Artificial Intelligence-Driven Production Model in Vertical Farming

Artificial Intelligence-Driven Production Model in Vertical Farming A project achieving water savings of 95-98 percent aims to establish optimal climate conditions for lettuce cultivation and obtain high-yield harvests in the shortest timeframe. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policies (TAGEM), Çukurova Üniversitesi (ÇÜ), and a company launched in September of last year the project "Optimizing Model Plant Lettuce Production Techniques Using Artificial Intelligence with Closed Vertical Soilless Farming Method." A 10-member project team is cultivating lettuce using soilless farming on tiered shelves at ÇÜ's Closed Vertical Research and Development Facility. At the facility, data obtained through studying combinations of LED lighting, photoperiod—the plant's development in relation to day length—and varying temperature and humidity levels are being integrated with artificial intelligence. Through work achieving 95-98 percent water savings, production models are being created in different combinations based on the data. Hayriye Yıldız Daşgan, Associate Professor at the Department of Horticulture of ÇÜ's Faculty of Agriculture, stated that the project enables cultivation in plant factories or closed vertical farming facilities with completely controlled environmental conditions. Daşgan explained that the work uses LED lamps for lighting instead of sunlight, adjusts day and night temperatures to the plant's requirements using heating and cooling systems, and maintains control over environmental conditions such as humidity and carbon dioxide levels.

"We are growing plants in water without using soil"

Expressing concern that water used in agriculture will be restricted due to climate change and that factors such as temperature and flooding will negatively affect plant cultivation, Daşgan continued: "Closed vertical farming facilities offer the possibility of completely controlled plant cultivation independent of climate and space in marginal areas where soil farming cannot be conducted, and even inside buildings and on rooftops in city centers. We are growing plants in water without using soil. Hydroponic cultivation is a technique used in places without soil, in conditions where soil is not suitable for cultivation. Despite growing plants with water, it is a cultivation technique that uses water very economically. We use only 2 to 5 percent of the water used in soil. We can grow plants while saving 95-98 percent of water. This will be an excellent solution against threats related to drought. Closed vertical farming facilities with soilless production will be an excellent solution against sustainable food security threats such as climate change, drought, and epidemic diseases," she said. Daşgan noted that with the closed vertical farming method, plants grow in a shorter timeframe compared to soil and greenhouse cultivation. Pointing out that with this system, continuous uninterrupted production can be conducted throughout the year since it does not depend on climate and natural conditions, Daşgan said, "These are highly layered systems with very high yields per unit area. While 8-10 lettuce plants can be grown per square meter in soil, in layered systems you need to multiply by the number of layers. This farming method is new abroad as well. In our country, since climate conditions are not very disadvantageous, soilless production continues in greenhouses. Believing we may need this in coming years, we have started research and development work now," she said. Daşgan stated that under the project they are currently growing lettuce, and in later stages will conduct work on leafy vegetables such as spinach, cabbage, parsley and dill, followed by strawberries, tomatoes, peppers and eggplant.

"Optimal climate conditions will be established"

Bekir Bülent Arpacı, Associate Professor at the Department of Horticulture, noted that approximately 28,000 data points obtained from the work will be processed and different combinations created. Emphasizing that they aim to relate climate data to the morphological and physiological characteristics of lettuce and create an environment where the product can be grown at the most favorable level, Arpacı stated, "In this way, by relating the data obtained with artificial intelligence, those installing this system in future studies will be enabled to establish the most suitable climate conditions for lettuce cultivation." Source