or Agricultural Test Site instead.
How many plant farms do I need?
For early game, one Buckflower auto-farm loop (1 Seed-Picking Unit + 2 Planting Units) is sufficient. Mid-game, build two to three loops for different plant types to support various crafting recipes. Late game, consider four or more specialized setups. Scale gradually — build what you need, identify bottlenecks, then expand.
Do plant farms in Arknights Endfield run automatically?
Yes. Once set up correctly with a proper loop connection and a powered Electric Pylon covering all machines, the AIC auto-farm runs indefinitely without any manual input beyond the initial seed plant. If production stops, check power output and verify the loop connection — one Planting Unit output must feed back to the Seed-Picking Unit input. The Eco-Farm and Agricultural Test Site still require manual steps like germination, watering, and harvesting, though the Wuling farm supports Sprinkler automation for watering.
