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Large-Scale Automated Vertical Farm Near Tokyo by Spread And ENEOS Partnership
Techno Farm Narita is Spread’s first partnership project and the first to be located in Eastern Japan
July 14, 2021, Spread Co., Ltd. (HQ: Kyoto, Japan; CEO: Shinji Inada, hereinafter “Spread”)’s partner, and a member of ENEOS Group, J Leaf Corporation (HQ: Chiba, Japan; President: Jun Uehara, hereinafter “J Leaf”) started operating the automated vertical farm “Techno Farm Narita” (Chiba, Japan) on 30th of June.
Spread’s Large-Scale Vertical Farming Partnership with ENEOS Group’s J Leaf Starts Operations near Tokyo
Spread owns and operates two vertical farms in Western Japan (Kyoto), the Kameoka Plant and Techno Farm Keihanna. Techno Farm Narita is Spread’s first partnership project, and the first to be located in Eastern Japan. The most significant feature of Techno Farm Narita is the increased efficiency in the use of land. This has been achieved by increasing the number of cultivation racks levels to 28, double that of Techno Farm Keihanna. Techno Farm Narita will produce 30,000 heads of lettuce daily, building on the know-how accumulated through the operation of Techno Farm Keihanna to deliver increasingly sustainable food production.
Unique Features of Techno Farm Narita
Even more efficient land saving through 28-level cultivation rack system (roughly 2 times more efficient than Techno Farm Keihanna)
Located in the Greater Tokyo Area, allowing for local production and consumption
Transforming idle land to efficient and sustainable agriculture ・
The utilization of renewable energy generated from solar panels
Techno Farm Narita also retains other features of Spread’s next-generation food production system, Techno Farm™, including pesticide-free, stable cultivation, integrated automation, specialized LED lighting, and Spread’s proprietary IoT-based cultivation management system, Techno Farm Cloud.
Techno Farm Narita’s Cultivation Room Opening Ceremony
About the Partners
ENEOS Group is one of Japan's leading corporate groups, with revenue in excess of 10 trillion yen. *1
The Group has the largest market share in oil refinery and petrochemicals distribution in Japan and is centered around ENEOS Holdings.
Spread’s vision is to create a sustainable society where future generations can live with peace of mind. On the way to this objective, Spread plans to reach a total production capacity of 100 tons per day domestically by 2030, through the expansion of its Techno Farm™. With the collaboration at Techno Farm Narita as a foundation, both parties are considering further partnership projects. The green business market is expected to continue growing, and Spread strives to become a leading vertical farming company globally.
Spread will continue to pursue further business opportunities through technological innovation both in Japan and overseas. Spread aims to provide solutions for the global problems of climate change and food security and the delivery of a truly sustainable society.
*1 FY2019 results (announced on May 20, 2020)
*2 ENEOS Techno Materials Corporation is a member of ENEOS Group
'Automation Is Needed To Reduce Costs And Improve Efficiency'
“We believe that automation can play a decisive role in delivering fresh produce for the most diverse uses and make agriculture accessible to many," says Giuseppe
There is so much to win regarding safety and workforce availability that traditional farming won’t help us with,” says Prof. Dr. Giuseppe Pasciuti, Marketing Strategist and Board Member at ONO Exponential Farming. For this particular reason, automation is the key to agricultural acceleration.
“We believe that automation can play a decisive role in delivering fresh produce for the most diverse uses and make agriculture accessible to many," says Giuseppe. He continues, "automation can also limit low labor availability in the agricultural sector. It could even, as we have experienced during the pandemic, restrict the access of pathogens or viruses in food production. We at ONO/EF believe that automation is the key to match the new era for indoor farming ”
Full automation
ONO/EF Farms allows growers to remotely control all growing operations. Through automation, ONO/EF Farm is continuously generating new growing conditions for plants, in terms of climate conditions and the right mix of nutrients according to each crop type and its growth stage. Giuseppe says that automation allows them to reduce CapEx and operation costs dramatically.
ONO E/F's idea of vertical farming does not require Giga farms to make the investment sustainable. Giuseppe says that "the company isn't keen to build the largest farm in the world, but a distributed network of connected farms close to consumers. Because in this industry, collaboration is key.”
