image: There's a new trend in agriculture called vertical farming. Familiar farms are outside with horizontal fields. But modern technology now allows us to stack fields vertically, just as we've stacked housing into apartment buildings. Moving plants indoors has many benefits: shelter from unpredictable weather, a reduced need to clear land for farming, and better runoff control. But lighting can make or break the cost for urban agriculture. Watch the Reactions video here: https://youtu.be/rEw-VfFkUik. view more
Credit: The American Chemical Society
WASHINGTON, Feb. 28, 2017 -- There's a new trend in agriculture called vertical farming. As humans learned to farm, we arranged plants outside in horizontal fields, and invented irrigation and fertilizer to grow bumper crops. But with modern technology and farmers' cleverness, we can now stack those fields vertically, just as we stacked housing to make apartment buildings. Moving plants indoors has many benefits: Plants are not at the mercy of weather, less wilderness is cleared for farmland, and it's easier to control the runoff of fertilizer and pesticides. But the choice of lighting can make or break the cost of a vertical farm and affect how long it might take for urban agriculture to blossom. Watch the latest Reactions video here: https://youtu.be/rEw-VfFkUik.
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