Vertical farms established by AeroFarms in the US can harvest 900 tons of green leafy vegetables a year without soil, pesticides or sunshine.
According to Tech Insider, AeroFarms' farm is located in a 6,400 m2 warehouse in Newark, New Jersey.When officially put into production this spring, it became the world's largest vertical farm, with 250 herbs and green vegetables.The plants that lie on the tray stack up to nearly 10 meters under LED lights and sensors track the development process.
To prevent the plant from getting infected, all farmers at AeroFarms wear rubber gloves, headgear and full body protection.Any person who enters the factory must wash their hands, the net covers their heads and swipes shoes on a special carpet.
The planting process begins with farmers pouring tiny seeds onto a tray of cloth and recycled plastic.
The trays are placed under LED bulbs that simulate natural sunlight.The light emitted at the intensity and spectrum is suitable for each plant type.
For humans, LEDs are white, but in reality, plants grow under a combination of red and blue colors, Oshima said.
Small fans spin in the middle of each row, providing oxygen to the trees.Trays are also periodically sprayed with nutrients.
Sensors on the data collection tray at 30,000 points to track the process of growing trees.The data was analyzed by scientists from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, allowing farmers to regularly improve their planting methods.
If kale plants do not sprout in a light spectrum or a certain concentration of oxygen, farmers will adjust the conditions for the next crop.
Farmers can make green leafy vegetables spicy or sweet by changing the control algorithm of growing conditions.
Each year, AeroFarms harvests 30 crops and produces 900 tons of green leafy vegetables, while a conventional outdoor farm in New York can only produce up to three lettuce crops if the weather is good.
AeroFarms use 95% less water and 50% fertilizer than traditional vegetable farms.All plants grow without pesticides, because they are protected from pests when growing in warehouses.
The vertical farm in the warehouse promises to provide a huge amount of fresh green vegetables to local residents and can be easily transported to neighboring cities.
AeroFarms provides year-round fresh vegetables to New York and New Jersey at cheap prices with organic lettuce.