You have probably heard of vertical farming and we are not surprised about it. The phenomenon is steadily gaining momentum and for good reason too.
Not only is it cost-effective, but it is also a great way to save space seeing as populations continue to increase all over the world.
Now, the thing about vertical farming is that it requires artificial lighting to thrive. LEDs can sort you out when it comes to that. In this article, we are going to talk about vertical farming lighting and what you need to know before venturing into it.
LEDs are Energy-Efficient and Cost-effective
One of the alternatives to LED vertical farming lighting would have to be HPS lighting systems. However, these are known for consuming a lot of power. If you are keen on cutting costs and getting energy efficiency with your farming endeavors, it would be best to opt for LED lighting.
This is because LEDs consume less power, which leads to lower energy costs. Who wouldn’t want that?
LEDs are Ideal for Vertical Farming
LED lights are energy-efficient because they last a long time while producing light at optimal power. By that, we mean that a single light can last up to six years, something that other lighting solutions do not deliver.
These kinds of lights are ideal for vertical farming because they can be contained in restricted spaces and as you probably already know, vertical farming involves layering crops. Besides, they do not produce too much heat, which may be harmful to plants.
LEDs Match Crop’s Grow Cycles
The secret behind vertical farming and LED lighting is that these systems utilize visible spectrum wavelengths to facilitate plant growth. You will realize that pink LED lighting is usually used in farming and here’s why.
The LED system uses a miniature wavelength between the blue and red spectra to create the pink light. You see, crops rely on blue light waves to prevent stretching and retain leaf color. As for the red light waves, they work to enhance photosynthesis.
As if that is not enough, LED lights produce the wavelengths required to grow healthy, fruitful plants by mirroring their required natural surroundings.
LEDs are Sustainable
Once you decide to go the LED way with your vertical farming, you are choosing an efficient and sustainable solution. How so? LED lighting systems provide regulated lighting all the time and this, in turn, facilitates optimal plant growth.
Furthermore, by putting in place a regulated indoor LED lighting environment, you save your plants from harsh environmental conditions including hurricanes, drought, and flooding. LEDs mimic sunlight and therefore offer an affordable and sustainable solution for growing healthy crops all year round.
The Benefits of Vertical Farming
You are probably wondering why you would want to grow your crops indoors and invest in artificial lighting so that your plants can grow instead of just letting nature take its course. Well, vertical farming is thought to be futuristic and a great way to benefit communities as well as affect the plant positively.
Here are some of the perks you are set to enjoy upon embracing vertical farming.
It prepares you for the Future
As we have just mentioned, vertical farming is a futuristic phenomenon. The human population is projected to increase significantly by the year 2050. All these people will need to feed and as you can imagine, there will not be enough land to grow crops required to sustain the population.
Besides, the effects of climate change, pollution, and erosion continue to manifest and if research is anything to go by, it is likely to get worse in the coming years. Knowing what you know now about vertical farming, you can concur that it is a step in the right direction, to sustain the growing demand for food, no?
You get Easy Access to Fresh Food
Indoor farming and vertical agriculture allows you to grow your supply of food even if you live in an urban area. This then means that there will be a reduced need to transport food from one place to the other.
This is also a good thing because the amount of time from reaping to purchase will be significantly reduced meaning that people will be accessing fresher produce.
It allows you to Control the Environment
With vertical farming, you can control different aspects from humidity levels to lighting as well as the flavor density of your produce. That is because your farm will remain unaffected by pests and weather conditions.
In such a kind of controlled environment, you get to eliminate the need for pesticides hence ensuring that your crops are organic as can be.
Safer Work Environments
With conventional farming practices, you are exposed to numerous occupational risks and hazards especially when handling chemicals and farming equipment. A vertical farm greatly reduces the chances of such scenarios hence offering a safer working setting.
Improved Crop Production
Vertical farming employs a “growing up” concept and this enables you to grow more crops than you would on a regular farm. This can also be attributed to the fact that farming in a controlled environment allows you to grow plants all year round in the same space.
According to the University of Columbia, a single acre of an indoor farm yields the same amount of produce that can be produced by four to six acres of an outdoor farm.
Conserves the Environment
Essentially, vertical agriculture is better for the environment mostly because it significantly reduces the volume of fossil fuels used in the operation of farming equipment. It eliminates the damage caused by outdoor techniques of harvesting, weeding, fertilizing, and sowing.
Moreover, this kind of farming uses sustainable energy sources such as LED and solar lighting as well as wind turbines. This reduces the need for finite resources. We also have to mention that indoor farming improves biodiversity by eliminating land surface disturbance.
That means that the livestock in farms will be unaffected and better placed to thrive.
Bottom Line
LED lighting for vertical farming allows for customization thus allowing you to modify the set-up to meet the needs of the crops you are growing. If you are thinking about the future, cost-effectiveness, sustainability, and convenience, then this is the way to go.