4 minute read
Vertical Farming
REVOLUTION IN INDOOR AEROPONICS FARMING, BY NEW EDGE TECHNIQUE CALLED: REVOPONICS, DEVELOPED BY FLORA CONSULT
Written By: Praveen Sharma, Flora Consult
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The world is abuzz with Indoor Vertical Farming, especially in the developed countries. The Indoor Farming has got fancy of global investors. The world indoor vertical farming business is growing at 23% CAGR, and expected to cross US$6 billion by 2026. The ability of vertical farming to produce high-quality herbs, fruits, and vegetables throughout the year will positively influence the market revenue. Revoponics is advanced Vertical Aeroponics Technique, which has resulted in huge cost saving on capital investments and operational costs of the Indoor Aeroponics Farms.
Why Indoor Vertical Farming:
• World Population Growth The planet earth has limited agricultural land, and population is ever growing. According to United Nations Population Division (2009), the world population will increase from about 7.85 billion to 9.8 billion by 2050 or an addition of about 2.0 billion more people to feed. • Agriculture Consumes 70% 0f worlds water WWF - notes that agriculture wastes 60% of the 2,500 trillion liters (1,500 trillion liters of water) it uses each year; or 70% of the world’s accessible water. • US, China, India, Pakistan, Australia and Spain have reached, or are close to reaching, their renewable water resource limits. • Growth in Urban Population The percentage of urban population will likewise increase from 50.46% in 2010 to 68.70% in 2050. It is expected that world population will continue to increase. Currently, the rate of growth per year is about 80 million. • Agriculture Land Reducing- This is Alarming New Delhi: In India cultivable land is gradually shrinking, making the agricultural future of this highly populous country bizarre. Latest data from the Agricultural Ministry shows that as many as 20 states reported decrease in cultivable land to the extent of 790,000 hectares in four years from 2007-08 to 2010-11. • This decline of almost 200,000 ha per year, is bound to go up with new era of development, infrastructure, roads etc. • Limited Land for Agriculture This is a major concern because the land area of the Earth is limited only to about 13 billion ha, in 2008, the total agriculture area in the world was about 4.88 billion Ha (FAPSTAT,2010)
Introduction to Aeroponics Growing Technology:
• The art of Aeroponics Growing has been adjudged as most advanced system of growing various crops. The research by NASA has
concluded this method as one of the most suitable method of growing veggies on Mars. • Aeroponics growing systems provide clean, efficient, and rapid grow production. Crops can be planted and harvested in the system year round without interruption, and without contamination from soil, pesticides, and residue. Since the growing environment is clean and sterile, it greatly reduces the chances of spreading plant disease and infection commonly found in soil and other growing media. • Aeroponics systems can reduce water usage by 90 percent, fertilizer usage by 60 percent, and pesticide usage by 90 percent, all while maximizing crop yields. Plants grown in the Aeroponics systems have also been shown to uptake more minerals and vitamins, making the plants “healthier and potentially more nutritious.”
Low Energy Consumption.
The AGT ( Aeroponics Grow Towers) offers high production per sq m of greenhouse area.
The plant population can be increased to five to ten times plus as compared to prevalent horizontal hydroponics.
The cost per plant of climate control of greenhouse reduces due to high plant population.
The AGT offers a cooling tower effect, due to showers falling repeatedly from as high as 10 feet. This reduces the temperature of the Nutrigation water.
Based on our experience and results obtained by various international agencies, we found Aeroponics is most cost efficient in terms of quality, quantity and ease of growing.
NASA has shortlisted this method of growing for their Mission on Mars.
The product grown under this system command premium in the market.
The Challenges: The Aeroponics has great advantage on energy saving, when it is compared to any other hydroponics growing method. The Indoor Aeroponics faces similar challenges as any other growing method, i.e. High cost of Lighting and Climate Control.
High Capex (Capital
Expenditure): The Indoor Farms require huge investments on infrastructure, like Pre Engineered Buildings, Air conditioning, Hydroponics Equipment, Artificial Lighting, CO2 enrichment, sensor based climate control etc.
High Operational Cost: The cost of growing under Indoor Vertical Farms is exhorbitant due to high energy consumption. The biggest consumption of energy is artificial lighting and climate controls.
What is Revoponics:
The need is mother of invention. Flora Consult is engaged in raising Indoor Vertical Aeroponics Farm.
It was realized the biggest limitations for the success of an Indoor Farm is high capital cost, followed by higher operational Cost.
Revoponics is most advanced Energy Efficient Vertical Aeroponics Technique, where in plants grow with Aeroponics Technique, while rotating around an axis.
Revoponics is a sustainable Technology for Indoor Aeroponics Farming.