According to Giuseppe, the vertical farming industry needs profitability in combination with sustainability. “For that reason, we have developed ONO Exponential Farming. Our advanced technological platform, which is completely robotized, supported by AI and our algorithms,” he says.
ONO / EF provides 100% of the production infrastructure, from seeding to finished product packaging.“We are redefining the concept of farming by constantly update and improve our algorithms and AI. In this way, we can make farm operations more effective and efficient.
Experience
ONO/EF has been a technology provider in industrial automation for 20 years. The vertical farming industry is known for its rapid development in terms of techniques and automation.
“Our company is already witnessing the introduction of automated elements that we consider outdated. Functional automation is linked to complete processes that allow human intelligence to concentrate on value-added activities. Activities such as studying plant physiology and identifying cause-effect relationships in growth processes," Giuseppe says.
For more information:
Giuseppe Pasciuti, Marketing Strategist and Board Member
ONO Exponential Farming
giuseppe.pasciuti@onoef.com
https://onoexponentialfarming.com
26 May 2021
Author: Rebekka Boekhout
© VerticalFarmDaily.com
The World’s First Autonomous Greenhouse Manager
Geert van der Wel started in the role of Autonomous Greenhouse Manager at Blue Radix. He represents the human support side of the Crop Controller service in addition to the smart algorithms that control greenhouses
07-04-2021 | Goedemorgen
Early February, Geert van der Wel started in the role of Autonomous Greenhouse Manager at Blue Radix. He represents the human support side of the Crop Controller service in addition to the smart algorithms that control greenhouses. Read more about how Geert helps customers and about his background. As he says himself: "I was almost literally born among tomatoes in De Lier, where my parents had a tomato greenhouse."
Name: Geert van der Wel
Home: I’ve been married to Tessa for 16 years and we have two children. We have lived in Burgundian West Brabant since 1998.
Childhood: Almost literally, I was born among the tomatoes in De Lier, where my parents had a tomato greenhouse.
Study: I completed Secondary Horticultural School in De Lier, and also undertook several (horticultural) studies.
Work experience: I worked in my parents’ tomato greenhouse right from my childhood. After finishing my studies my partner and I became owners of Kwekerij Polderwel for ten years, growing tomatoes on 2.5 hectares. We wound up this undertaking because of the construction of the A4 highway between Antwerp and Rotterdam. Then I did three years as a manager at the Nuijten plant nursery, and when this firm ceased trading I ended up at Nickerson-Zwaan in Made; it later became known as Hazera Seeds. For the first four years, I worked in the Planning & Control department, moving on to become Product Manager High-Tech Tomatoes for the final five years.
What can you do for growers as an Autonomous Greenhouse Manager?
“Blue Radix offers autonomous growing as a service. So alongside our smart algorithms controlling the greenhouse, our Crop Controller service also has a ‘human side’, and customers get daily support from an off-site Autonomous Greenhouse Manager (AGM). So as that AGM I’m constantly looking over the customer’s shoulder, and I’m their first point of contact. Right from the start, I guide clients intensively in taking their first steps into the world of algorithms. They are given an extensive onboarding program where they get explanations on the steps to autonomous growing, the operation of the algorithms, and the Crop Controller portal. I also monitor the management of the greenhouse continuously and discuss the progress on a regular basis, including through reports. My work experience has taken me through all the processes involved, from seed to the final product. This is what enables me to support our customers fully as AGM, to advise them, and to help them to realize their crop strategies.”
Blue Radix offers autonomous growing as a service; why is this important?
“Cultivation is the core business of every greenhouse company. To leave this completely to autonomous control requires a lot of trust from the customer. We are very aware that autonomous growing is still quite new and innovative. Providing good service with the support of the AGM lets us guide growers fully in working with algorithms. Our experience shows that customers are more likely to abandon their own processes and working methods step by step because there’s always someone monitoring the entire process.”
Describe your day. How do you monitor greenhouses worldwide?
“Every day I open the Crop Controller portal to see how the algorithms are behaving in terms of our various customers’ crop strategies. I contact the grower if any anomalies appear, or if there’s a technical issue I get in touch with the Blue Radix product developers. This also applies to feedback I receive from customers on how we can optimize Crop Controller still further.”
What do you like about your job? And what are your views on autonomous greenhouse management?
