Ever since farmers first yoked a draft animal to a plow, we have continuously
employed new ways of automation to grow more and better food. Technological
breakthroughs such as GPS-driven tractors, soil DNA testing, or smart sensors
that monitor field conditions are becoming commonplace in today’s industrial
agriculture practices.
However, with the population climbing, arable land disappearing, and the
atmosphere filling with carbon, feeding the world has to become more efficient.
Applying new technologies to traditional farming models is not sustainable
against an increasingly hostile Mother Nature. Outdoors, we’re running out of
ways to tame her.
In response, the agricultural industry ushered its technological innovations
indoors. Urban vertical
farms
and industrial-scale greenhouses are giving producers improved control over crop
quality, pest management and optimized yields. This new era of
controlled-environment agriculture (CEA) promises to give us more
locally crafted vegetables and fruit, grown more abundantly and sustainably on a
global level.
Yet, some are beginning to question agtech’s approach to CEA. While the idea is
sound, the current models are compromised. Indoor vertical farms and traditional
greenhouses face serious challenges due to their large environmental impact.
From the stress being put on electrical infrastructure to the water requirements
needed to grow the plants to the excessive carbon demands of lighting, heating
and cooling their indoor environment — it is costly and harmful to the planet.
These indoor models are also less effective because air quality, sanitation,
pests and other environmental factors remain difficult to control.
What’s needed is a new approach that leverages the best of the three ways of
growing (outdoor, greenhouse and indoor) and innovates around areas that need
improvement or can be done more efficiently and effectively. A new fourth way is
emerging; tightly controlled precision ecosystems finely tuned to the unique
genetic needs of each crop grown.
This new indoor model offers producers better ways to grow higher yields of
fresher, more flavorful fruits and vegetables closer to home and with a lower
impact on the environment. It combines a unique architectural design,
intelligent automation and advanced growing processes to create precisely
controlled growing environments that can support not only robust produce
production, but consistent medical-grade, plant-based
nutraceuticals
and pharmaceuticals — potentially including those used in the emerging sector of
plant-based vaccines.
The formula
The precision ecosystem model is based on six core technological principles:
First, bring the power of natural sunlight indoors. This is the most
critical technological breakthrough of the new model. Plants thrive and produce
tastes best when they grow in natural sunlight. Many might ask: “But isn’t that
what greenhouses do?” The fact is, they do so poorly. Even crystal-clear glass
and plastic enclosures provide subpar transmission of sunlight.
New kinds of transparent building materials are now available that bring the
full power of the sun indoors for the first time. Unlike plastic or glass, the
materials let the full spectrum of the sun’s light reach the plants — helping
them to move towards achieving their full genetic (and flavor) potential.
Natural light also warms the microclimate when necessary, dramatically reducing
heating energy requirements.
Second, combine natural sun with indoor lighting. When it’s advantageous for
plants to receive more light — such as at night or in locations with unfavorable
weather — supplemental, LED-based grow lighting like those used in indoor
vertical farms can significantly enhance and extend a plant’s photoperiod beyond
natural daylight hours; maximizing crop growth and quality, and reducing time to
harvest by up to 50 percent or better. Greenhouses don’t — and can’t — do this.
Next, tightly seal the indoor environment. While greenhouses and vertical
farms may be indoors, they remain highly susceptible to contamination, pests and
other environmental problems introduced by people, air and water entering the
facility. An additional issue is that for crops that are more pungent, the smell
also leaks out. The new model calls for a sealed, cleanroom-like microclimate
that keeps pests, pesticides and pollutants out. It also requires a closed-loop,
convective air-circulation system created to maintain ideal climatic conditions
without disease-spreading fans.
Control the temperature. The new model enables natural temperature
regulation by combining natural sunlight and organic, foam-based “clouds”
contained within the facility to dramatically reduce air-conditioning and other
energy requirements.
The fifth step: Automate everything. It is crucial to limit human
intervention and improve operational efficiencies to provide superior quality
control. The precision ecosystem model calls for highly automated hybrid
hydroponic-aeroponic systems, nutrients and lighting continuously optimized by
Internet of
Things
(IOT) technology, artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics. This heightened
level of automation reduces handling and associated costs, allowing for highest
yield and lowest environmental and cost impacts.
Lastly, cultivate varieties optimized for indoor environments. Not all
varieties of plants grown indoors are well suited for it. Cloning and seed
propagation techniques fall short. You need to isolate at the cellular level
crops that are optimized for size, automation and accelerated growth cycles.
The new model begins with careful micropropagation of varieties at the cellular
level to ensure that food starts with the ideal plant — selected for yield,
flavor and nutrition — and results in the plant achieving its full genetic
potential.
Final thoughts
The progress of humankind is heavily linked to technological changes in how
farming is done. Today, farming in the US faces challenges never before seen
that require supplementing traditional agriculture with new approaches.
A new “fourth way” model of Precision Ecosystem agriculture can be executed in
multiple agricultural sectors — from high-value crops to pharmaceutical crops to
hydroponics; solving the environmental impact, quality, flavor and yield
challenges of legacy models. This innovative approach is focused on the inherent
challenges and systems currently deployed in all corners of the agriculture
industry.
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Ingo Mueller is CEO of AgriFORCE Growing Systems - an agtech company whose technology is designed to increase crop yields, decrease production costs, protect crops from pathogens
and contamination, and reduce impacts on the environment.
Published Oct 19, 2020 8am EDT / 5am PDT / 1pm BST / 2pm CEST