American LED plant factory comparable to "sci-fi blockbuster" scene

In the American sci-fi blockbuster "Mars Rescue", the scene of the male protagonist on Mars to survive and turn the living cabin into a potato farm has made many audiences scream.

In fact, such a scene is no longer an illusion. The technology-developed United States is building plant factories and marketing such planting equipment to Saudi Arabia.

The so-called plant factory is a large indoor cultivation mode that is completely independent of the external environment. It is called a “factory” because the agricultural production model is no longer affected by climate and conditions, but is at the level of industrial production.

Plant factory built by LED lights

As early as the 1980s, Edwards in the north of Tucson, Arizona, built the world's largest super large plant, Biosphere 2.

The factory covers an area of 13,000 square meters and is about eight stories high. It is a dome-shaped sealed steel frame structure glass building. Biosphere 2 was used to test whether and how humans can live and work in a closed biosphere. It also explores the possible uses of closed ecosystems in future space colonization. Biosphere 2 enables people to research and control the biosphere without harming the Earth.

Although this experiment ultimately proved to be a failure, Biosphere 2 provided a very good learning model for those who later studied Earth System Science and Agriculture. The US vertical aerial plant factory and space plant factory have begun to change from design drawings to reality.

Today, with the world's leading temperature control and environmental control technology, the United States not only promotes plant factories in 25 cities in the country, but also imports technology into the Middle East and other regions.

According to US technology media, an industrial park in Indiana currently has the key technologies for future horticultural agriculture and vegetable cultivation.

The industrial park is equipped with 14 planting towers with a height of 7.62 meters, which are covered with various crops. These crops grow continuously in the sunshine environment for 22 hours a year, 365 days a year.

The industrial park, called "Green Sense Farms," is a collaboration between Philips, a home appliance and lighting company, and Green Sense Farms (GSF), a Chicago-based agricultural company, to create an indoor plant for LED-based light sources for specific crops. It has invested millions of dollars and is one of the largest plant factories in the world.

The farm uses the “light formula” of Philips LEDs to precisely control production. After using these devices, the farm's cabbage, kale, basil and chives will be harvested 20-25 times a year while saving 85% of energy.

“By partnering with a visionary agribusiness like GSF, Philips is creating a 'light formula' database for different plant varieties,” said Udo van Slooten, director of horticultural lighting at Philips. “The vertical hydroponics technology and Philips LED growth source that GSF is using is They bring a unique advantage – consistently producing quality crops throughout the year.

Of course, plants also need hours of "sunset" breaks to start "sleeping."

Robert Colangelo, founder and president of Green Sense Farms, said: “This plant has increased the amount of planted per acre and the annual harvest. We only produce very little waste. Since the produced crops are consumed locally, it is also maximal. Greenhouse gas emissions are reduced. At the same time, because the wavelength of the LED light source can be effectively controlled, we can also make the grown cabbage more crispy, softer and more delicious."

According to Philips, indoor planting controlled by LED light sources can shorten the growth cycle of plants by 50% compared to conventional methods. This means that consumers have the opportunity to enjoy the local cultivation of fresh crops throughout the year.

LED lamps have a lower temperature and can be placed in an optimal position closer to the plant, thus ensuring that all parts of the plant are perfectly illuminated. This method eliminates the use of harmful pesticides, chemical fertilizers and preservatives, so that the output is organically improved, and there is almost no chemical addition, which coincides with the modern people's pursuit of high-quality green and healthy living.

For now, this method of planting may not be suitable for crops such as corn and potatoes that are in high demand for yield. But if the Green Sense Farms approach proves to be commercially viable, this approach is likely to be extended to green leafy vegetables and other higher value crops in the future.

Plant skyscraper

In 1999, Dickson Despamir, professor of the Department of Public and Environmental Health at Columbia University, proposed the concept of “vertical agriculture”. In his vision, the future of agriculture should be in a skyscraper made up of glass and steel, which can produce all kinds of crops that meet the needs of human life.

Professor Despamir's idea was to build a skyscraper in one of the city's boundaries to replace the large outdoor farm outside. The floors of the skyscrapers are cultivated from top to bottom using aerosol, hydroponic and drip irrigation. The energy comes from the solar cells on the top floor and walls, and the electricity generated by the waste on each floor. The purified urban sewage is available. For irrigating plants. The grocery store and restaurant downstairs can also be responsible for selling fresh food.

“Vertical agriculture” is an “upgraded version” of the current indoor greenhouses, which has many advantages over outdoor planting. For example, with higher water and fertilizer utilization, fuel can be self-sufficient. Not only that, but also the flexibility to grow crops indoors; don't worry about the harsh weather conditions such as droughts, floods, outbreaks, etc.

After that, many ideas of agricultural skyscrapers combined with architectural aesthetics have emerged.

American architect Chris Jacobs worked with Professor Despamir to design an agricultural skyscraper in Los Angeles. This farm is one of the first agricultural skyscrapers in the world, and its biggest feature is a giant solar panel installed on the roof. The panel moves with the sun to maximize sunlight. The building's windows use chemicals that block pollutants and prevent water from condensing into water droplets that maximize the sunlight entering the window and help the crop grow.

The “Ecology Lab” designed by Weber Thompson Architects in the United States is implemented in the Seattle community. This agricultural skyscraper is a 12-story ecological laboratory with dual functions of living and agricultural production. The garden built in the building provides food for the local community. The architects estimate that potatoes and lettuce grown in the eco-lab garden using hydroponics can generate about $1 million in annual revenue.

New York-based architect Black Kurasek also designed a life-oriented agricultural skyscraper in New York. Kurasek's design philosophy is to build urban farms on some of the outer edges of residential apartments, where greenhouse crops are grown so that agricultural production can be carried out throughout the year. Seasonal crops such as fruit trees are grown on other floors, including balconies. On the first floor there will be a peasant market where residents of the building can trade in the market or sell the harvested food to the general public.

Belgian architect Vincent Calbot designed a so-called “蜻蜓 vertical farm” based on the wings of the dragonfly. This design may solve the problem of long-distance transportation of food in Roosevelt Island, New York. In this 132-story mega-building, it includes 28 different agricultural production areas, which can supply a variety of agricultural and sideline products such as fruits, vegetables, meat, milk and fish. The building also contains living spaces such as multiple experimental areas, office areas and residential areas.

“Today, many developers, investors, mayors and urban planners have become advocates of three-dimensional farms and expressed a strong desire to build a three-dimensional farm model. From New York, Portland, Orleans, Los Angeles, Las Vegas Planners in Gass, Seattle, Surrey, British Columbia, Toronto, Paris, Bangalore, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Incheon, Shanghai, and Beijing have all looked for me. Illinois Institute of Technology is making detailed plans for Chicago. Professor Spamir said.

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