Reducing food losses in Vertical Farming through root monitoring

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HAI TECH LTD is developing a root monitoring technology to help vertical farmers predict crop yield and optimise harvest timing. In the UK it is estimated that at least 7.2% of crops (3.6M tons) go to waste or are left unharvested due to grading issues related to size, weight, and appearance \[1\]. Food loss can lead to higher costs for consumers and result in an unavoidable increase in CO2 emissions. Vertical Farming (VF), a branch of Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA), is a food production technology focused on optimising efficiency and plant quality. However, it can be challenging to meet strict supermarket and restaurant gradings. For a medium-scale VF (50,000sqft) growing leafy greens, failing to surpass such challenges can lead to losses of almost £1M per year (240 tons CO2 emissions).Our solution is to help VF producers enhance their efficiency and reach desired quality standards through plant root monitoring. Plant biomass is related to the plant's ability to produce new roots, and it has been demonstrated that under different irrigation schemes the final root-to-shoot ratio of the crop can be controlled \[2\]. HAI TECH LTD is going to enable VF producers to have more control of the key enablers of productivity and sustainability of any plant ecosystem, the roots. Our technology employs electrical stimuli to create a 3D image of the root zone. Such images are then analysed using machine learning algorithms that model the performance of the crop, creating a digital twin of the plant. Unlike current monitoring technologies that provide single point measurement references (e.g., CO2, humidity, etc.), we provide a crop status report that can help farmers get their desired outcome. The technology proposed is non-invasive and easily installable on most hydroponics and potted systems, thus more accessible to users and their ecosystems.Our goal is to enhance the profitability of VF production by increasing the yield of healthy crops. Ultimately, this will help reduce food waste and the carbon impact, reduce food costs for consumers, help expand current setups and create more jobs in the sector.\[1\] WRAP. (2019), Banbury, 'Food waste in primary production in the UK'; Prepared by Bojana Bajzelj, William McManus and Andrew Parry.\[2\] Guo-wei, X. et al. (2018); 'Morphological and physiological traits of rice roots and their relationships to yield and nitrogen utilization as influenced by irrigation regime and nitrogen rate', Agricultural Water Management, Volume 203, Pages 385-394\.