“In the horticultural world, it’s great to see that there’s a continuous search for innovations, and specifically for autonomous growing. I used sensors and digital tools on a small scale when I was a grower myself. But at that time I got very little guidance on how they worked and how to interpret it all. Now I use this experience to give our customers good information so that ultimately they’ll be able to grow autonomously in the best possible way!”
Got a question for Geert, or about autonomous growing generally?
Send us a message, and we’ll be happy to help you.
“Agriculture Doesn’t Lack For Data – It Needs Better Organisation of Data to Feed 10 Billion”
"At Sensei Ag, we believe that indoor agriculture can transform the way we capture data about edible plants, help transform land and water usage at least tenfold through better use of that data, and be part of the critical new infrastructure of post-pandemic economies
As we look ahead to 2021, the challenge of overcoming Covid-19 still stands before us. The primary focus is on rolling out vaccines, but as worries about new variants come to the fore, we really do need to act at warp speed to get shots in arms and take additional measures if necessary.
To look at some of the challenges we face and some of the solutions we have in place, we asked a number of the world’s leading thinkers what their “moonshots” would be, and what grand visions for society we should pursue today.
Sonia Lo says: "Data is collected in the millions of data points every second around the world, in food and agriculture systems. In lesser developed economies, informational offers abound, to help even the smallest small-hold farmer. However, this is not relevant or helpful in the absence of the attendant ecosystem infrastructure of financing; robust, weather-resistant, and inexpensive physical facilities in which to farm; and real-time feedback for the farmers about their critical inputs. The world today is capable of imaging and analyzing every edible plant on the planet and yet there isn’t an international data infrastructure to be able to do that."
"At Sensei Ag, we believe that indoor agriculture can transform the way we capture data about edible plants, help transform land and water usage at least tenfold through better use of that data, and be part of the critical new infrastructure of post-pandemic economies. Organizing data across countries and providing unified data sets across climates and crops not only helps individual farmers but also enables a new generation of “agricultural fintech” which helps those farmers with much needed, but now, well-informed capital. Our vision is to enable the building of a multitude of indoor farm types – to stabilize food supply around the world but also t
VIDEO: Common Mistakes When Setting Up Hydroponics
Even if you have a lot of guidance in setting up your grow space, you may make mistakes in the initial development stages
January 4, 2021 | By Joy King
Starting a hydroponics garden is thrilling. It's an exciting project where you can enjoy the progress your plants make over time. However, producing perfect plants requires some skill and attention to detail that take time to develop. Even if you have a lot of guidance in setting up your grow space, you may make mistakes in the initial development stages.
What is hydroponics?
Wikipedia describes hydroponics as "a type of horticulture as a method of growing plants, usually crops, without soil. It's become popular in vertical and indoor farming. Let's examine some common errors to avoid when setting up a hydroponics grow:
Ignoring plants
New growers may not devote the amount of time necessary to grow hydroponically. Some mistakenly believe that they can check in on plants on the weekend. But, a lot can go wrong if you're not regularly checking on them. Even if your system is fully automated through a grow controller, it's essential to check on your plants daily to ensure that everything is going smoothly.
Check that your automation system isn't clogged or failed in some other way. Once you are a more experienced grower, it will become easier for you to identify failures in your systems and problems with your plants since you're dedicating time to their wellbeing.
Going overboard
More is not always better, particularly in regards to plant growth. Often, problems arise in the grow room from a lack of experience in tending to plants grown hydroponically. It usually takes time to understand how to irrigate and fertilize plants properly. Overwatering is often detrimental to plants, and beginners often do not realize they are overwatering before it is too late. Excessive nutrients, or nutrient burn as it's referred to, is also a common problem for beginners.
Overcrowding plants
It is common for beginners to overestimate how many plants will fit in their grow space. When you first plant them, it may seem that your plants have a lot of room, but once they grow up, they will need that extra space to maintain growth. Be vigilant about removing excess plants and pruning if overcrowding seems like it will be a problem. When in doubt, err on the side of caution and plant fewer plants.
Sudden changes to the environment
You need to give your plants time to adjust when you make changes. One of the most common problems that beginners face is when they suddenly change the grow room's light levels or room temperature. Any sudden increase in light may cause leaf bleaching and burning. It's better that you make changes gradually, giving your plants time to adjust.
