Welcome to iGrow News, Your Source for the World of Indoor Vertical Farming
How Vertical Farms Could Be Ready To Take-Off
Carried out by the John Innes Centre, the University of Bristol, and the aeroponic technology provider LettUs Grow, the study identifies future research areas needed to accelerate the sustainable growth of vertical farming using aeroponic systems
12-01-2021 | LettUsGROW
Vertical farms with their soil-free, computer-controlled environments may sound like sci-fi, but there is a growing environmental and economic case for them, according to new research laying out radical ways of putting food on our plates.
The interdisciplinary study combining biology and engineering sets down steps towards accelerating the growth of this branch of precision agriculture, including the use of aeroponics which uses nutrient-enriched aerosols in place of soil.
Carried out by the John Innes Centre, the University of Bristol, and the aeroponic technology provider LettUs Grow, the study identifies future research areas needed to accelerate the sustainable growth of vertical farming using aeroponic systems.
Dr. Antony Dodd, a Group Leader at the John Innes Centre and senior author of the study, says: “By bringing fundamental biological insights into the context of the physics of growing plants in an aerosol, we can help the vertical farming business become more productive more quickly while producing healthier food with less environmental impact.”
Jack Farmer, Chief Scientific Officer at LettUs Grow and one of the authors of the study, adds: “Climate change is only going to increase the demand for this technology. Projected changes in regional weather patterns and water availability are likely to impact agricultural productivity soon. Vertical farming offers the ability to grow high-value nutritious crops in a climate-resilient manner all year round, proving a reliable income stream for growers.”
Vertical farming is a type of indoor agriculture where crops are cultivated in stacked systems with water, lighting and nutrient sources carefully controlled.
It is part of a rapidly growing sector supported by artificial intelligence in which machines are taught to manage day to day horticultural tasks. The industry is set to grow annually by 21% by 2025 according to one commercial forecast (Grand View Research, 2019).
Green benefits include better use of space because vertical farms can be sited in urban locations, fewer food miles, isolation from pathogens, reduction in soil degradation and nutrient and water recapturing and recycling.
Vertical farms also allow product consistency, price stabilization, and cultivation at latitudes incompatible with certain crops such as the desert or arctic.
“Vertical systems allow us to extend the latitude range on which crops can be grown on the planet, from the deserts of Dubai to the 4-hour winter days of Iceland. In fact, if you were growing crops on Mars you would need to use this kind of technology because there is no soil,” says Dr Dodd.
The study, which appears in the journal New Phytologist, lays out seven steps – strategic areas of future research needed to underpin increased productivity and sustainability of aeroponic vertical farms.
These seek to understand:
Why aeroponic cultivation can be more productive than hydroponic or soil cultivation
The relationship between aeroponic cultivation and 24-hour circadian rhythms of plants
Root development of a range of crops in aeroponic conditions
The relationship between aerosol droplet size and deposition and plant performance
How we can establish frameworks for comparing vertical farming technologies for a range of crops
How aeroponic methods affect microbial interactions with plant roots
The nature of recycling of root exudates (fluids secreted by the roots of plants) within the nutrient solutions of closed aeroponic systems
The report argues that a driver of technological innovation in vertical farms is minimising operation costs whilst maximising productivity – and that investment in fundamental biological research has a significant role.
Dr. Dodd’s research area covers circadian rhythms – biological clocks that align plant physiology and molecular processes to the day to day cycle of light and dark. He recently completed a year-long Royal Society Industry Fellowship with LettUs Grow.
This involved combining Dr Dodd’s expertise in circadian rhythms and plant physiology with the work of LettUs Grow’s team of biologists and engineers to design optimal aeroponic cultivation regimens. This is a key area of investigation as these molecular internal timers will perform differently in vertical farms.
Aeroponic platforms are often used to grow high-value crops such as salads, pak choi, herbs, small brassica crops, pea shoots, and bean shoots. LettUs Grow are also working on growth regimens for fruiting and rooting crops such as strawberries and carrots, as well as aeroponic propagation of trees for both fruit and forestry.
John Innes Centre researchers have bred a line of broccoli adapted to grow indoors for a major supermarket and one of the aims of research will be to test how we can genetically tune more crops to grow in the controlled space of vertical farms.
