SBIR Phase I: Plant Photomorphogenesis using Adaptive Multispectral LED Arrays in a Rotary Aeroponic Cultivation Chamber (RACC)

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The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to provide a sustainable method to grow healthy produce for individuals at a residential consumer level independent of location, climate, or season of the year. This project will develop new systems to grow produce in spaces with a small footprint, reducing food waste and consumption of potable water and energy. This can provide the capability to enhance cost-effective production in a small space with limited resources. The intellectual merit of this SBIR Phase I project is a new plant cultivation technology, called rotary aeroponics. coupled with a tunable irradiance growth efficiency research light designed to examine how light wavelength and timing can impact plant photomorphogenesis. Rotary aeroponic cultivation is the method of growing plants on a rotating cylindrical tower that is affixed vertically within a controlled environmental chamber. The tower design provides a larger surface area for growing plants in comparison to traditional vertical farming methods, thereby increasing the number of plants grown in a smaller space with less power consumption. The goal of this project is to successfully grow a healthy polyculture assortment of leafy green vegetables in a food-safe environment. The multi-spectra light will be used to learn how to maximize plant yields, minimize food safety risks, and enhance the taste profiles of different plant types.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.