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

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是提供一种可持续的方法，在不受地点、气候或一年的季节影响的住宅消费者层面为个人种植健康的农产品。该项目将开发新的系统，在占地面积较小的空间种植农产品，减少食物浪费以及饮用水和能源的消耗。这可以提供在资源有限的小空间内提高成本效益生产的能力。这个SBIR第一期项目的智力优势是一种新的植物栽培技术，称为旋转式气培。再加上可调的辐照度生长效率研究灯，旨在研究光的波长和时间如何影响植物的光形态建成。旋转式气培栽培是一种在旋转的圆柱形塔上种植植物的方法，该塔垂直固定在一个受控的环境室内。与传统的垂直耕作方法相比，塔式设计为种植植物提供了更大的表面积，从而在更小的空间内以更低的能耗增加了种植植物的数量。该项目的目标是在食品安全的环境中成功地种植健康的绿叶蔬菜品种。多光谱光将用于学习如何最大限度地提高植物产量，将食品安全风险降至最低，并提高不同植物类型的味道。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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.