Improving the productivity, sustainability and scalability of hydroponic growing systems - reducing agrochemical dependency through UV, electrolysis and organic biofilters

“**愿景：**地下种植是英国领先的水培农场，利用克拉彭的一个废弃的防空洞，为当地的超市和餐馆种植微型蔬菜和沙拉。作物播种在毛毡中，然后使用富含营养的水种植，然后在系统中回收和再利用。与传统农业相比，水培种植（HG）具有许多优势，所需水量减少90%，占地面积减少80%，产量提高50%，并且可以在通常被认为不可行的地区进行作物生产（NCBI比较：2016）。然而，由于产量不稳定和对农用化学品的依赖，在技术和商业上对汞的投资和采用正在受到阻碍。**目标：**与诺丁汉特伦特大学可持续农业部门合作，我们打算提高水培种植系统的生产力、可持续性和可扩展性，利用紫外线、生物过滤器和其他有机材料，包括微酸性电解水，对水、种子进行消毒，并在种植过程中取代农用化学品的使用。**焦点：**二氧化氯/氯酸盐（CD）已成为绝大多数水培，垂直和温室种植者的首选灭菌技术，尽管与其使用相关的环境问题。随着监管机构和消费者逐渐放弃使用农用化学品，现在至关重要的是，在闭环系统中开发一种安全、可持续、环保的CD替代品。**创新**：重点种植我们的主要作物微草本植物（茴香、香菜、沙拉火箭、紫萝卜、红芥末、芥末、韭菜）和豌豆苗，项目将在三个方面产生创新；一种无化学物质的系统，用于在闭环生长过程中净化水-利用紫外线、农杆菌、碳过滤器和多糖（WP2）的优化组合2。一种用于种子灭菌和消毒的无化学物质系统——使用紫外线、膨胀和振动系统“膨胀”种子表面占据细菌的缝隙，清除细菌和污染物（WP3）。确定每种作物的最佳UV光配置组合，以提高产量（30%）、生长率（26%）和可靠性(减少与疾病相关的作物损失（与其他无农药技术相比减少30%）**结果：**水培、垂直和其他非传统种植系统长期以来一直被承诺是传统农业的环保、可持续和资源高效替代方案，并满足预计到2030年作物需求增长60%的需求。鉴于消费者对英国种植的沙拉的潜在需求，以及监管机构对农民使用无农药的要求，我们认为这是一个价值2400万英镑（5年累计收入）的机会，对长期食品安全具有重要的战略意义。”

"**VISION:** Growing Underground are the UK's leading hydroponic farm, utilising an abandoned air raid shelter in Clapham, to grow microgreens and salads for local supermarkets and restaurants.Crops are sown into felt and then grown using nutrient-enriched water, which is then recycled and reused in the system. Hydroponic growing (HG) has a number of advantages over traditional farming, requiring 90% less water, 80% less space, producing yields 50% quicker and enabling crop production in areas typically not considered viable (NCBI comparison:2016). Investment in HG and its adoption, technologically and commercially, is being held back however through inconsistent yields and a reliance on agrochemicals.**OBJECTIVES:** Working with the Department of Sustainable Agriculture at Nottingham Trent University, we intend to improve the productivity, sustainability and scalability of hydroponic growing systems, utilising UV, biofilters and other organic materials including slightly acidic electrolyzed water to sterilize water, seeds and replace agrochemical use in the growing process.**FOCUS:** Chlorine Dioxide/Chlorates (CD) has been the sterilisation technology of choice for the vast majority on hydroponic, vertical and greenhouse growers, despite environmental issues associated with its use. As the regulatory and consumer landscape move away from the use of agrochemicals, it is now vital that a safe, sustainable, environmentally friendly alternative to CD use in closed-loop systems is developed.**INNOVATION**: Focussed on growing our main crops micro herbs (fennel, coriander, salad rocket, purple radish, red mustard, wasabi mustard, garlic chive) and pea shoots, the project will result in innovations in three areas;1. A chemical-free system to purify water in the closed loop growing processes - utilizing an optimised combination of UV, agrobacterium, carbon filters and polysaccharides (WP2)2. A chemical-free system for the sterilization and disinfection of seeds - using UV, swelling and vibration system toto 'swell' the bacteria-occupying crevices on a seed's surface and purge bacteria and contaminates (WP3).3. Determine the optimal UV light configuration combination for each crop to boost yield (30%), growth rate (26%) and reliability (reduction in disease-related crop loss (30% vs other agrochemical-free technologies)**OUTCOME:** Hydroponic, vertical and other non-traditional growing systems have long promised to be an environmentally-friendly, sustainable and resource efficient alternative to traditional agriculture and meet the 60% increase in demand for crops expected by 2030.With latent consumer demand for UK-grown salads, and regulatory demand for farmers to go agrochemical free, we see this as a £24m opportunity (5-year cumulative revenue) that is strategically important long-term food security."