Bethany Eldridge, a researcher at the University of Bristol studying root-environment interactions and first author of the study adds: “Given that 80% of agricultural land worldwide is reported to have moderate or severe erosion, the ability to grow crops in a soilless system with minimal fertilizers and pesticides is advantageous because it provides an opportunity to grow crops in areas facing soil erosion or other environmental issues such as algal blooms in local water bodies that may have been driven by traditional, soil-based, agriculture.”
Lilly Manzoni, Head of Research and Development at LettUs Grow and one of the authors of the study says, “This paper is unique because it is broader than a typical plant research paper, it combines the expertise of engineers, aerosol scientists, plant biologists, and horticulturalists. The wonderful thing about controlled environment agriculture and aeroponics is that it is truly interdisciplinary”
The study ‘Getting to the Roots of Aeroponic Indoor Farming‘ appears in the New Phytologist journal.
Source and Photo Courtesy of LettUsGROW
Vertical Farming To Shape Food's Future Top Companies To Share Expertise At Online Congress - September 22-24, 2020
The first Vertical Farming World Congress will now be held online on 22-24 September, with numerous innovations to help develop an emerging community of leading producers, funders, suppliers, and customers. Its theme will be ‘Shaping Food’s Future
The first Vertical Farming World Congress will be held online from 22nd to 24th September, bringing together the sector’s top minds and businesses, who believe the coronavirus pandemic will accelerate the industry’s inevitable growth. With the theme ‘Shaping Food’s Future’, the event is sponsored by LED lighting solutions provider Heilux.
“This is a unique opportunity for interested investors, agriculturalists, food producers, suppliers, academics and governments,” commented Richard Hall, Chairman of event organizer Zenith Global, the food and drink experts. “There may never be a better time, because the industry is rapidly establishing itself and an online event gives a ringside seat more affordably, along with all kinds of extra features.
“In addition to the most authoritative speakers ever assembled on the sector, there will be virtual farm tours, round tables on key issues, and extensive social as well as one-to-one networking. There will be ongoing access afterwards to review presentations and continue making new connections.
“It will be difficult to beat the caliber and geographic spread of our speakers:
Our industry leadership panel has the founders and chief executives of AeroFarms and 80 Acres Farms from the United States plus Intelligent Growth Solutions and Jones Food Company from the United Kingdom.
On sustainability, we have the World Wildlife Fund; on retailing, we have Migros from Switzerland.
Investors are represented by AgFunder, Ashfords, Innovate UK, and Virgo.
Other leading contributors range from the global Association of Vertical Farming to Wageningen University.
Other talks include a view of the city of the future, a nutrition briefing, and debate about the relative merit of aeroponics, aquaponics, and hydroponics.
A technology briefing will look in-depth at operational choices, plant growth, lighting, and robotics.
Innovator case studies include growing underground, modular aeroponics, shipping containers, and success in Taiwan.”
Media partners include AgFunder, Agritecture, AOA Chile, Association of Vertical Farming, Eatable Adventures, Farm Tech Society, FoodBev Media, Hortidaily, iGrow, Japan Plant Factory Association, NextGenChef, Urban Ag News, Vertical Farming Consulting, and Vertical Farming Podcast. Full program and booking details are available at zenithglobal.com/events. There is a specially discounted rate for start-ups.
Media partners include AgFunder, Agritecture, AOA Chile, Association of Vertical Farming, Eatable Adventures, Farm Tech Society, FoodBev Media, Hortidaily, iGrow News, Japan Plant Factory Association, NextGenChef, Urban Ag News, Vertical Farming Consulting, and Vertical Farming Podcast.
Full program and booking details are available at zenithglobal.com/events.
There is a specially discounted rate for start-ups.
For further information, go to www.zenithglobal.com/events or contact events@zenithglobal.com.
Farming Goes Vertical
Vertical farming works by growing vegetables in stacked layers that takes place in a controlled environment, often without the use of soil and instead the use of light energy
06-08-2020 | This is money
Top of the agenda for many big firms across Britain and the world in recent years is to find ways to help reduce their environmental footprint and become more sustainable. This has been driven by consumer demand for change and warnings over irreversible damage by large companies, who can make small improvements to help that add up. One such way is vertical farming and it has seen one middle-class supermarket favourite get involved in some stores.
· Vertical farming works by growing fruits and veg in vertically stacked layers
· Claims it can significantly reduce environmental damage
· M&S Simply Food is one of the latest UK retailers to introduce vertical farming
Marks and Spencer is the latest UK retailer to adopt vertical farming into its stores, with a selection of herbs now freshly grown and harvested in stores across London for shoppers to buy.
