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

为了满足不断增长的人口的需求和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。垂直农业是在受控的环境中生产作物，具有优化的生长介质、水、空气和营养物质，是传统农业的一个非常有前途的替代方案，特别是在城市和/或缺水的环境中。全球垂直农业市场价值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，所得到的产品质量更高，因为获得了最佳生长所需的必需营养和水，而且没有杀虫剂。市场是由淡季、全年对新鲜沙拉蔬菜的需求推动的，尤其是西红柿和叶沙拉，2017年的市场价值为11亿英镑。该项目旨在通过可控环境农业彻底改变粮食生产，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创新水凝胶有限公司将与作物健康与保护（CHAP）和Labman自动化有限公司的项目合作伙伴合作，开发并演示基于创新的石墨烯基生长介质的新型GelPonic系统，该系统价格合理、持久、可重复使用、节水、营养成分保守，并能过滤病原体。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，以显着提高控制环境农业实践的精度，生产力和可持续性，同时减少碳排放，以转变和脱碳行业。

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.