It’s no secret that the global population is snowballing.

According to UN estimates, there will be 9.7 billion people on the planet by 2050. Consumption rises in tandem with population growth. Inadequate food production is one of the most urgent issues facing the globe today, and it is becoming worse. The Guardian claims that because of pollution or erosion, one-third of our planet’s agricultural land has been destroyed in the last 40 years. Traditional agriculture is challenging to conduct due to the unpredictable weather caused by today’s climate crisis.

However, what if there was a way to increase productivity while growing food indoors, away from inclement weather?

Vertical farming, an emerging concept, may hold the answer.

WHAT IS VERTICAL FARMING?

Vertical farming is an indoor farming approach that grows food on vertically inclined surfaces, as opposed to regular outside horizontal farming. Vertically stacked layers enable farmers to generate a significantly larger yield of food on the same area of land. Imagine skyscrapers in cities. We build flats and condominiums instead of laying up houses horizontally over the area. These crop layers are positioned in a range of unusual settings, such as greenhouses, skyscrapers, warehouses, and shipping containers. Areas that aren’t appropriate for conventional farming.

Leafy greens, such as cabbage, kale, chard and lettuce, are the most often planted crops. Leafy greens are grown in 57% of indoor farms, according to Light Science Tech. These leafy greens are easy to grow, in high demand, and have a short turnaround time. Herbs, microgreens, and soft fruits like strawberries are among the other crops frequently grown on vertical farms. The appeal of vertical farming stems from gaining control of circumstances. Vertical farms employ a variety of technologies to regulate and monitor indoor farm variables such as temperature, humidity, and lighting. However, some of these elements are difficult to handle. Vertical farms require careful management of these components; otherwise, they will lose crop output. Modern smart farming technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT), are utilised to precisely measure and regulate the agricultural environment.

Is that all we could come up with: growing plants on top of one other? However, it is not quite that straightforward.

When reading about vertical farming, you may come across the acronym “CEA”, which stands for Controlled Environment Agriculture Technology. Vertical farms are mostly housed indoors, so technology can produce ideal growth conditions for the plants. However, it is critical to preserve the fragile environment that exists during the growth phase. Similar to losing an entire crop owing to unfavourable weather conditions in the field, it might occur indoors due to a little imbalance in the equation. CEA technology enables successful year-round food production. Vertical farming, which is not reliant on weather or access to farms, is a viable alternative for urban environments. Another reason vertical farming is appealing to cities is that it may be practised anywhere, indoors or outdoors.

HOW DOES VERTICAL FARMING WORK?

Vertical farming is a novel approach to agriculture that uses controlled environment agriculture (CEA) technologies to produce crops in layers that are stacked vertically. Growth factors like temperature, humidity, water, and light may be precisely monitored and controlled because of advanced technologies like data science, software, and robotics. To save electricity, vertical farms are intended to give plants access to natural sunshine as their primary source of light.

Hydroponic, aeroponic, and aquaponic systems are used to give plants vital nutrients. They are all soil-less or substrate-based technologies used for irrigation and fertilisation in contemporary farming.

1. Hydroponic Systems: Plants grow in a nutrient-rich fluid, eliminating the need for soil. This strategy is gaining popularity, particularly in metropolitan settings with limited acreage and poor soil quality. Hydroponic systems may dramatically minimise their environmental effect by saving and recycling water, using less fertiliser, and producing more food all year.
2. Aeroponic Systems: Aeroponic systems employ a misting mechanism to provide water and nutrients to the roots of plants. Aeroponics also requires less fertiliser than traditional agriculture and is the most cost-effective in terms of water utilisation.
3. Aquaponic Systems: Aquaponics is a hybrid of aquaculture (fish farming) and hydroponics in which fish excrement is used to feed plants. The symbiotic link between fish and plants creates an efficient circulatory system. While the crops profit from the fish excrement, the plants organically clean the water.

SMART FARMING WITH AI AND IOT

Smart farming makes use of modern information and communication technology to improve agricultural yield and quality. Smart farming also optimises the amount of work required to produce crops. The agriculture business is currently utilising technologies such as IoT, AI, robots, and drones to improve efficiency and production. Vertical farming relies heavily on technology.