Vertical farming works by growing fruits and vegetables in vertically stacked layers inside
It has partnered with Infarm, a fast-growing vertical farming firm based in Berlin, that also now operates in other supermarket chains across Europe.
Ocado has also invested £17million in vertical farming while John Lewis plans to grow salads in store in the future in a partnership with LettUs Grow.
Aside from Marks and Spencer, Infarm has recently partnered with the online sustainable supermarket Farmdrop, which stocks a selection of herbs and salad leaves.
It added it will be announcing some new retailers it has teamed up with in the next few months.
Inform also works with a number of chefs in Europe, some of whom have installed farms into their restaurants so they can access the herbs at the freshest point, whenever they want.
In the UK, it supplies produce to Zala Grill in Camden Lock, but it doesn't have a farm in the restaurant.
Meanwhile, in Germany, Infarm currently has eight restaurants with farms including the Michelin starred Sky Kitchen at Vienna House Andel's.
How does it work?
Vertical farming works by growing vegetables in stacked layers that takes place in a controlled environment, often without the use of soil and instead the use of light energy.
Emmanuel Evita, global communications director at Infarm, said: 'Our approach allows us to be climate independent and grow under any conditions, despite changing climate, extreme weather, or disasters which normally interfere with food production and distribution.
'Our vertical farms can be installed directly in any urban space, which is where the majority of the global population will live in the next few decades.'
Compared to conventional farming methods, Infarm argues that vertical farming uses less space, less water, and less transportation.
Its plants are also all locally-grown and free of chemical pesticides, making them better for both consumers and the planet.
When the food comes to harvest, it's just one person in store, moving the produce about a meter from the growing with no machinery, storage or long-distance haulage.
Infarm's hubs are used to initiate the growth seeds.
Once these seeds have developed to a certain maturity, they are delivered to the in-store farms at retailers, to complete their growth cycle and be offered to the consumer.
The hubs grow seeds across more than 65 combinations of herbs, microgreens and leafy greens and also deliver special varieties, like Peruvian Mint or Wasabi Rucola, directly to chefs for use that day.
The fruit and vegetables growing in vertical farming takes place in a controlled environment
One reason vertical farming can help reduce the ecological waste associated with traditional industrial farming, according to Infarm, is that it uses 95 percent less water and 75 percent less fertiliser.
It also uses no chemical pesticides, no genetically modified seeds and says it is able to save 14 litres of water per kilogram of produce.
Evita said: 'Growing fresh produce creates a huge environmental burden on our planet.
'People want to eat the same foods at all times of the year, and this, combined with lengthy transportation routes, and overtaxed soil take a heavy toll not just on the environment but also on the taste and nutrition of what we eat.'
He believes that more retailers are now interested in vertical farming due to the current climate uncertainty.
However, vertical farming is not the cheapest resource out there and has been predicted by some agriculture experts to be three to five times more expensive than traditional farming.
But Infarm says that the product they provide is worth the extra money, especially with the benefits it brings to the environment.
Retailers set the price for the produce Infarm provides in-store with M&S currently charging £1.20 for herbs.
It said the price does not tend to be significantly higher than their other produce offerings.
Vertical farming helps reduce the ecological waste associated with industrial farming
Evita added: 'We find that in recent years, investors from around the globe have been drawn to innovation that addresses the need for sustainable solutions to the challenges that affect our planet.
'Certainly, these are challenges that many countries and regions are dealing with now, and they are becoming increasingly urgent for all of us.'
Coronavirus has also posed many problems to the vertical farming industry, including the need to implement social distancing measures at hubs, although Infarm said it has been able to keep growing during this period.
It added that the global pandemic has seen increased interest from both investors and consumers in the industry with Infarm clients experiencing a 222 percent sales growth in the second quarter of this year.
This means the business has more than doubled its employees since June last year.
The future of vertical farming definitely looks bright. Infarm started just under a decade ago and since then, it has grown to more than 900 farms in supermarkets and distribution centres all around the world, allowing it to harvest over 250,000 plants a month and growing.
It is now expanding from just Europe to the United States with Kroger and Canada with Sobeys as well as recently announcing plans to enter Japan and build the first vertical farming network in Asia through a new partnership with Konikuniya.
