Indoor farms provide high productivity

Humans have spent more than 10,000 years of agricultural history and know a natural disaster such as droughts and floods that could wipe out their energy during the year. Thus, adjusting the growth rate of crops, avoiding natural disasters is the human thing is always oriented.

To realize this idea, biologist Shigeharu Shimamura set up a large scale farm in a factory in Japan. Strictly controlled by using a specially designed LED system, the new indoor farmhouse opened in early July is thought to be capable of producing 10,000 lettuce plants a day, according to the Daily Mail.

Photo: GE Report

The farm is half the size of a soccer field, built in a Sony semiconductor factory in Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. The farm employs 17,500 LEDs spanning over 18 high-shelf 16-storey shelves, daylight and daytime lighting.

By carefully monitoring the photosynthesis process, the system helps lettuce grow faster than the lettuce grown on outdoor farms at a rate of 2.5 times. Not only does it reduce waste by 40%, it also increases the productivity.

The idea of a clean, fast growing crop avoiding natural disasters came to Shimamura when he was working in Miyagi Prefecture in eastern Japan, which was hit by a massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011. The disaster Clearing crops, leading to food shortages.

According to Shimamura, the farm uses only a very small amount of water, about 1% of the outdoor farm. In addition, it helps regulate the amount of minerals and vitamins in the plant.

Scientists believe that such indoor farms will contribute effectively to address food shortages in the world. Future plans will be to develop more farms in some countries including Hong Kong.