Final thoughts
There are many scholarly books on starting hydroponics grow room or space. Do your research and enjoy your hydroponic garden! It's a rewarding way to grow food, cannabis, or flowers.
Source: Growlink
Tags: Hydroponics, Nutrient Dosing System, Wireless Automation, Automated Grow System, Customer Service, Automated Grow Systems, Nutrient Delivery System, nutrients, automation
80 Acres Farms Raises Funding Round Led by Barclays to Accelerate Growth in Automated Vertical Farming Technolog
80 Acres Farms addresses both sustainability and food security through growing food differently with vertical farming technology and reducing water usage by 97% on less than 1% of the land, with 300x the yield
HAMILTON, Ohio - November 2, 2020 Newswire.com
80 Acres Farms, the sustainable solution for fresh, pesticide-free food, announced that it added Barclays as a strategic investor in the business, joining Virgo Investments, Orange Wings Capital, QuietStar Capital, and other family office investors.
80 Acres Farms is a 2019 fellow from the Unreasonable Impact Americas program and award winner recognized for their work addressing the global pandemic's effects. 80 Acres Farms addresses both sustainability and food security through growing food differently with vertical farming technology and reducing water usage by 97% on less than 1% of the land, with 300x the yield.
Mike Zelkind, CEO of 80 Acres Farms, said: "There has been an explosion in demand for fresh, locally grown, nutritious food, and this investment round enables us to continue to meet that demand at the right unit economics. We look forward to developing our relationship with Barclays and their global network through our shared passion for enhancing sustainability in this industry."
Andrew Challis, Co-Head of Principal Investments at Barclays, said: "80 Acres Farms can shorten the vulnerable, carbon-intensive supply chain and secure retailers and consumers with consistent, safe, fresh, sustainably grown food. This is an exciting investment proposition for Barclays as it supports our clients' and consumers' transition to a low-carbon economy and underpins our ambition to take a leading role in tackling climate change."
80 Acres Farms operates eight indoor farms in the US, including a new state of the art facility in Hamilton, Ohio - built by an affiliated company, Infinite Acres - that will deliver 10 million servings in its first year. You can find 80 Acres' product of just-picked salads, tomatoes, cucumbers, herbs, and microgreens at Kroger, Whole Foods, The Fresh Market, Dorothy Lane Markets, Jungle Jim's Markets, and key National Foodservice Distributors including Sysco and US Foods.
About 80 Acres Farms
80 Acres Farms is a vertical farming leader providing customers with the freshest and most nutritious fruits and vegetables at affordable prices. Utilizing world-class technology and analytics, the Company offers customers a wide variety of pesticide-free food with a longer shelf life that exceeds the highest food safety standards
Lead photo: 80 Acres Farms'. Fully-Automated vertical farm located in Hamilton, OH.
For further information, please contact us at:
rebecca.haders@eafarms.com / +1 513-910-9089
About Barclays Sustainable Impact Capital initiative
As part of its broader commitments, Barclays will invest £175m of its own capital, led by the Principal Investments team, in fast-growing, innovative, environmentally-focused companies whose values are aligned with those of Barclays and which target the goals and timelines of the Paris Agreement. Investments will be strategic to Barclays, its clients, and the communities it serves, with clear scalable propositions that deliver both environmental benefits and economic returns.
For further information, please contact us at:
Investment Enquiries: PITeamInbox@barclays.com
Media Enquiries: emily.stead2@barclays.com / +44 (0) 7796 706166
Related Images
80-acres-farms-newest-location.jpg
80 Acres Farms Newest Location
80 Acres Farms'. Fully-Automated vertical farm located in Hamilton, OH
Related Links
Ground-Breaking Companies Join the 10th Unreasonable Impact Program
80 Acres adds Walmart, Dole execs to leadership team as it gears up for growth
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/67308
“If We Really Want To Make A Change, We Should Intensively Invest In Innovation and Technique In Africa”
Christine Zimmerman discusses vertical farming trends
Christine Zimmerman Discusses Vertical Farming Trends
Vertical farming is a rapidly growing industry, and there are many challenges and opportunities. In this interview with Christine Zimmermann-Loessl, Chairwoman at the Association for Vertical Farming, she discusses the latest trends and developments within the vertical farming sector worldwide.