Source: This is money
Photo Courtesy of Infarm
Farming Goes Vertical - The New Supermarket Trend For Growing Herbs In-Store
Marks and Spencer is the latest UK retailer to adapt vertical farming into its stores, with a selection of herbs now freshly grown and harvested in stores across London for shoppers to buy
The new supermarket trend for growing herbs in-store could help the environment - how does it work?
Vertical farming works by growing fruits and veg in vertically stacked layers
Claims it can significantly reduce environmental damage
M&S Simply Food is one of the latest UK retailers to introduce vertical farming
By GRACE GAUSDEN FOR THIS IS MONEY
4 August 2020
Top of the agenda for many big firms across Britain and the world in recent years is to find ways to help reduce their environmental footprint and become more sustainable.
This has been driven by consumer demand for change and warnings over irreversible damage by large companies, who can make small improvements to help that add up.
One such way is vertical farming and it has seen one middle-class supermarket favorite get involved at some stores.
Marks and Spencer is the latest UK retailer to adopt vertical farming into its stores, with a selection of herbs now freshly grown and harvested in stores across London for shoppers to buy.
Vertical farming works by growing fruits and vegetables in vertically stacked layers inside
It has partnered with Infarm, a fast-growing vertical farming firm based in Berlin, that also now operates in other supermarket chains across Europe.
Ocado has also invested £17million in vertical farming while John Lewis plans to grow salads in store in the future in a partnership with LettUs Grow.
Aside from Marks and Spencer, Infarm has recently partnered with the online sustainable supermarket Farmdrop, which stocks a selection of herbs and salad leaves.
Soil-Free Farming Could Prevent Future Food Insecurity
Researchers have identified a new method of soil-free farming that can help to improve food security as climate change and soil erosion limit our ability to grow crops
Researchers have identified a new method of soil-free farming that can help to improve food security as climate change and soil erosion limit our ability to grow crops.
The research, which was conducted by scientists at the University of Bristol, John Innes Centre and LettUs Grow, highlights how vertical farming can help to produce consistent crop yields, improve price stabilization and encourage food cultivation in places that are incompatible with certain crops such as the desert or the arctic.
Vertical farming is a type of indoor agriculture where crops are cultivated in stacked systems with water, lighting, and nutrient sources carefully controlled.
The researchers tested aeroponic cultivation methods which use nutrient-enriched aerosols in place of soil that is then applied directly to the roots.
This method is believed to lead to up to 70% greater yields of crops.
There are many environmental benefits of such techniques, including better use of space because vertical farms can be built in disused urban locations, fewer food miles, reduction in soil degradation and nutrient and water recapturing and recycling.
Lead-author of the study, Bethany Eldridge from the University of Bristol said: ‘Given that 80% of agricultural land worldwide is reported to have moderate or severe erosion, the ability to grow crops in a soil-free system with minimal fertilizers and pesticides is advantageous because it provides an opportunity to grow crops in areas facing soil erosion or other environmental issues.
‘We are aware that higher yields can be obtained from plants grown in aeroponic vertical farming set-ups, however, we still have relatively little knowledge about how plants grow and respond to the soil-less growing environment during aeroponic cultivation.
‘This knowledge would be important for fine-tuning the growing environment to encourage the growth of these beneficial microbes or the development of a probiotic mixture, similar to a probiotic yoghurt, that could be added as a supplement to help boost plant performance.’
Photo Credit – Pixaba y
Vertical Farming Congress Makes Virtue of Virtual
The first Vertical Farming World Congress will now be held online on 22-24 September, with numerous innovations to help develop an emerging community of leading producers, funders, suppliers, and customers. Its theme will be ‘Shaping Food’s Future.’
By urbanagnews
July 30, 2020
The first Vertical Farming World Congress will now be held online on 22-24 September, with numerous innovations to help develop an emerging community of leading producers, funders, suppliers and customers. Its theme will be ‘Shaping Food’s Future.’
“We already had top speakers confirmed from around the world including North America, the Middle East and Asia as well as Europe,” commented Richard Hall, Chairman of the food and drink experts Zenith Global and the event’s organiser.
“Now, instead of one vertical farm tour, we plan to offer a selection. Beyond chance encounters, it will be possible to contact other delegates and set up meetings beforehand. Questions can also be tabled in advance and sessions will be recorded for later review. Regional welcome receptions will enable introductions to other delegates from the same geographic area.
“When you add the advantages of extra people being able to attend because of no travel, time being used more flexibly and costs being substantially lower, we believe we can deliver even greater value,” Richard Hall added. “I hope attendees will be surprised how virtual can be made to feel real.”
