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Guidelines for vertical farming growers
A vertical farm has a number of advantages compared to a traditional greenhouse, such as complete control over the growing conditions. Because of this, a grower has to take detailed decisions about every aspect of cultivation which will influence their environmental and financial sustainability. The BU Greenhouse Horticulture of Wageningen University & Research developed a checklist for growers who want to start vertical farming. Researcher Caterina Carpineti: “The guidelines contain the expert knowledge of the BU as well as insights of vertical farming companies.”
In a vertical farm, the growing conditions are completely different than in a greenhouse: there is no sunlight, light is provided solely by LED lamps which emit less radiant heat, the air is conditioned and the outside climate has no influence on the climate in the vertical farm. Carpineti: “The grower therefore has more control over the climate conditions. That provides more freedom. But it also means that different decisions have to be made, and in a different way.”
Given the scarcity of experienced growers and good practices in vertical farming, WUR - at the request of the Club van 100 - developed a checklist for growers who are considering starting a vertical farm, or want to improve their current vertical farm. The checklist consists of topics such as CO2, light, irrigation, crop choice and beneficial insects. WUR interviewed R&D representatives from five vertical farms from different countries to share their experiences with growing in a fully controlled environment. “We not only asked the growers what decisions they made, but also why. We also asked what they are looking for at this moment. This turns out to be the implementation of smart systems: with the right sensors and digital twins they can move towards autonomous growing.”
The interviews also revealed an important success factor for a vertical farm. “The companies that are successful have a strong connection with their customers. This ensures that a grower knows exactly what product is needed: when, in which quantity and with which quality attributes. The grower can then set up the vertical farm accordingly.”
This report is part of the project 'Measure, Control, Grow' financed by the Club van 100.