What are the latest trends within vertical farming?
Zimmermann-Loessl stated that there is a very clear trend in automation and fully automated systems. Especially in the USA, Japan, and Europe. “The main trend here is that we see robotics and AI machine learning that will even play a bigger role than it does now. Another trend is scaling, as people start to understand the necessity of vertical farming. I still hear from the majority of greenhouse growers, to have a fully automated greenhouse, the vertical farmers say: no we can be more efficient and it can be much more controlled. However, there are so many input factors that cannot be perfectly controlled in a greenhouse. In order to have reliable minimal resources and yield, vertical farming is a better solution.”
Zimmermann stated that once the energy problem issue is solved, they can connect the issue with solar and teach students about it in the AVF demonstration center. Using solar is possible and there are the costs to have the proof of concept.
Have you seen positive developments in vertical farming regarding COVID-19?
As there are strict hygiene standards, higher than in any other farm, there is a very clean environment. “We are beyond ahead COVID-19 measurements and this needs to be communicated even better.” According to Zimmermann, a great advantage of indoor farming the high hygiene standards. Working with a hygiene room quality and improving these standards. “We have seen a lot of growth, also at the AVF as we gained 11 members. Start-ups have the ambition to grow out of that start-up phase.”
She also notes that vertical farming has had more understanding of politics and politicians, but also on a national- and municipal level. They understand that there is a need to secure the future, being less dependent on external factors. “We had to communicate all these advantages even better. The majority doesn’t know them yet and we have to improve that”, she adds.
What is the quickest growing country in terms of vertical farming techniques?
“That’s a tough question. I think that in Germany really took off in the past two years. We have Fraunhofer Institute in Aachen with two brand new systems that haven’t been on the market before with that high level of innovation. The Orbiplant, from Fraunhofer, shows how economical VF can be today. It is built from material on the market for automation or transport systems highly automated and allows cheap production prices. Another company, Lite+Fog, where I see innovation at a level of experience with a new system design and water-saving fog for the roots instead of hydroponics.
Zimmermann continues that Japanese farming company Spread, its Techno farm, is really the state of the art. It’s a proven operation and they produce for the market. “However, Orbiplant and Lite+Fog are still in a demo size compared to the commercial farms of SPREAD and the fully on-demand farms now. We have a differentiation to make between these three.”
And in terms of newly constructed farms?
"I have visited Farminova, Turkey, and it’s very interesting to see how in such an agricultural country a company takes on the innovative food business. Cantek Turkey, the owner Hakan Karaca decided to go into vertical farming and built a system in one of his warehouses, near Antalya, to bring the topic forward. They see the need for sustainability and innovation.” Zimmermann said that Italy is also becoming an interesting country for vertical farming. Companies such as Planet Farms and Ono Exponential Farms that have fully automated new constructions. “People need to build up their trust in technology and the produce from it. In Europe, they have a prejudice against artificial environment by technology, but in Asian countries such as Japan and Singapore they don’t. They’re much more open to it, also in the new farming technology because it offers safe, fresh, local products. They see the shrinking traditional farming in their countries and growing imports."
Are we at a maturity stage in vertical farming yet?
“Not at all. When we started we were in an infant stage. Now we are at age 12 to 14. From an age perspective, we are not mature enough yet. It would be really good to have official government backing. Not just money-wise, but also policy-wise. We want more agriculture sustainable methods. One of these is indoor vertical farming. Once that statement comes, it would help VF implementation a lot.”
Why do you think that governments haven’t done that yet?
“It’s all about the necessity. ‘Why do we need it? We have greenhouses. We have industrial agriculture. Now, with severe droughts, even in Europe, more politicians see the need. I am part of the dialog forum for the 'Future of Agriculture', where all major stakeholders gather in Berlin twice a year. I get to meet all the associations from traditional farming and few of them have heard of vertical farming. Not to talk about embracing, saying it could be a part of agriculture production. However, it’s still a long way to go for communication, marketing, and raising awareness.
"We need more innovation- and vertical farming centers around the cities and rural areas to enable our hands-on learning and demonstration. If we do that, farmers will see it and understand it better. We start with the farmers. More young people are coming in the industry. We will rely on vertical farming systems to maintain reliable food production. It will play a major role if we want to protect the ecosystem when we have over 10 billion people on this planet.”