Full programme and booking details are available at www.zenithglobal.com/events. Topics include: market opportunity; an industry leadership panel; strategic alternatives between aeroponic, aquaponic and hydroponic systems; technology briefings ranging from lighting and robotics to overall system design; a nutrition briefing; a funding panel; and key innovator case studies.
Amongst the speakers are:
• Leading producers such as 80 Acres Farms, Aero Farms, Growing Underground, Intelligent Growth Solutions, Jones Food Company, LettUs Grow, Root AI, Square Roots, The Circle, Uns Farms, Vertical Future and YesHealth
• Association heads and academics from Germany, Japan and the Netherlands
• Investment experts from Ashfords, Innovate UK and S2G Ventures. For further information, go to www.zenithglobal.com/events or contact events@zenithglobal.com
Could Three Bristol Graduate’s LettUs Grow Sow The Seeds For a Second Green Revolution?
LettUs Grow, a Bristol-based company, founded in 2015 by Charlie Guy, Jack Farmer and Ben Crowther, utilizes a unique ‘aeroponic’ irrigation system, which may hold the key to solving the global food crisis
July 25, 2020
By Hana Azuma, Third Year, Biology
LettUs Grow, a Bristol-based company, founded in 2015 by Charlie Guy, Jack Farmer, and Ben Crowther, utilizes a unique ‘aeroponic’ irrigation system, which may hold the key to solving the global food crisis. The three University of Bristol graduates hope to tackle core issues surrounding food security, along with decreasing CO2 emissions and ecosystem collapse in the process.
By 2050, the global population is predicted to reach 10 billion. In order to ensure sustainable and nutritious diets for everyone, we must increase food production by 70%. This proves to be a difficult challenge as, along with the rapid, exponential population growth, agricultural land and resources worldwide are decreasing.
Since the first drop in crop production during the 1950s, followed by the onset of the first ‘Green Revolution’, we are in the midst of another major halt in the growth of food production.
Fortunately, despite the omnipresence of food insecurity and waste, we are currently producing enough food to feed the world. The main challenge is the unequal geographic distribution of adequate agricultural land.
LettUs Grow was founded in 2015 by three Bristol University graduates: Charlie Guy, Jack Farmer and Ben Crowther | Jack Wiseall
Nearly 80% of fertile land has some extent of soil erosion. Due to the changing climate, extreme weather events are predicted to occur more frequently and intensely. Together with population growth, it will be extremely tough to meet the global demand with the current practice.
LettUs Grow hopes to help farmers who are in such situations, to be able to grow their food regardless of the environmental conditions, feeding themselves and earning stable income all-year-around in the process
LettUs Grow were able to reduce water usage by 95%, whilst boosting the crop production by 70%
LettUs Grow has developed aeroponic irrigation systems for indoor vertical farming, which are not only easy to install in cities, but also use zero soil and little water. Crops are grown on a rack, where their roots are exposed to nutrient-rich mist and water spray.
When compared to hydroponics (another soil-free agricultural system), LettUs Grow were able to reduce water usage by 95%, whilst boosting the crop production by 70%. Additionally, neither pesticides nor fertilizers are needed and the whole growth condition is automated by LettUs Grow’s own management software, Ostara.
In June 2020, LettUs Grow, the University of Bristol, and John Innes Centre collaborated on a paper published to the New Phytologist Trust. It revealed the high efficacies of aeroponics and identified the key knowledge gaps that must be explored to accelerate further development. Moreover, the senior author and the former staff at the University of Bristol, Dr. Antony Dodd, mentioned the possibility of using this new system in space.
‘Vertical systems allow us to extend the latitude range on which crops can be grown on the planet, from the deserts of Dubai to the 4-hour winter days of Iceland. In fact, if you were growing crops on Mars you would need to use this kind of technology because there is no soil’, said Dr Dodd.
Aeroponic farming has proved to produce high-quality salads, pak choi, herbs, and more. LettUs Grow is now tackling more challenging crops, such as strawberries and potatoes, as well as the propagation of trees for both fruits and forestry.
It is thrilling to see how this award-winning aeroponic system is evolving as an efficient and sustainable candidate to combat food security. Could this be the start of the Second Green Revolution?
