Last month, a hybrid vertical farm system was commissioned at Agrotopia. Researchers Emmy Dhooghe and Kathy Steppe, both affiliated with the Department of Plant and Crop Sciences of the Faculty of Bioengineering at Ghent University and members of the Agrotopia chair, see a lot of potential in vertical farming.
While research originally focused on theoretical models and experiments on a smaller scale, Agrotopia now offers the greenhouse the opportunity to test these findings on a practical scale. This will allow innovations such as more efficient use of energy and water, optimization of plant growth, and steering for nutritional content to be introduced faster into modern greenhouse farming.
Hybrid vertical farm system at Agrotopia, opened in September
Emmy and Kathy share their views at Inagro on how vertical farming can evolve further and what role research, technology, and AI can play in this. One of the questions they are asked is:
We have seen a lot of bankruptcies of vertical farming companies lately, and there are also a lot of questions about sustainability (electricity costs, carbon footprint). What are the major challenges of vertical farming that need to be addressed?
Kathy Steppe: "We have to be aware that greenhouse farming has a footprint and the economic aspect should always be taken into account. That's why research is focusing on new methods to make cultivation more efficient. We explore hybrid production systems in which we grow on multiple layers, while still trying to make optimal use of (free) natural sunlight, as in Agrotopia's new vertical farming tower. Here, we use advanced 3D models and real-time sensor measurements, which, through simulations in a virtual environment, allow us to predict plant growth and quality. These insights will then later be further refined in practice and lead to new controls to grow even more efficiently. By working together within the Agrotopia chair, we can test our findings in practice faster and thus achieve a faster transition in greenhouse horticulture."
Emmy Dhooghe: "We should focus on crops with short growing cycles that offer economic added value, such as niche products that can complement existing greenhouse horticulture. Here, we do not have to limit ourselves to crops for the food industry; there are also plants that are important for medical research, such as vinblastine from pink periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) in anti-cancer research. There are still many opportunities to breed new varieties to be optimized for growth in vertical farms, where everything can be closely controlled. Traditionally, breeding was done in changing environments, but in a vertical farm that is much less necessary."
Kathy Steppe: "We are convinced that further savings are possible by increasing efficiency and putting the plant at the center. We want to achieve this by paying more attention to the needs of the plant itself rather than just regulating the climate. In this way, we can fine-tune water, heat, light and CO2 to what the plant needs by measuring and modeling, as we aim to do in our innovative projects Cross-talk (FWO-SBO) and DigiKas (VLAIO LA pathway). Vertical farms, as fully controlled growing environments, also offer the possibility of being integrated with other sectors or buildings. Besides lighting, climate control is an important cost item. For example, by using the removed heat to heat buildings, we can achieve double benefits."
Emmy Dhooghe: "We should therefore see vertical farming as a component within a larger system. This is a transition that has already started within research as well. In the FWO-SBO project Cross-talk, scientific knowledge is bundled into a 3D model in which plant and growth environments interact continuously. We learn how and how much the plant can grow in direct response to its microclimate. Thus, it remains important that we continue to study and include all interactions with the environment."
Kathy Steppe: "A good grower also remains crucial, so we must not lose sight of that. On the contrary, our goal should also be to provide them with the tools to apply new digital techniques. We must first take the step towards decision support before we will be able to grow automatically."
Emmy Dhooghe: "We also continue to believe that in research, the expertise on growers present within the Agrotopia chair will remain crucial to help accelerate fundamental research. This is also the core idea behind the Agrotopia chair, the combination of basic research with practical knowledge."
Source: Inagro