Typically, this soilless cultivation happens in huge greenhouses or warehouses, with plants stacked high on rows and rows of shelves. Parameters such as lighting, temperature and humidity can be controlled by computer systems, so vertical farming is sometimes called controlled environment agriculture.
There are three types of vertical farming. In hydroponics, plant roots are held in a liquid nutrient solution. In aeroponics, roots are exposed to the air and a nutrient-rich mist or spray is applied to the roots. In aquaponics, nutrients from fish farm waste replace some or all of the chemical fertilisers being delivered to plants through hydroponics.
There’s huge scope to produce a lot of food using these methods of cultivation but there are four key myths about vertical farming that need to be dispelled:
- Detalii
- Scris de: Zoe Harris, University of Surrey