InFarm2.x: Data enabled vertical farming with minimal waste and emissions and maximum efficiency and crop nutrition

到2050年，全球人口预计将增长到98亿，其中70亿人生活在城市地区。以节约资源和能源的方式为所有人提供营养食品正变得越来越具有挑战性。在过去的40年里，由于土壤退化，三分之一的可用土地消失，种植农作物的耕地变得越来越稀缺（格兰瑟姆可持续未来中心，2015）。垂直农业，即在受控环境下在室内堆叠托盘中种植农作物，可以为传统农业提供可行的大规模替代方案。垂直农业使种植者能够完全控制生产健康植物所需的所有东西，包括热量，光线和水。因此，该系统可以针对全年生长量身定制，并且比传统农业使用更少的水和能源。此外，不需要使用杀虫剂或杀虫剂。另一个显著的优势是地理位置;垂直农场可以位于农村和城市环境中，以确保农产品尽可能接近消费者，减少食物里程，从而有助于实现净零排放目标。我们的项目将由Infarm领导，Infarm是一家非常成功的垂直农业企业，他们将垂直农业系统商业化，生产营养健康的叶沙拉和草药。零售商和消费者希望更多的新鲜农产品以这种方式种植，包括豌豆，豆类，西红柿，草莓，辣椒和胡萝卜。然而，这些产品通常具有更复杂的生长周期，需要更多的条件控制和监测。我们的目标是开发和优化系统，以种植比目前更广泛的水果和蔬菜。我们将优化我们的种植空间，包括额外的气体传感器和监控摄像头，使我们能够监控不同作物的生长周期和变化，以制定出完美的生长条件。一旦我们开发出Infarm2.x系统和流程，我们将在我们的小规模店内系统中试用该项目的产出，产品直接从种植到消费者，省去了昂贵的，能源密集型运输。我们将与主要合作伙伴合作，提供所需的技术和科学研究专业知识，以增强我们不断增长的空间（RoboScientific和纽卡斯尔大学）以及英国主要食品零售商Marks and Spencer，以促进试验并就最终用户需求提供建议。

Global population is expected to grow to 9.8Bn by 2050 with 7Bn of these people living in urban areas. Providing nutritious food for all in a resource and energy efficient manner is becoming increasingly challenging. Arable land to grow crops is becoming more scarce with a third of usable land lost in the last 40 years due to soil degradation (Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures, 2015).Vertical farming whereby crops are grown indoors in stacked trays under controlled environments can provide a viable large scale alternative to traditional agriculture. Vertical farming gives growers the ability to fully control all the things needed to produce healthy plants including heat, light and water. As such, the systems can be tailored for year round growth and use significantly less water and energy than traditional farming. Additionally, no insecticides or pesticides need to be used. Another significant advantage is location; vertical farms can be located in both rural and urban environments to ensure the produce is a close to the consumer as possible, reducing food miles and therefore contributing to net zero emissions targets.Our project will be led by Infarm, a highly successful vertical farming business who have commercialised vertical farming systems to produce nutritious and healthy leafy salads and herbs. Retailers and consumers want more fresh produce grown in this way including peas, beans, tomatoes, strawberries, chillies and carrots. However, these products often have more complex growth cycles and needs requiring more condition control and monitoring.We aim to develop and optimise systems to grow a wider variety of fruit and vegetables than at present. We will optimise our growing spaces to include additional gas sensors and monitoring cameras to allow us to monitor the growth cycles and changes to varying crops to work out the perfect growing conditions.Once we have developed the Infarm2.x system and processes, we will trial the project outputs in our small scale in-store systems where produce goes straight from growing to the consumer, cutting out the need for expensive, energy intensive transport.We will work with key partners to provide the technology and scientific research expertise needed to enhance our growing spaces (RoboScientific and, Newcastle University) and key UK food retailer Marks and Spencer to facilitate trials and advise on end user needs.