Indoor Agriculture and Lettuce Cultivation.

 

Agricultural Technology

Indoor agriculture (with Hydroponic or another modern method)  is an industry that continues to grow - and not only the variety of greenhouses - but a new form of farming that does not use solar light or pesticides, some water, and comprehensive modern technology. 

Inside, rows of bright, leafy green Roman lettuce greet us from water trays. 

Each section is at a different stage of development ranging from two weeks to the harvest time, which occurs in five weeks. 

The company also monitors ground and air conditions, captured every 30 seconds with internally generated software; powerful Computers monitor the entire cycle.

This romaine lettuce receives 16 hours of artificial light from LED lights and uses about 18,000 gallons of water throughout the year, a fraction of traditional lettuce farms. 

Hydroponic agriculture has long been considered for its water efficiency, but critics of inland agriculture as it says the cost of powering LED lights is hard to justify. Falcone agrees that it is expensive but cites Haitz's law, which allows LED lights' efficiency to increase exponentially every decade.

"So we pay for a lot of electricity to power a lot of LED lights," he said. "The thing we always point out is that the efficiency of LEDs increases every two years."

Watch the related Video from Farm, which consumes 95% less water than conventional cultivation.

Lighting

With the evolution of high-efficiency and power LEDs, it became possible to use them for lighting and illumination. For example, LEDs are used in street lights or in architectural constructions that require lighting with alternating colors. 

They are also used as leading lights in cars, motorcycles, and bicycles.

LEDs are also increasingly used in aquarium lighting. 

They can provide the required light with less heat emission and thus help maintain the optimal temperature of the aquarium.

 Because they can produce light with a specific wavelength, they are ideal for providing a particular spectrum of color for the coloring of corals, fish, anemones, etc.

LEDs are also ideal for TVs, laptops, and DLP projectors.

Tim Griffin of the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition and Political Science said this latest iteration of urban agriculture could diversify food supply as the weather becomes increasingly volatile.

An urban farm in Chicago

"I think it's another way to grow food, and if it works very well with certain foods, then we need to think about how we need to think positively," he added. "And then [we should] also think about who has access to what and who does not."

Although we will not see corn or wheat grown on these things, this does not preclude strawberries, rice, and grapes from going with the ever-growing lettuce varieties.

Is Modern Inner farming the Answer to Climate Change?

Write if you want your questions in the comments below; thanks for reading. 👍