The Role of Automation in Vertical Farming
Vertical farming is a method of combining hydroponics, aeroponics, and automation to produce food in a controlled environment. The food produced in this kind of farming is typically more nutritious and less harmful to the environment when compared to conventional farming.
In vertical farming, automation is used in many different areas such as in irrigation systems where it controls how much water is being distributed on the plants. It is also used in nutrient delivery systems where it regulates the amounts of nutrients being delivered to plants at any given time. Automation helps by reducing the labor needs for vertical farms and increases productivity with fewer risks for human error.
Vertical Farming and Its Effect on Food Production
Vertical farming is a process whereby plants are grown vertically in a stack, on top of each other, with each plant being harvested when it reaches a pre-determined height. To maintain a controlled environment for all products and stages of growth vertical farms employ many technologies such as hydroponics and aeroponics which help to keep control on the amount of light, water and air being used by the plants.
Impact of Vertical Farming on Labor
However, vertical farming may have an adverse impact on labor workers in agriculture and related industries. While it eliminates the need for large tracts of land, it increases demand for skilled labor such as farmers, managers, marketers, engineers and scientists.
How Vertical Farming is Beneficial to the Environment
Vertical farms offer a high yield per square meter of land used. So, they use less energy and water than traditional agricultural practices. They also make less use of pesticides and fertilizers which means that the produce is healthier for humans to consume. A vertical farm can produce up to 10 times more food on less land than traditional agriculture.
Introduction to Automation in Vertical Farming
Automation is the process of making the human tasks and jobs easier and faster. Vertical farming can be a perfect example of automation as it is the system that represents new way of producing food in a sustainable way.
Vertical farming is an agricultural solution to some of the most pressing problems facing agriculture today, such as climate change, global population growth, and increasing food shortages.
Vertical farming uses hydroponic or aeroponic systems to grow crops indoors under artificial light without soil or sunlight. It can be used to grow all kinds of plants including fruits, vegetables, herbs, mushrooms, flowers and more.
Benefits of Automation in Vertical Farming
The future of vertical farms includes automation in the form of artificial intelligence (AI) and robots because they will be able to manage this system more efficiently than humans can.
With the rise of automation and new technologies, people are starting to rethink how we produce our food. Vertical farming uses less space and resources than traditional agriculture. It also has a smaller ecological footprint because it doesn’t need pesticides or herbicides. And due to the complete control of the process, it is more efficient and produces higher yields of crops such as tomatoes and peppers.
Different Types of Automations for Greenhouses
There are many types of automation that is being used in the field of agriculture. They have different uses and can provide different benefits to the users.
There are many uses for automated systems in greenhouses. They help in controlling temperature, humidity, and CO2 levels which can be difficult to monitor manually. Automated systems also make it easier for farmers to keep track on the amount of water they need to irrigate their crops by measuring soil moisture levels automatically.
Automation is a key factor in achieving sustainable agricultural production.
The increased level of automation in vertical farms is making the production process more efficient. The use of a centralized computer system to control a series of self-contained computer-controlled environmental and climate systems is leading to a significant decrease in the cost of production while simultaneously increasing the quality of output.
The following list contains ways automation can be used within vertical farming:
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Planting seeds
Vertical farming starts with seeds that are planted into starter mediums and then cultivated under the lights until they’re ready for transplanting.
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Transferring seedlings into vertical farming beds
In vertical farming, seedlings are placed in vertical beds rather than in rows on horizontal plots of land. Once the seedlings get too large for their container, they will need to be transferred to a growing bed.
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Automated watering, lighting, and fertilizing
One of the key advantages of vertical farms is their ability to carefully monitor and adjust growing conditions for plants year-round. In a controlled environment, you can adjust the ambient temperature, spectrum and intensity of light, and irrigation/fertilization for each plant depending on what is best for that plant.
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Vision systems to monitor crop growth and health
With high-tech visioning technology, you can employ cameras to monitor the growth & health of your plants. If any irregularities are detected, alerts can notify key personnel of the issue so they can take action.
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Automated harvesting
Harvesting crops traditionally takes a lot of time and effort. Fortunately, early farmers invented new farm equipment that made crop harvesting easier. Automated technology can be used in greenhouses and vertical farms.
Robots are often more precise than humans and can pick vegetables more efficiently. Robots can also be used for planting vegetables. A crop handling palletizer moves the crops through a conveyor system, where the spoils are cut before they are transferred safely on to the next component. A range of innovative solutions help you get more out of your machine.
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Cleaning and reloading farming beds for re-use
Vertical farming allows for new plants to be grown as soon as the old crop is harvested. This means that multiple crops are ready to harvest each day which saves time and effort. This can be done with high powered cleaning equipment, like pressure washers. They can make cleaned pallets and pots in minutes.
Interested in learning more about the role of automation in vertical farming? You might be interested in learning more about engineers and how they’re at the heart of a vertical farming facility, then take a look on our article about the role of engineering in vertical farming.
If you are looking to learn more about Engineering, take a look on our CareerPath for Engineers!