Abstract
Vertical farms (VFs) are innovative urban production facilities consisting of multi-level indoor systems equipped with artificial lighting in which all the environmental conditions are controlled independently from the external climate. VFs are generally provided with a closed loop fertigation system to optimize the use of water and nutrients. The objective of this study, performed within an experimental VF at the University of Bologna, was to quantify the water use efficiency (WUE, ratio between plant fresh weight and the volume of water used) for a lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) growth cycle obtained in two different growing systems: an ebb-and-flow substrate culture and a high pressure aeroponic system. Considering the total water consumed (water used for irrigation and climate management), WUE of ebb-and-flow and aeroponics was 28.1 and 52.9 g L−1 H2O, respectively. During the growing cycle, the contribution generated by the recovery of internal air moisture from the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, was quantified. Indeed, by recovering water from the dehumidifier, water use decreases dramatically (by 67 %), while WUE increased by 206 %. Further improvement of WUE in the ebb-and-flow system was obtained through ameliorated crop management strategies, in particular, by increasing planting densities (e.g., 153, 270 and 733 plants m−2) and by optimizing the light spectrum used for plant growth (e.g., adjusting the amount of far-red radiation in the spectrum). Strategies for efficient use of water in high-tech urban indoor growing systems are therefore proposed.
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Claims 6
Claim · model-written summary
Water use efficiency of lettuce in the ebb-and-flow substrate culture was 28.1 g L−1 H2O of total water consumed.
- Taxon
- lettuce
Lactuca sativat0 - Treatment
- ebb-and-flowe0
- Outcome
- WUEe0
- Value
- 28.1e0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“lettuce”
e0“WUE of ebb-and-flow and aeroponics was 28.1 and 52.9 g L−1 H2O, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Water use efficiency of lettuce in the high pressure aeroponic system was 52.9 g L−1 H2O of total water consumed.
- Taxon
- lettuceLactuca sativat0
- Treatment
- aeroponicse0
- Outcome
- WUEe0
- Value
- 52.9 g L−1 H2Oe0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“lettuce”
e0“WUE of ebb-and-flow and aeroponics was 28.1 and 52.9 g L−1 H2O, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Recovering water from the HVAC dehumidifier decreased water use dramatically, by 67%, in the lettuce vertical farm.
- Taxon
- lettuceLactuca sativat0
- Treatment
- recovering water from the dehumidifiere0
- Outcome
- water usee0
- Direction
- decreasese0
- Value
- 67 %e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“lettuce”
e0“by recovering water from the dehumidifier, water use decreases dramatically (by 67 %), while WUE increased by 206 %”
Claim · model-written summary
Recovering water from the HVAC dehumidifier increased water use efficiency by 206% in the lettuce vertical farm.
- Taxon
- lettuceLactuca sativat0
- Treatment
- recovering water from the dehumidifiere0
- Outcome
- WUEe0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 206 %e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“lettuce”
e0“by recovering water from the dehumidifier, water use decreases dramatically (by 67 %), while WUE increased by 206 %”
Claim · model-written summary
Increasing planting densities (e.g., 153, 270 and 733 plants m−2) further improved water use efficiency in the ebb-and-flow system.
- Taxon
- lettuceLactuca sativat0
- Treatment
- increasing planting densities (e.g., 153, 270 and 733 plants m−2)e0
- Outcome
- WUEe0
- Direction
- improvemente0
- Setting
- ebb-and-flow systeme0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“lettuce”
e0“Further improvement of WUE in the ebb-and-flow system was obtained through ameliorated crop management strategies, in particular, by increasing planting densities (e.g., 153, 270 and 733 plants m−2)”
Claim · model-written summary
Optimizing the light spectrum used for plant growth (e.g., adjusting the amount of far-red radiation) further improved water use efficiency in the ebb-and-flow system.
- Taxon
- lettuceLactuca sativat0
- Treatment
- optimizing the light spectrum used for plant growth (e.g., adjusting the amount of far-red radiation in the spectrum)e0
- Outcome
- WUEe0
- Direction
- improvemente0
- Setting
- ebb-and-flow systeme0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“lettuce”
e0“Further improvement of WUE in the ebb-and-flow system was obtained through ameliorated crop management strategies, in particular, by increasing planting densities (e.g., 153, 270 and 733 plants m−2) and by optimizing the light spectrum used for plant growth (e.g., adjusting the amount of far-red radiation in the spectrum)”
The same questions in other papers
light · physiology: water · Lactuca sativa (garden lettuce)Positive and negative results
4 papers in the same direction as this paper · 1 in the opposite direction
- no effect
- positive
- positive
2 papers more in this group
See all 6 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.