What would you address as the most frequent struggles within the industry?
“Investment is still a major struggle. Either banks don’t understand the business model of high-tech farms, because they have only know traditional agriculture business models. Or investors don’t have a sufficient understanding of vertical farming. They want a quick ROI and don’t know that they need patience. So, in order to find the right investor and money, it’s not that easy. If you want to scale, you have to have a proof of concept. But more money is needed to go to that next level.
"It ‘seems easier’ in the USA and Asia. Looking at the UAE, which is taking off with vertical farming, partially because the government is supporting it now too. Their food supply chain is in the hand of a couple of people and they were used to importing all food. It takes time to build a new food chain and trust in new suppliers."
In what underdeveloped countries do you see the most potential for vertical farming?
“Absolutely, we just founded our regional chapter by our team. We cannot serve the interest in India anymore, so we decided to have a local team there. It’s taking off like crazy. Now, we have two members in Africa and we get at least two requests per week. In South Africa, it can be seen that there’s a lot of equipment development. Which gives them the highest level of technology compared to the rest of Africa.
"We see a lot of the need to train farmers and really implement vertical farming in Africa. We just received new proposals from Cameroon to train 1200 farmers on vertical farming in the Northwest. So far, our partner in Cameroon has built the center already and we only need the equipment yet and training can start. It’s great to see what they do. If we really want to make a change, we should intensively invest in innovation and technology in Africa. We can grow forest there, instead of turning more land into agriculture and reduce CO2 even more. They are willing to do that and know what they need. It’s not up to us to tell them what they do. If AVF would have the financial power, we’d be there tomorrow to help them."
Where do you see the most positive reactions towards vertical farming?
"In Asia, we can find mature markets, especially in Singapore and Japan. People are willing to buy and understand the concept. China is an important market from a global perspective. A lot of projects in vertical farming are happening there, but the government policy to protect traditional agriculture has such a big importance for the government. Therefore, it’s very tricky to launch vertical farming in the right way. They have megacities and over 1.3 bln people so the demand is huge. But, they only have 12% of land and so there are many opportunities for farming. However, there’s a huge challenge for vertical farming as it’s very hard to implement it on a bigger scale."
For more information:
Association for Vertical Farming
Christine Zimmermann-Loessl, Chairwoman
czl@vertical-farming.net
www.vertical-farming.net
Publication date: Wed 26 Aug 2020
Author: Rebekka Boekhout
© HortiDaily.com
Automated Vertical Indoor Farming Set To Sprout
Vertical farming, which utilizes vertically-stacked layers of crops grown in climate-controlled facilities, utilizes significantly less water and soil than traditional agriculture
Vertical Farms Could Make Use of Abandoned Professional
Spaces As The Pandemic Grinds On
By Greg Nichols for Robotics
August 20, 2020
A Finish startup has been climbing the walls during the pandemic. At least the crops it helps grow in vertical gardens have been, including greens, berries, and vegetables in areas like the Middle East.
Vertical farming, which utilizes vertically-stacked layers of crops grown in climate-controlled facilities, utilizes significantly less water and soil than traditional agriculture. Increasingly we're seeing examples of the concept scaling to industrial-levels, which is good news with populations booming, arable land in ever-shorter supply, and waning interest in agriculture among city-bound youth.
iFarm has figured out a smart value proposition in the still-nascent market as a developer of vertical farm management technology, essentially an operating system that utilizes tremendous volumes of sensor data to fine tune automated crop growing. The company believes it's entering a market primed for steep growth.
"Investors can participate in the worldwide network of vertical farms and receive a rate of return well above bank deposit rates.", says Alex Lyskovsky, co-founder and President of iFarm. "We already have a group of financial partners involved in the development of our farms, and now there is a direct opportunity for this type of investment in Finland, UK, Switzerland, Netherlands, Russia and UAE."
One of the interesting advantages of vertical farming, particularly in a pandemic when so many professional spaces stand empty, is that it's possible to utilize the urban environment to facilitate crop growing. By growing crops closer to city dwellers, the company can offer logistics efficiencies and unparalleled freshness.
