Farming in Greenhouses
Greenhouses prevent the flow of humidity to the atmosphere outside in dry climates. Also, temperature may be made hotter inside a greenhouse.
Lastly, greenhouses are used in vertical farming, as well as in hydroponics (growing plants in water, without soil), and in aquaponics (hydroponics and fish farming). Significantly, they have higher yields per square metre, which makes them suitable for urban farming.
Keeping the inside of a greenhouse cool while maintaining its humidity may prove challenging without high input of energy or water.
Less Water Usage
The first difference between vertical and traditional farms lies in the water usage in farming. According to the Columbia University Earth Institute, vertical farmers require 70% to 95% less water than traditional farmers do in plant cultivation.
In traditional farming, a lot of water is lost due to evaporation, especially on hot and sunny days. Water loss is not a problem with vertical farming, as plants are cultivated in a closed system, and water evaporated in the system will remain inside it. This maintains a certain level of humidity optimal for crops to thrive.
Traditional farmers also have to provide excess water to their plants because of run-off. As plants are traditionally grown in the soil, water may run off the surface instead of seeping in to reach plant roots. This not only wastes water but may also pollute waterways, as the water lost may carry chemical fertilisers, pesticides, and herbicides with it depending on whether the farmer had used them on his farm.
Decreasing water usage in farming and preventing chemical run-off contribute to long term sustainability goals. In certain regions around the world, droughts are a common problem faced by farmers, and fresh water is scarce. Conserving water will ensure there is water always available for food and livestock, and it will help lessen the severity of droughts when they come. Preventing chemical run-offs can protect aquatic life and keep ecosystems intact.
Less and More Efficient Land Use
Secondly, vertical farming takes up over 90% less land while harvesting around 80% more per area unit. This is due to cultivation methods used in vertical farming, which involve plants being placed in close quarters and stacked vertically.
Take plants that are grown hydroponically, suspended in nutrient-rich water or a growing solution. This means they do not have to spread their roots out to seek nutrients like they usually would in the soil of traditional farms, allowing them to be grown closely together.
In fact, in an efficient hydroponic vertical farming system, 90 basil plants fit in one 16 square foot row. Suppose we have an average farm that consists of 5 stacks of 16 square foot rows. This allows for the planting of 448 basil plants in total. In traditional farms with access to the same amount of space, each crop will have to be placed about one foot apart to ensure its roots do not get tangled in the soil. This method fits only 16 plants in a 16 square foot row. This means that compared to the average traditional farm, the average hydroponic farm can yield 28 times as much basil per square foot.
The decrease in land space in vertical farms can also increase farmers' comfort during working hours. A smaller plot of land with a higher density of crops can be monitored more efficiently. It also frees up land to be converted for other purposes, such as offices, apartments, and community spaces.
Higher Crop Yield
As plants are cultivated in layers in vertical farms, there is no need for ample planting space. Farmers can also personalise harvests and produce crops with faster growth cycles thanks to the help of custom vertical grow lights and temperature moderators. This creates quicker harvests and more flexible grow cycles, increasing crop yield rate and yield per square foot.
Research conducted by the Journal of Agricultural Studies has concluded that CEA vertical farms produce an average of 516 times as many tons of harvest per 10,000 square metres than field farms that follow traditional farming techniques.
Findings by a survey conducted by data and insight company Artemis has also discovered that vertical farms produced 5.45 pounds of lettuce per square foot on average. In comparison, traditional farms produced only 0.69 pounds of lettuce. The former is almost 8 times the latter, which is a substantial difference.
Both instances demonstrate that vertical farms are far more productive in crop cultivation due to their ability to optimise farming conditions. Alongside stacking plants on top of each other, vertical grow lights and other equipment speed up growth cycles.
For growing vegetables
A greenhouse is suitable for growing vegetables in a number of ways:
- Starting off hardy vegetable plants earlier than outdoors
- Getting earlier harvests of tender plants such as French beans
- Growing tender crops such as aubergines, cucumbers, peppers and chillies and tomatoes through the summer months
- Trying more exotic, heat-loving plants such as okra, melons and sweet potatoes,
- Making use of the autumn sun to raise late salad crops, French beans and even calabrese