Vertical Farming Vertical farming means growing crops on vertical surfaces with stacked layers. Unlike horizontal farming, vertical farming is usually done in warehouses, greenhouses, skyscrapers, shipping containers and other indoor facilities. Vertical farming aims to maximise plant growth using sRead more
Vertical Farming
Vertical farming means growing crops on vertical surfaces with stacked layers. Unlike horizontal farming, vertical farming is usually done in warehouses, greenhouses, skyscrapers, shipping containers and other indoor facilities. Vertical farming aims to maximise plant growth using soilless farming techniques.
Everything from leafy greens to common crops can be grown in vertical farming. For vertical farming, an artificial environment is created by regulating temperature, light-controlling technology, bees, robotics and other Japanese techniques.
Advantages of Vertical Farming-
- Consistent crop production throughout the year- As vertical farming is unaffected by weather, it leads to increased crop yield and quality produce without disrupting local flora and fauna.
- Reduced space- Vertical farming does not need fertile land and can be grown on a smaller land area by expanding upwards.
- Minimises water wastage- It requires only 10% of the water, nutrients and fertilisers used in traditional farming. Also, the used water can be further recycled.
- Environmental-friendly- It requires no fossil fuels, chemicals or pesticides to grow.
- Energy Efficient- It reduces transportation costs and can generate power too.
- Safe and cost-effective- Vertical farming is safe for staff with a lower risk of injury. It is cost-efficient as it requires less low-level skilled labor.
Agroecology refers to the application of ecological principles to agricultural systems,focusing on sustainable and environmentally friendly practices. It encompasses a wide range of techniques that aim to enhance biodiversity, promote soil health, and reduce dependency on chemical inputs, Some imporRead more
Agroecology refers to the application of ecological principles to agricultural systems,focusing on sustainable and environmentally friendly practices. It encompasses a wide range of techniques that aim to enhance biodiversity, promote soil health, and reduce dependency on chemical inputs, Some important steps are mentioned below:
Crop diversification can be further classified as
Improved structural diversity:- helps in making crops within the field more structurally diverse which potentially help in pest suppression and Genetics diversification in monoculture leads to cultivation of mixture of varieties of same species in a monoculture which help in disease suppression, and increases the production stability.
Agroforestry has been proved nothing but a boon to us as it is used for several agroecological ways in terms of growing crops and trees together either in spatial or temporal diversity benefitting pest suppression and climate change buffering.
Mixed landscapes has also been a great potential for development of large scale diversified landscapes through mixture of crops and cropping system with multiple ecosystems.
Micro-watershed based diversification has helped in integration of crops with other farming components for years round income and employment generation, besides sustaing soil and environmental health.
These principles not only gives emphasis to the quality production of crops but also ensures that the pest management and ideation of microclimate is done in a most sustainable way.
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