NASA tests next-generation indoor farming to feed people

After successfully establishing the first vertical farm, containing plants grown through unconventional methods, NASA has launched a new generation of indoor farming. The need for indoor farming is now more than ever as the United Nations (UN) predicts that the Earth's population will breach the 10 billion mark by 2050. It is a matter of concern as the majority of the new population will reside in urban areas with no farmlands around and feeding such a huge crowd will not be possible through conventional farming. This new method being practised by NASA aims to tackle the problem of food production both on Earth and in space.

Industry of controlled environment agriculture is future

Initially, NASA began testing the technologies to grow crops indoors through vertical farms, where various crops were planted in rows of hydroponic trays like bookshelves against the walls. To ensure the growth of plants in these rows, the scientists added the systems for lighting, ventilation, and circulating water using off-the-shelf parts. Through this method, the scientists aimed to determine the quality of plant growth in presence of water but without sunlight and open air.

According to NASA, it was this plant growth method that has given birth to the industry of controlled environment agriculture or CEA. Nate Storey, chief science officer at Plenty Unlimited, one of the collaborators of NASA's plant-growth research said that it is this approach that would help feed the next generation. Interestingly, Plenty's two-acre farm produces similar yields to a 720-acre outdoor farm with the use of just 1% water used in traditional farming.

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Photo Courtesy of iFarm

Source: Republicworld.com