Vertical farms cultivate crops in a simulated environment that technology creates and maintains. Many vertical farms employ IoT systems to monitor and manage fertiliser levels, irrigation, light, and water. IoT provides a significant benefit by allowing process automation via sensors and robotics, reducing the requirement for human labour. IoT technology also enables farmers to collect data on their crops and growing processes. The obtained data gives the necessary knowledge for crop testing and improvement.

Artificial intelligence is also applied in vertical farming. AI is frequently configured to receive data gathered by IoT sensors to regulate food production and monitor the growing environment’s water usage, light, and ambient temperature. By connecting with sensors, AI-powered systems may regulate operations in real-time, detecting abnormalities and making changes to enhance conditions on the fly.

However, AI extends beyond raising output to improve crop quality. Fifth Season, a vertical farm in Pittsburgh, uses big data and AI to develop optimally grow recipes that decide the greatest flavour for their plants. The startup uses AI to fine-tune the desired flavour of its crops by experimenting with different lighting and nutrition combinations. Crop inputs fluctuate to affect sweetness, spiciness, bitterness, texture, and more.

ADVANTAGES OF VERTICAL FARMING

1. Grow Consistent Supply Year-round: The fact that vertical farming is not dependent on the weather is perhaps its most significant advantage. Extreme and severe weather conditions significantly reduce crop quality and quantity, placing traditional agriculture at a disadvantage. This is especially true during the winter months in northern countries like Canada, Russia, and the United States. Vertical farms allow for year-round crop production in a protected and controlled environment, resulting in predictable and scheduled output. Vertical farms provide year-round crop production in a protected and monitored environment, resulting in predictable and programmed output. Vertical farms also cut harvest times and boost crop yields while maintaining quality.
2. Decreased Water Use: Vertical farms are more environmentally friendly than traditional farms since they use a lot less water. Compared to conventional crops, vertical farms frequently use 80% to 99% less water. This is because indoor farms employ technology to manage the growth environment. Crops lose less water via evaporation because they are grown inside, where humidity is tightly managed. Vertical farms also recycle water that crops do not consume or that evaporates into the atmosphere. Excess water is returned to the production cycle and used for other crops on the farm.
3. Reduced Land and Transportation Requirements: Vertical farms also require less area to achieve comparable crop yields than regular farms. This benefits the environment. More than 80% of global deforestation is thought to be caused by agriculture. With more vertical farms, formerly cultivated areas will be able to restore their natural ecosystems and biodiversity. Because vertical farming eliminates the need for produce transportation, it also benefits the environment. Because vertical farms are frequently located in urban areas, food is transported from the farm to the shelves of grocery stores in a couple of hours.
4. High Crop Yield with Small Footprint: Vertical farms generate more crops per acre than typical farms. One idea is to stack the crops vertically while managing the atmosphere. Vertical farms stack crops high in trays or towers, enabling increased food production in a smaller area of land (source: Eden Green). This implies that hundreds of plants are grown in the same amount of area as a single plant in a conventional farm. Maximising crop growing space guarantees that the farm’s crop output increases. Vertical farms also lessen the danger of crop loss, which is a major concern on regular farms. Extreme weather, pollution, and pests may all be avoided with indoor farming. Every year, 20-40% of outdoor crops are lost due to diseases, pests, and weeds, with climatic problems claiming even more. With no pests, a regulated indoor farming environment offers insurance against significant crop losses.

THE FUTURE OF FARMING: IS IT VERTICAL?

Traditional agricultural techniques have remained mostly unchanged. Farmers use knowledge systems, standard equipment, natural resources, and organic fertiliser to produce and harvest their crops. However, as food demand rises and climate change has an influence on our globe, conventional farming practices must become more efficient and technologically advanced.

The agriculture business has already implemented innovative machinery that increases the size, speed, and productivity of farm equipment, resulting in more effective land cultivation. However, the technological transition cannot end here. The agricultural business must continue to enhance technology by using data and communication. This involves leveraging AI, data analytics, and linked sensors (IoT) to boost productivity and promote sustainability.

Traditional outdoor farming will not completely replace indoor farming in the future. It is a practice that is critical to the world’s food supply networks and will remain the primary source of food production. Traditional agricultural techniques, on the other hand, must adapt in tandem with technology to assure good crop yields and higher revenues, as well as to battle the impacts of climate change.