Vertical Farming: Future Farming

Traditional farming is taking a huge toll on the environmental problem that’s set to worsen due to our ever growing global population. Yet there are some high-tech solutions.

Here’s what you need to know about the burgeoning practice of controlled-environment agriculture and how it’s set to change everything from the foods we eat to the communities we live in. As a solution, an increasing number of Long-term soil and crop management such as the excessive use of inorganic fertilizers and pesticides along with the use of heavy machinery, and inadequate practices of soil management exert a considerable influence on soil quality by worsening the physicochemical and biological properties of the soil The application of bio-fertilizers is one of the management practices that can help to maintain or increase the content of organic matter (OM) and improve soil fertility in arable soils The application of UG max on arable soil resulted in significant changes in the quantity and quality of soil organic matter.

Organic matter in the soil treated with UG max had a higher TOC content, a higher content and contribution of CHAs and C humin in TOC, higher CHAs/CFAs ratio and a lower content of DOC as compared to the control. The use of a bio fertilizer that increases the formation of permanent humus compounds provides evidence of an increase in the soil organic matter stability. Consequently, the contribution of the organic matter fractions that are more resistant to decomposition is crucial for increasing soil carbon sequestration.

Therefore, beneficial soil microbes should be further studied and exploited for the development of sustainable agriculture as an ecological alternative for soil fertility management. Vertical farming is the practice of producing food and medicine in vertically stacked layers, vertically inclined surfaces and/or integrated in other structures (such as in a skyscraper, used warehouse, or shipping container).

The modern ideas of vertical farming use indoor farming techniques and (CEA) technology, where all environmental factors can be controlled. These facilities utilize artificial control of light, environmental control (humidity, temperature, gases). Some vertical farms use techniques similar to, where natural can be augmented with artificial and Vertical farms can help meet our growing population’s needs by offering an additional way to produce food that does not share the same volatility and risk as conventional agriculture. While vertical farms require less water and arable land than conventional farms, they are not carbon neutral.

Their climate footprint depends heavily on the source from which they draw their electricity to power lighting and control the indoor environment. As renewable energy sources become adopted more widely, the carbon cost of vertical farming will continue decreasing.

From a market perspective, it may not bring down prices, but on a societal level, the hope is that vertical farming can help address gaps in overall food demand where conventional agriculture fails.

Writers: Piyush Choudhary and Mahipal Singh Choudhary

(Writers are from Depatment of Agronomy, Rajasthan College of Agriculture (MPUAT), Udaipur, Raj.)