The growing demand for food and reliable supply of fresh produce has led to the development of vertical farms. By growing crops on a small area in a multi-layer system, high yields can be achieved year round with predictable and high quality. A compact vertical growing system like this, also results in less energy and water consumption.
Suitable crops for vertical farming are:
- Microgreens
- Leafy greens
- Medical cannabis
These crops are perfect for high density cultivations. Besides food production, seed processing and plant cultivation, vertical farms are also often used for research of vegetation.
Vertical growing methods are usually combined with soilless farming techniques such as hydroponics, aquaponics or aeroponics. These agricultural developments lead to extremely efficient use of space, water and nutrients.
Advantages of vertical farming:
- Maximum yield on minimal area
- Accurate prediction of yield and revenue
- Fully controllable climate and cultivation process
- Unaffected by weather conditions, outdoor climate and daylight
- Continuous crop delivery throughout the entire year
- Uniform and better plant quality
- Reduced cultivation time
- Efficient space usage and minimal area needed
- Reduced transport costs due to proximity to the customer
- Lower energy consumption
- Lower water usage and less fertilizer needed
- Organic production due to closed process without chemicals or pesticides
- Environmentally friendly
- Lower labour costs
- Employee safety