Agrotechnology

Agriculture's Advancement through Vertical Farming and Advanced Technologies

Matty Mey^* Department of Agricultural Food Sciences, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
^*Correspondence: Matty Mey, Department of Agricultural Food Sciences, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands, Email:

Received: 02-Sep-2022, Manuscript No. AGT-22-18335; Editor assigned: 05-Sep-2022, Pre QC No. AGT-22-18335 (PQ); Reviewed: 19-Sep-2022, QC No. AGT-22-18335; Revised: 26-Sep-2022, Manuscript No. AGT-22-18335 (R); Published: 03-Oct-2022, DOI: 10.35248/2168-9881.22.11.282

Description

A well-known method of growing vegetables indoors under precisely controlled weather and lighting conditions is vertical farming. The idea is to use technology to implement automated facilities that work to produce more agricultural goods while considerably reducing their environmental impact. An important advantage is how independent from large flat, horizontal regions this type of agricultural operation is. The term "vertical" is used since this manufacturing might be done on floors or piled up on numerous planes. Among the agricultural methods employed on vertical farms are sustainable energy sources, artificial light control, and purposeful use of water (and other precious natural resources) for the planting process. Environmentally controlled farming technologies may and should be used on vertical farms to control environmental factors like temperature and humidity.

As more vertical farming and indoor horticulture businesses develop, there is an increasing demand for products and solutions that help improve yields and consistency. Innovative pre-made and custom choices, such as sensor systems and lighting fixtures, are assisting manufacturers in meeting this demand. In order to ensure that a design can be manufactured or integrated as effectively as possible, there are a number of aspects to take into account. Sensors and indoor lighting for farms have special needs that need for understanding beyond that of lighting used in commercial and industrial settings for people. With its wide range of components, including sensors, LED power supplies, and power supplies, Arrow offers expertise in horticultural equipment design and specification.

Innovations in technology are essential to improving Singapore's food security. Vertical farming, aquaponics, internet-driven agriculture, technology-driven food waste management (zero waste food processing), and platform technology to create alternative and unconventional food sources are some examples of such technologies. Three key areas urban farming, processing technologies, and alternative food sources can be characterized as Singapore's methods for boosting food security when taken as a whole. Vertical farming, aquaponics, and the internet of things all fall under the category of urban farming, whereas smart packaging, natural preservatives, and food waste valorization are the main areas of processing technology. Last but not least, cultivated meat, microalgae, and insect farming would be considered as alternate food sources. Despite the limited amount of land that may be used for agriculture, technology-driven farming techniques should give the country a safety net to weather any abrupt disruptions in the food supply from other nations.

Additionally, vertical farming makes considerably better use of water. The system's ability to circulate water effectively means that the only water lost is that which is embodied in crop biomass. A vertical farming system in the Netherlands only needs to use 4% of the water required to grow the same amount of lettuce. The supply of nutrients utilized for cell culture and the layout of the bioreactor system both affect how efficiently cultured meat is produced in terms of water utilization. Cultured meat may have a 96% lower carbon footprint than beef and an 82% lower footprint than poultry, according to a prospective study. Plants are produced in numerous vertical layers, which help to reduce the amount of area used for agriculture. Depending on the assumptions made about the supply of nutrients utilized for cell culturing, the estimates for the land use needs for producing cultured meat range from less than 1% to 5% of those needed for conventionally farmed beef and from 3% to 50% of those needed for poultry. These advantages would not, however, follow automatically; policies that provide incentives for sustainable land use would be required. Existing farmland, which supports the livelihoods of millions of people, cannot be magically eliminated by the introduction of a new product to the marketplace.

Blue and pink LED lights that mimic sunlight are used to grow plants vertically in a fully controlled, enclosed environment in order to hasten photosynthesis. This approach does not use pesticides and delivers water and fertilizer in precise amounts.

Digital technology can be used in a wide range of ways at the vertical farm complex. The words "vertical farms" and "digital farms" are therefore nearly synonymous. They are substantially more likely to have access to high-speed networks than traditional agricultural regions because they are primarily concentrated in urban areas. Vertical farms effectively protect crops from weather variations, which are becoming more important as a result of global warming. The design of vertical farms may be negatively impacted by additional elements, including potential effects on cities and even some inconveniences that planting in urban areas may create, such as noise pollution at different times or issues stemming from the use of cities' water treatment systems. The viability of vertical farms economically is another factor that needs to be taken into account. Due to the high cost of building the frame, productivity in these circumstances must be significantly higher than in ordinary circumstances.