This at a time when traditional farming is less and less viable. Global agricultural productivity is suddenly slowing for the first time in decades. No one is quite sure why, but it's likely a systemic problem related to the rise of monocultures and the overuse of fertilizers, which add harmful salts to soils. Farmers are also aging globally as younger generations migrate to cities. That's largely because a productivity boom over the last century has kept food prices low, which makes farming unattractive economically. It's a double whammy now that that productivity can no longer be taken for granted without major rethinks to the food supply chain.
Vertical farming and other smart agriculture innovations may offer realistic alternatives, and they've captured imaginations due to novel use of space and cutting edge technologies. iFarm's Growtune tech platform allows growers to leverage technologies like computer vision, machine learning, and huge volumes of data. The system can enable farming operations to spread vertical farms across distributed networks while still maintaining centralized control. And if there's any doubt that farming has changed, the level of control is staggering. The Growtune platform can determine the plant's weight, as well as growth deviations or pathologies, and build a system that improves crop quality and characteristics on its own. According to iFarm, the optimization will reduce labor costs for crops like strawberries, cherry tomatoes, sweet peppers, radish, and others.
"The 2020 pandemic exposed the problems of the global food system – food supplies, sowing and harvesting were disrupted across the globe", says Mikhail Taver, Managing Partner at Gagarin Capital. "iFarm is taking a novel approach to agriculture, offering an automated solution to grow crops close to the consumer and ensure food security. We believe that the future of the food market lies in modern technologies and are excited to support the project on its way."
Is The Future of Wheat Farming Inside And Up?
Researchers see big potential in indoor vertical wheat farms. Scientists say wheat yields could be exponentially larger in indoor, vertical venues
August 15, 2020
Researchers see big potential in indoor vertical wheat farms.
Scientists say wheat yields could be exponentially larger in indoor, vertical venues.
Future wheat farmers might ditch their rolling fields for indoor facilities filled with bright lights, multi-storied structures, and automated airflow. In recent years, indoor vertical farms have been commonly used to grow vegetables such as lettuce, kale, and microgreens. But little research has looked at how they might be used to grow staple crops until now.
A new study by scientists at the University of Florida compares the yields of growing wheat in a field with those of the crop grown in an indoor vertical farming. This method consists of growing food on sky-high stacked layers in shipping containers, tunnels, and warehouses using LED bulbs and hydroponic systems. The study, which was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows that farmers can grow exponentially more wheat using indoor vertical farming than through the same amount of ground space in a field.
Using a crop simulation tool, researchers found that a 10-floor vertical farm, covering one hectare of ground space and operating under optimal conditions, was able to generate about 600 more times the yield than the average amount produced on one hectare of farmland. When they plugged in conditions for a 100-floor farm, the yield produced was 6,000 times more.
A section of a vertical wheat farm growing 10 layers of the crop from seeds to harvest. Credit: Gregory Kiss, Senthold Asseng, and Paul P.G. Gauthier
Scientists say that this method could be particularly useful for feeding the world’s growing population, which is expected to reach 10 billion by 2050. According to the FAO, wheat is the most widely grown crop in the world, representing 20 percent of people’s daily protein and food calories. And in recent years, experts say global production has not satisfied demand, triggering price instability and unrest.
Senthold Asseng, the lead author of the study and a professor of crop systems modeling, says indoor vertical farming will also deter farmers from clearing forests for agriculture. He adds that hydroponic methods use 90 percent less water and that housing crops indoors also eliminates the need for using herbicides or pesticides linked to environmental issues and human health risks.
“There is opportunity to grow huge crops and at the same time address the issue of environmental degradation,” Asseng says. “We need to nurture our environment because it’s the only environment we have.”
Despite the potential of growing wheat indoors, Asseng says there are barriers that will likely prevent many wheat farmers from choosing to use the method. These include the energy costs associated with powering an indoor facility.
But Asseng says the environmental benefit of indoor vertical farming could attract governments that are already subsidizing conventional agriculture to put some funding towards growing staple foods indoors.
“Many countries spend a lot of money on agriculture subsidies to keep agriculture production going. It might not always be the right way to consider the economics if it comes down to survival and stability,” he says. “Here is a new way of doing agriculture that will be really good for the environment.”
Lead photo: by Martin Mecnarowski on Shutterstock