VERTICAL FARMING - A RISING INDUSTRY IN UK (Pt 2)

VERTICAL FARMING are growing crops in vertically stacked layers in an indoor environment and it is well known for the producing fast-growing crops. Under the carefully controlled conditions used by vertical farms, plants such as herbs and leafy greens can go from seed to sprout to harvest in a matter of weeks, which is usually a much shorter timeline than that offered by conventional agriculture. So it seems fitting enough that the entire vertical farming sector, not just the crops it produces, is experiencing equally rapid growth. Worldwide, the vertical farming industry was valued at USD2.24 billion in 2018, and experts predict that by 2026, that figure will increase to almost USD13 billion or nearly a six-fold increase. Actually being able to produce crops 365 days a year and without the need for pesticides or much human intervention, while being unaffected by the weather and will appeal to many growers after such prolonged at wet autumn the vertical farming technology sometimes called indoor farming is the practice of growing plants under fully controlled conditions in buildings in many stacked layers, without solar light. Unlike glasshouse production in which relies on sunlight, it makes use of LED lighting to provide different wavelengths of light, according to crop and growth stage need. Together with soil-less growing techniques and environmental control systems, vertical farming is a specialist business. Vertical farming is actually what is it?. This blog 'Anim Agriculture Technology' share an info about tje rising industry of vertical farming in UK and amany other states.

The technological advances according to Leo Marcelis of Wageningen University in which the vertical farming industry received a kick start from advances in the performance of LED lighting, which can be used to provide the type of light that different plant species need at a much better price than the previously used high-pressure sodium lamps. This is the most interesting bit. “LED lights, which are essential for replicating natural daylight, can be used to change the way plants grow, when they flower and how they taste. It’s all about varying the spectrum used at different growth stages. LED lights have other advantages, he notes. They can be arrange and positioned between plants and layers, produce hardly any heat radiation and are more energy efficient. Asked whether vertical farming is sustainable, Prof Marcelis says that the current bottleneck is energy use. It meets so many basic requirements such as much lower water and nutrient use but the technology is energy-intensive. Of course the technology is improving all the time, especially with lower-cost LED lighting and other technical developments. Vertical farming is capital intensive too. Plenty of start-up funding is required, with pay-back times depending on the unit’s operational efficiency and chosen retail route. While some have failed, others are finally starting to make small profits.

Report by a scientist in a case Study by a company named  LettUs Grow in which the extreme weather events and consumer demand for freshness are the two reasons LettUs Grow’s co-founder Charlie Guy (pictured) cites as being behind the current interest in vertical farming. In addition, being able to get consistent yields and produce quality for 12 months of the year, with the traceability and integrity that supply chains require, is opening up market opportunities for both existing growers and entrepreneurs. Whether it’s a very cold spell, such as the Beast from the East, or a lengthy summer drought bringing water shortages, the frequency of extreme weather events is increasing. This has a cost to both growers and consumers. For the diversification, his Bristol-based company designs the hardware and software needs for indoor growing facilities and is seeing interest from traditional producers, who are looking at an indoor system as a diversification project. For existing growers, they can add a valuable revenue stream. They are predictable and scaleable, offer year-round production and tend to fit in well with existing projects such as renewable energy and anaerobic digesters. 

About the technology, the LettUs Grow concept is based on aeroponics and a technology platform known as Ostara. Aeroponics give better growth rates than hydroponics, he claims, while using up to 95% less water than conventional agriculture. Aeroponics puts more oxygen in the root zone, which is why the plants perform better. Ostara known as its cloud-hosted software which offers closed loop control. Mr Guy explains it that does the data capture and automated control of the growing environment, bringing the food safety and traceability that’s needed, but also offering the potential to use sensors and robotic technology. That’s important, because energy and labour should be the two key areas of focus with any vertical farming project. They have the final say on profitability. Vertical farming is not just about lettuce, he stresses. “Although the focus has been on high-value herbs and pea shoots, there are around 60 different crops that can be grown in this way. The key to choosing what’s right for you is to look at what access you have to various markets, rather than opting for the fashionable crops. 

This article divided in 3 segment that was Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 respectively. Thanks.

By,

M Anim,

Putrajaya,

Malaysia.

(December 2020).

Updated August 2024.