What is Vertical Farming?
Vertical farming is growing crops and vegetables on vertical surfaces, which means you use less land. And when you add an indoor component, you remove some of the unpredictable experiences that happen outside.
The goal is to grow more produce on the same area of land that is used for traditional farming while using 70%-90% less water. These layers are frequently incorporated into structures like skyscrapers, warehouses, and greenhouses. However, vertical farming requires considerably more than stacking plants and hoping for the best.
To be successful, farmers regulate temperature, light, and moisture. It’s possible to lose a whole harvest if one condition is not met properly. Vertical farming requires you to monitor and adapt to external factors like temperature, light, and protection from extreme weather.
The goal is not only to make food more accessible, fresh and nutritious but that the food tastes the same as, if not better than, produce in your everyday grocery store. Vertical farming is being considered as a possible answer to the rising worry about food security in the future.
Vertical Farming Technology
Aeroponics
NASA is in charge of developing this ground-breaking indoor growing method. NASA created the word “aeroponics” to describe growing plants in an air/mist setting with no soil and very little water in the 1990s because they were interested in discovering practical ways to grow plants in space. Aeroponics systems are still a rarity in the field of vertical farming, but they are gaining a lot of attention. Aeroponic systems use up to 90% less water than even the most efficient hydroponic systems. It makes them the most effective plant-growing technology for growing food.
Aquaponics
Aquaponics is a hybrid system that combines aquaculture with hydroponics. Fish farming is referred to as aquaculture, whereas hydroponics refers to growing without the need for soil. Aquaponics combines the cultivation of terrestrial plants with the use of aquatic creatures to aid their growth. The plants’ surroundings will imitate their natural habitat in a closed-loop system. The use of natural aquatic creatures instead of the soil allows plants to concentrate on the absorption of natural materials and nutrients.
Hydroponics
This vertical farming method proposes growing plants without the need for soil. Plant roots are in liquid solutions containing various nutrients in hydroponic systems. Materials such as gravel and sand are utilized as replacements for soil in order to support the roots of the plants. This helps plants to absorb and focus on essential nutrients that are required in big amounts. Hydroponic farming has the advantage of boosting crop yield in a given area while reducing the quantity of water required by the plants overall.
Advantages of Vertical Farms
- Growing local reduces transportation costs and reduces your carbon footprint.
- Takes less space to grow more crops than traditional farming
- Farmers may use 98% less water and 99% less land with vertical agricultural practices. They can generate agricultural yields of 240x those of typical farms by rolling or continuous harvesting year-round.
- Pest infestations are significantly less frequent with vertical farming if you have rigorous restrictions in place on what is permitted into a vertical farm. Because there are fewer pests and control is easy, farmers are more likely to avoid applying pesticides. Vertical farming makes it easier to grow pesticide- and fertilizer-free produce and crops.
- Provides increased overall production and year-round consistency. Vertical farms can produce a variety of crops all year long, regardless of the weather or climate.
The Future of Vertical Farming
Food shortage is a serious concern in the near future, especially as the global population grows and climate change threatens agricultural stability across the world. Fortunately, investment in AgTech and the future of our food systems is growing. Vertical farming saves money by growing food in stacked layers in a controlled environment, eliminating the need for soil and maximizing production using precise lighting and watering procedures. It also decreases the number of pollutants in the supply chain by eliminating the volatility of weather patterns. If utilized to its great potential, vertical farming can solve food shortage and other environmental threats.
