Three entrepreneurs are currently working on the world's largest vertical farm near New York. They are combining high-tech with agricultural cultivation. Others are also working on new cultivation methods for lettuce and co. that are based on state-of-the-art technology and innovative solutions. Reason enough to take a closer look at the "lettuce of the future".
The founders of the world's largest vertical farm grow lettuce and herbs in a former steelworks that has now been turned into a high-tech farm. The initiators' concept: the roots of the lettuce plants hang in the air and are sprayed automatically. Fertilization is also carried out in the same way. Software-supported LED lamps and small fans provide the lettuce with fresh air and sufficient light. A computer records all processes so that all production steps can be systematically analyzed. According to the company, productivity is 70 % higher than with conventional cultivation methods.
High-tech meets agriculture
Speaking of technology and agriculture, it is a little-known fact that the high-tech company Fujitsu also combines state-of-the-art technology with agricultural ambitions. The company has converted a Japanese plant, where semiconductor boards were manufactured until about a year ago, into a 2,000 square meter farm for growing lettuce. Lettuce plants are grown in clean rooms, completely free of dust, bacteria and, above all, without any sunlight. The Fujitsu developers are also working on new varieties, such as a low-potassium lettuce for patients with kidney disease or lettuce heads with a low nitrate content to make the taste less bitter. According to Fujitsu, the shelf life of the lettuce is also longer and the sterile-growing lettuce does not require any pesticides - making it more sustainable than some conventionally bred lettuce varieties.
High-tech factories and greenhouses: Agriculture 2.0
Fujitsu is far from alone with this project in Japan. There are now almost 400 high-tech vegetable factories in the Asian country. Numerous competitors from the electronics industry have already entered the agricultural sector, such as Toshiba and Panasonic. Toshiba is also focusing on lettuce cultivation, while Panasonic wants to revolutionize the agricultural sector with fully automated greenhouses.
The MITCityFARM project takes a similar approach: the research team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is investigating new ways of growing plants with a low input of resources - such as light and water - and few nutrients. A high-tech greenhouse should be able to determine at any time which plant is growing how and which nutrients it needs. The main aim of this is to save water and fertilizer and, subsequently, pesticides. In the greenhouse, state-of-the-art sensors and LED lighting ensure that even the incidence of light is adapted to the needs of the plants. As a result, the vegetables no longer need to form stalks to grow towards the sun.
NASA is also focusing on new cultivation methods: NASA astronauts have managed to grow and successfully cultivate red romaine lettuce on board the International Space Station (ISS). Incidentally, the astronauts' lettuce was also illuminated with colored LED lamps.
Undergroundlow-CO2 cultivation methods
But greenhouses also have a disadvantage - conventional greenhouses are not very climate-friendly. One kilogram of lettuce causes more than 30 times as many carbon dioxide emissions as the same amount grown outdoors. In turn, pesticides are often used in field cultivation. The "Nemo's Garden" project is working on an underwater cultivation system for lettuce and herbs. With the help of transparent balloons open at the bottom, which are filled with air underwater and anchored to the seabed, greenhouses are created in the middle of the sea. The almost constant temperature in the water provides ideal conditions. The plants do not receive the water directly: the sunlight that shines through the balloons onto the seeds causes the seawater under the plant platform to evaporate. The resulting vapor collects at the top of the balloon to form salt-free droplets, which water the plants. Underwater cameras monitor the plants as they grow and thrive.
Urban Farming 2.0: growing lettuce in air raid shelters
In London, lettuce and other vegetables such as radishes, garlic and various herbs are grown in eight air raid shelters located 33 meters below the Clapham district of London, completely without daylight. The replacement light is provided by economical LED lights. In addition, hydroponics provide the salad plants with nutrients, while recyclable coconut fiber mats serve as a substitute for potting soil. According to the company, this concept saves fertilizer and up to 70 percent water compared to above-ground cultivation.
Current figures and statistics also show that such ideas, such as those of leading high-tech providers and innovative research projects outside of conventional agriculture, make perfect sense: The UN expects the world's population to increase by more than 2.5 billion people in the next 35 years. Almost 800 million people worldwide are already starving today. According to the FAO, IFAD and WFP, there has been little progress in the fight against hunger.
In addition, almost 75% of the population will live in urban areas in the future - especially in cities, the space that can be used for agriculture seems to be limited.