Featured: Jack Wiseall / LettUs Grow
How Vertical Farms Could Be Ready To Take-Off
A new interdisciplinary study combining biology and engineering sets down steps towards accelerating the growth of vertical farming, including the use of aeroponics which uses nutrient-enriched aerosols in place of soil, reports Science Daily
24 Jul 2020
Study identifies future research areas needed to accelerate growth of vertical farming using aeroponics.
A new interdisciplinary study combining biology and engineering sets down steps towards accelerating the growth of vertical farming, including the use of aeroponics which uses nutrient-enriched aerosols in place of soil, reports Science Daily.
Accelerate sustainable growth of vertical farming
The study was carried out by the John Innes Centre, the University of Bristol, and the aeroponic technology provider LettUs Grow. It identifies future research areas needed to accelerate the sustainable growth of vertical farming using aeroponic systems.
Dr. Antony Dodd, a group leader at the John Innes Centre and senior author of the study, says: “By bringing fundamental biological insights into the context of the physics of growing plants in an aerosol, we can help the vertical farming business become more productive more quickly while producing healthier food with less environmental impact.”
Vertical farming is a type of indoor agriculture where crops are cultivated in stacked systems with water, lighting, and nutrient sources carefully controlled.
Seven areas of future research
The study, which appears in the journal New Phytologist and is called Getting to the Roots of Aeroponic Indoor Farming, lays out seven steps – strategic areas of future research needed to underpin increased productivity and sustainability of aeroponic vertical farms.
These seek to understand:
Why aeroponic cultivation can be more productive than hydroponic or soil cultivation.
The relationship between aeroponic cultivation and 24-hour circadian rhythms of plants.
Root development of a range of crops in aeroponic conditions.
The relationship between aerosol droplet size and deposition and plant performance.
How we can establish frameworks for comparing vertical farming technologies for a range of crops.
How aeroponic methods affect microbial interactions with plant roots.
The nature of recycling of root exudates (fluids secreted by the roots of plants) within the nutrient solutions of closed aeroponic systems.
The report argues that a driver of technological innovation in vertical farms is minimizing operation costs whilst maximizing productivity – and that investment in fundamental biological research has a significant role.
Genetically tune crops to grow in vertical farms
John Innes Centre researchers have bred a line of broccoli adapted to grow indoors for a major supermarket and one of the aims of research will be to test how we can genetically tune more crops to grow in the controlled space of vertical farms.
Bethany Eldridge, a researcher at the University of Bristol studying root-environment interactions and first author of the study adds: “Given that 80% of agricultural land worldwide is reported to have moderate or severe erosion, the ability to grow crops in a soilless system with minimal fertilizers and pesticides is advantageous because it provides an opportunity to grow crops in areas facing soil erosion or other environmental issues such as algal blooms in local water bodies that may have been driven by traditional, soil-based, agriculture.”
Aeroponics is associated with very little water, automation, and high tech systems. But what is the current potential of aeroponics technology to grow food or cannabis crops economically?
Hugo Claver
Web editor for Future Farming
Lead Photo: - Photo: ThisIsEngineering
Aeroponics: ‘Getting To The Roots’ of a Soil-Free Vertical Farming System
A UK study detailing the environmental benefits of vertical farming – and in particular, aeroponics – has listed ‘strategic areas of future research’ to underpin the system’s productivity and sustainability.
Pic: GettyImages/shansekalaIn hydroponics farming, plant roots are either partially or completely immersed in a nutrient solution.
A UK study detailing the environmental benefits of vertical farming – and in particular, aeroponics – has listed ‘strategic areas of future research’ to underpin the system’s productivity and sustainability.
According to new research out of the John Innes Centre, the University of Bristol, and technology provider LettUs Grow, there is a growing environmental and economic case for vertical farms.
Yet key knowledge gaps remain. In a recently published study, six authors layout future research areas they say could accelerate the ‘sustainable intensification’ of vertical farming, using aeroponic systems.
Allocating resources to these research areas could help transform food production on a larger scale, suggested Dr. Antony Dodd, a group leader at the John Innes Centre and senior author of the study.
“By bringing fundamental biological insights into the context of the physics of growing plants in an aerosol, we can help the vertical farming business become more productive more quickly while producing healthier food with less environmental impact.”
Source: New Phytologist
‘Getting to the roots of aeroponic indoor farming’
Published: 24 June 2020
RELATED TOPICS: Market Trends, Food Tech, Sustainability, Start-ups and disruptors, Digitalisation, Fruit, vegetable, nut ingredients