Advances in plant factories: New technologies in indoor vertical farming [Hardcover]

• Provides an authoritative review of the latest research in the development and application of plant factories with artificial lighting (PFALs) throughout an array of agricultural settings
• Assesses the environmental impact of urban vertical farms and how the use of energy and other resources can be optimised to minimise this impact
• Considers the application of machine vision, plant phenotyping and spectral imaging in plant factories to monitor plant health and growth

With increasing temperatures and an escalation in the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, agricultural productivity remains at risk of being compromised.With the food security of millions threatened, there remains a need to develop alternative, sustainable production models which can thrive in the face of climate change.

Advances in plant factories: New technologies in indoor vertical farmingreviews the wealth of research on optimising plant factories with artificial lighting (PFALs) as one potential solution to achieving a more sustainable agriculture. The book addresses developments in process monitoring, optimising energy use, as well as adjusting lighting conditions to improve the sensory and nutritional quality of a range of horticultural crops.

This collection reviews the wealth of research on vertical farms or plant factories with artificial lighting (PFALs). It summarises key research both on improving process efficiency and produce quality of horticultural crops such as fruit and vegetables, ornamentals and herbs.

Despite being recognised as a mode of agricultural production for almost two decades, the vertical farming/plant factories industry is still considered to be in its early stages of development. Professor Toyoki Kozai and Dr Eri Hayashi have had a major influence on the advancement and global understanding of vertical farming. This new book addresses key topics such as energy modelling, the nutlã2