In the heart of Shanghai, researchers are shedding new light on the future of farming. Jun Zou, a scientist at the Shanghai Institute of Technology, has been delving into the intricacies of vertical farming, a method that promises to revolutionize agriculture by stacking crops in controlled environments. But there’s a catch: the energy bill. Vertical farms guzzle electricity, especially when it comes to lighting. Zou’s latest research, published in the journal PeerJ, might just change the game.
Vertical farming is like growing crops in a giant, indoor greenhouse. It’s all about precision: controlling light, temperature, and humidity to grow crops faster and more efficiently. But all that control comes at a cost. “The high energy consumption of supplemental lighting is a significant challenge for the vertical farming industry,” Zou explains. His research aims to optimize that energy use, making vertical farming more sustainable and commercially viable.
Zou and his team focused on two varieties of lettuce: ‘Spanish green’ and ‘Butterhead’. They designed an automated lighting detection device to explore the effects of different red-blue light intensities on the plants. The results were illuminating. Both lettuce varieties showed increased yield with higher light intensity. But there’s a sweet spot. For Butterhead lettuce, the optimal light intensity was 300 μmol/m2/s. For Spanish green, it was slightly lower, at 200 μmol/m2/s. This finding could lead to significant energy savings. “By tailoring light intensity to specific crop varieties, we can optimize both yield and energy consumption,” Zou says.
The implications for the energy sector are substantial. Vertical farms could become a more attractive investment, knowing they can reduce their energy consumption without sacrificing yield. This could lead to more widespread adoption of vertical farming, reducing the strain on traditional agriculture and helping to feed a growing global population.
But the benefits don’t stop at energy savings. Vertical farms can grow crops year-round, regardless of weather conditions. They use less water than traditional farms and can be set up in urban areas, reducing the need for long-distance transportation. Plus, they can grow crops in a more controlled environment, reducing the need for pesticides.
Zou’s research is a step towards making vertical farming more sustainable and commercially viable. It’s a testament to the power of precision agriculture and the potential of technology to revolutionize an age-old industry. As we look to the future, it’s clear that the future of farming is bright—literally. The next step is to see how these findings translate to other crops and larger-scale operations. The vertical farming industry is watching, and the energy sector is taking notes. The future of farming is vertical, and it’s coming to a city near you.