GelPonic: Smart hydrogels containing graphene-based sensors for precision control of vertical farms

GelPonic：含有石墨烯传感器的智能水凝胶，用于垂直农场的精确控制

• 批准号: 50715
• 金额: $ 133.79万
• 依托单位: AEH INNOVATIVE HYDROGEL LTD
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Collaborative R&D
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2020 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=50715
• 关键词: GelPonic; Smart; hydrogels; containing; graphene

To meet both the demands of a growing population and reduce the environmental impact of agriculture, there is an acute need to radically improve crop production systems globally. Vertical farming, where crops are produced in controlled environments with optimised growth mediums, water, air and nutrients, is a highly promising alternative to traditional agriculture especially in urban and/or water stressed environments. The vertical farming market is worth$3Bn globally and is predicted to reach $22Bn by 2026 (Forbes, 2018). Due to the micro-controlled environment, the resulting produce is of higher quality due to receiving the essential nutrients and water required for optimum growth and pesticide-free. The market is driven by out-of-season, year-round demand for fresh salad vegetables, especially tomatoes and leafy salad, the market value of which was £1.1bn in 2017.This project aims to revolutionise food production via controlled environment agriculture and make it globally accessible, including opening new markets in the developing world and capitalising on growing Middle Eastern vertical farming markets. In collaboration with project partners at Crop Health & Protection (CHAP) and Labman Automation Ltd, AEH Innovation Hydrogel Ltd will develop and demonstrate the novel GelPonic system based on an innovative graphene-based growth media that is affordable, long-lasting, re-usable, water-saving, conservative with respect to nutrients, and that filters out pathogens. The proposed vertical farming system will integrate the latest in renewable energy technologies, sensors and controls to significantly improve the precision, productivity and sustainability of controlled environment agriculture practices, whilst reducing carbon emissions to transform and decarbonise the industry.

为了满足不断增长的人口的需求并减少农业对环境的影响，迫切需要从根本上改善全球作物生产系统。垂直农业是在具有优化的生长介质、水、空气和营养的受控环境中生产作物，是传统农业的一种非常有前途的替代方案，特别是在城市和/或水资源紧张的环境中。全球垂直农业市场规模为30亿美元，预计到2026年将达到220亿美元（福布斯，2018年）。由于微控制的环境，所产生的产品质量更高，因为获得了最佳生长所需的基本营养素和水，并且不含农药。该市场受到反季节、全年对新鲜沙拉蔬菜的需求的推动，特别是西红柿和绿叶沙拉，2017年的市场价值为11亿英镑。该项目旨在通过受控环境农业彻底改变食品生产，并使其在全球范围内可获得，包括在发展中国家开辟新市场，并利用不断增长的中东垂直农业市场。AEH Innovation Hydrogel Ltd与作物健康与保护（Crop Health & Protection）和Labman Automation Ltd的项目合作伙伴合作，将开发和展示基于创新石墨烯基生长介质的新型GelPonic系统，该系统价格实惠，持久，可重复使用，节水，营养保守，并过滤病原体。拟议的垂直农业系统将整合最新的可再生能源技术、传感器和控制装置，以显著提高受控环境农业实践的精度、生产力和可持续性，同时减少碳排放，实现行业转型和脱碳。