U.S. university grows vertical farming efforts

A new partnership between the University of Georgia (UGA) and U.S.-based Agrify, a company that produces microenvironment-controlled vertical farming units, has resulted in the establishment of two large-scale vertical farms on campus.

Current research projects in the vertical farms include comparing the performance of different hydroponic growing systems in lettuce and strawberries, comparing plant response and resource utilization across multiple fertilizer management strategies and light intensities, plant sap analysis to optimize fertilizer in CEA crops, the influence of airflow on calcium uptake on lettuce and spinach in vertical farming, and more.

The project, a partnership between the Ferrarezi Lab, located in UGA’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES), and Agrify, will allow researchers to complete replicated trials, testing two to three different factors on each plant.

Agrify donated 26 4-by-4-foot light fixtures to the project, expanding research capacity. The $26,000 investment was part of the approximate overall $120,000 project cost.

“Indoor vertical farms rely solely on artificial lighting. These farms grow crops entirely indoors in a warehouse or shipping container,” said Rhuanito Ferrarezi, associate professor of controlled environment agriculture in the CAES Department of Horticulture. “In some of these farms, crops grow along vertical columns, and in others they grow horizontally in stacked rows like the stories of a skyscraper. One advantage of relying on LED lights is that they allow plants to grow consistently and reliably 365 days of the year, regardless of weather or seasonality.”

Another advantage of controlled environment agriculture (CEA) is the precise control of light spectrum, intensity and duration, which allows for the adjustment of many variables, including flavour profiles. For example, Ferrarezi pointed to producing spicier mustard greens or more peppery-tasting arugula.

“Our goal is to train the next generation of horticulturists in using the environmental manipulation needed for an operational vertical farm,” Ferrarezi said. “The LED light donation is unique because the lights allow us to use high light intensities when performing experiments.”

The adjustable-spectrum lights have a beam angle of 120 degrees and an average lifetime of approximately 50,000 hours, or 5.7 years if the lights are operated 24 hours per day.

One of Agrify’s research and manufacturing facilities, located in Covington, Georgia, has enabled this partnership to grow beyond equipment and now includes an internship program and joint Ph.D. research opportunities.

"This partnership is an incredible opportunity for Agrify to give back to the agricultural and academic communities who have given so much to Agrify,” said David Kessler, chief science officer at Agrify. “We look forward to being able to help further the CEA community’s understanding of the intersection of photobiology and environmental control systems.”

 PHOTO: Current research projects in the vertical farms include comparing the performance of different hydroponic growing systems in lettuce and strawberries, comparing plant response across multiple fertilizer management strategies, and more. Photo: Jordan Powers

Read how investment is growing in the vertical farming sector, in New AG International’s Nov-Dec 2022 issue, here.

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