ACDC: Advanced Crop Dynamic Control for sustainable leaf protein production in vertical farms

ACDC：用于垂直农场可持续叶蛋白生产的先进作物动态控制

• 批准号: 10076948
• 金额: $ 96.48万
• 依托单位: LETTUS GROW LTD
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Collaborative R&D
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2023 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=10076948
• 关键词: ACDC; Advanced; Crop; Dynamic; Control

This project addresses UK food security challenges amidst a climate crisis by offering a game-changing solution to **transform inefficient TCEA** (total controlled environment agriculture) operations into sustainable, **energy-efficient crop growing systems**. By collaborating to integrate innovative technologies, the project will characterise and demonstrate novel, responsive TCEA growing methods to optimise the efficiencies of environmental control including lighting, irrigation and nutrient supply to reduce the largest contributors responsible for high carbon footprint. The solution will also automate manual operations and improve the safety/consistency/quality/shelf-life of produce for retailers/consumers, by dynamically altering the growth environment.This innovative project will, for the first time, use the **measurement of crop physiological status**, measured using an **integrated spectral imaging system**, to **inform the illumination intensity/composition**, as well as the energy management (including renewables integration); ultimately using plant health to develop **greener production recipes** using advanced **responsive control** methodologies. The project's impact will be measured by changes to **crop yield versus operational impact** benchmarked over cost/benefit and compared to the existing state of the art. The key crop identified is the high-protein leaf crop Spinach, not only as a test crop to validate this integrated TCEA technology, but as an alternative protein crop to unlock new markets.The project is delivered by a highly competent consortium led by LettusGrow and including another two technology companies: Fotenix and Vertically Urban, an RTO: CHAP, an academic partner: Rothamsted Research and a vertical farm grower: Perfectly Fresh.

该项目通过提供一种改变游戏规则的解决方案，将低效的TCEA（全控环境农业）运营转变为可持续的，节能的作物种植系统，解决了气候危机中英国的粮食安全挑战。通过合作整合创新技术，该项目将验证和展示新颖的、反应灵敏的TCEA种植方法，以优化环境控制的效率，包括照明、灌溉和养分供应，以减少造成高碳足迹的最大贡献者。该解决方案还将自动化手动操作，并通过动态改变生长环境，为零售商/消费者提高产品的安全性/一致性/质量/保质期。这一创新项目将首次使用 ** 集成光谱成像系统 ** 测量作物生理状态 **，以 ** 告知光照强度/成分 **，以及能源管理（包括可再生能源整合）;最终使用先进的 ** 响应控制 ** 方法，利用植物健康来开发 ** 更绿色的生产配方 **。该项目的影响将通过以成本/效益为基准的 ** 作物产量与运营影响 ** 的变化来衡量，并与现有技术水平进行比较。确定的关键作物是高蛋白叶作物菠菜，不仅作为验证这种综合TCEA技术的试验作物，但作为一种替代蛋白质作物，以打开新市场。该项目是由一个高度胜任的财团由LettusGrow领导，包括另外两家技术公司交付：Fotenix和Vertically Urban、RTO：Risk、学术合作伙伴：Rothamsted Research和垂直农场种植者：Perfectly Fresh。