Apr 18, 2022 / No. 157
At present, establishing a stable food supply is gathering importance worldwide. This has led to the development of indoor farms that control the crop cultivation environment using cutting-edge technology. The goal is to ensure a stable supply of plants using artificial intelligence facilities that control water and nutrients, machine-operated systems that optimize taste, nutrition, and growth time, and light emitting diode facilities that replace sunlight.
The Smart Farm technology which is being used for indoor agriculture is a science-based agricultural method that remotely observes the growth environment of crops and provides them with optimal conditions without the constraints of time and space. By combining Smart Farm production with big data technology, it is possible to further increase quality and production as well as improve harvest timing prediction.
The Netherlands is conducting “care farm”, a large-scale agricultural project which gives jobs to people who can work on farms and using “smart farm” technology. The United States (U.S.) fosters indoor farms around the city center and utilizes vertical agricultural technology. Japan, which was developed an automatic control system, built a dome-shaped plant factory in Yokohama. Besides these countries, many countries globally are striving to find the optimal cultivation environment based on internet of things sensors and data in order to supply fresh vegetables and safely grow food. For example, Korea is promoting smart farm projects for vegetables grown in facilities such as the glass greenhouse in Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, tomato farm in Iksan-si, Jeollabuk-do, and smart farm in the subway.
In addition, due to the increased time spent at home due to COVID-19, people want to purify the air in their house, change mood, and decorate their interior using companion plants. As a result, many small plant cultivators using smart farm technology are emerging, including Kyowon’s “Wells Farm”, and “LG Tiiun Mini” which is recently released. These include light emitting diodes, a temperature control function, and an app linkage function to manage and cultivate plants and visually check their growth process, making plant cultivation fun. Furthermore, these enable seasonal plants that are difficult to grow or manage, such as Marigold and Bok Choy to be grown easily, ensuring high satisfaction at a relatively low cost. Installing a seed kit on the device and giving water and nutrients at the right time allows the plant to grow by itself.
These are suitable home appliances for houses with a “plant+interior” design. Pet plants not only have interior effects that brighten the atmosphere of the house but also evoke emotional stability such as improving depression as much as walking in the forest. Moreover, if plants are placed throughout the room, they will be able to restore vitality in the space and enjoy indoor humidification effects. May your heart bloom with your own plants.
By Kim Da-hye, AG Cub Reporter
disney4195@ajou.ac.kr
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