How neural networks can improve agriculture

The global level of urbanization is rising rapidly every year. According to UN forecasts, by 2050, 68 % of the world’s population will be living in cities. This makes the task of transforming traditional farms into new, more modern facilities especially relevant. One possible transformation scenario involves vertical farms.

Vertical farms are basically smart greenhouses that can grow greens, berries, and vegetables all year round. They take up significantly less space than traditional “vegetable gardens” and, consequently, may be placed in shops, homes and even deserts. These farms are almost completely automated. Specialized software takes over tasks such as watering and lighting, nutrition, and pollination. Computer vision and drones monitor the growth of vegetables, fruits, and berries. Another feature worth noting is the use of peat instead of soil. It is more versatile and adapted to the operational conditions of vertical farms.

How it works

The base element of a vertical farm is a solution unit. Is It is responsible for plant nutrition, mixing nutrients into solutions. Potassium and magnesium necessary for plants are mixed with water in the right amount and then fed to the desired group of plants through a nozzle. Artificial intelligence monitors the entire plant growth cycle. And, depending on how much the leaf area differs from the set parameters, the system changes settings: there may be a need to increase daylight hours or to adjust solution temperature. Drones are also used for plant condition evaluation. In a short time, an analysis of the entire farm is carried out and issues to be solved are identified.

Human participation in vertical farming is minimized, only monitoring or correcting system errors if needed.

What plants can be grown on these farms

The main purpose of vertical farms is to grow vegetables, herbs, and lettuce. These plants are low maintenance and do not require special conditions. For the same reason, strawberries cannot be grown on an industrial scale, as they require pollination by bumblebees. But this issue is being resolved right now. In particular, special Dutch bumblebees have been spotted working at iFarm in Moscow, flying out of their hives on schedule.

Economics of smart vertical farms

Vertical farms are an expensive technology. Electricity bills make up a large portion of the costs (about 40 %). For example, Agritecture’s farm, with an area of ​​about 2.8 thousand square meters in New York suburbs, spends at least $216 thousand on lighting and electricity and another $120 thousand on ventilation and air conditioning every year.

It’s because of such high maintenance costs that even the developers of vertical farms themselves today see them more as a way of selling technology than a business for profit or the idea of “feeding the whole world with vegetables and herbs”. Perhaps this will change in the future, and the technology will become more widespread.