In a guest blog with CHAP, Dave Scott, Founder and Chief Technical Officer for Intelligent Growth Solutions (IGS), explains that “Vertical farming enables us to build a precision-controlled growing environment that allows farmers to combat the challenges facing more traditional forms of agriculture.”
"If we look at one of the primary growth factors for plants – light colour – it is well established that red and blue light promotes growth. However, as much as we agree with this concept in principle, the reality is far more complex. There are other colours that contribute to developing a more intense flavour or starting the flowering event, for example," he adds.
What is also essential and has been overlooked in the past is the light supply: does your vertical farm provide a clean static light or is it pulsating? All these different factors are monitored and combined to make up what we call the ‘recipe’. This includes everything that happens to the crop from lighting to watering or nutrient delivery, to inspection or harvesting.
An additional factor that we also incorporate in a recipe is energy efficiency. Our goal is to only use what is essential for crop growth and if implemented correctly, vertical farming can be highly cost-effective.
It’s through such findings that we can contribute to the wider agricultural sector and support cross-industry collaboration. Sharing information is crucial, not only within our own organisation but with research partners and businesses with a similar focus, including the traditional farming sector, commercial growers or seed producers.
Read the entire blog at CHAP