The world’s population could reach nearly 10 billion people by 2050. Access to affordable, nutritious food could be a challenge that affects us all. In the face of this, it’s important to know whether technology offers any potential to help ensure our food security.
Here are some innovations that could help even the most inexperienced gardener to grow food.
Plug-and-plant systems
LEAF is a plug-and-plant system that you can use to automatically grow a variety of vegetables and herbs. You control it with your smartphone and it needs a Wi-Fi connection to work properly.
Monitor daily growth of your food with reports and live video stream, follow step by step video instructions from master growers and sync recipes from the community.
The unit features a carbon filter, an HD camera and a BIOS led light. You are able to control temperature and humidity precisely and automate nutrient dosing.
High tech garden tools
Today there are devices that will tell you when your plants need watering or the nitrogen levels in your soil are too low. Thanks to the Internet of Things (IoT), you are now able to monitor your garden to ensure you have happy, healthy plants with the highest yields.
A device like greenIQ allows you to monitor sunlight exposure, soil moisture levels, and soil mineral contents. You can even access a weather forecast and find out whether it’s going to rain, so you don’t need to water your plants.
With a Wi-Fi connection, all the data you need is sent to your phone or computer.
Hydroponic gardens
Hydroponic gardening is gaining momentum and it’s now available to even those with no experience. It requires less space, you don’t need soil and it is very water efficient.
The plants are fed a nutrient-rich solution regularly using a water pump system. The system is efficient and the plants only require about 10 percent of the water used for traditional farming.
Download the CityCrop App if you want to automate your indoor gardening. You simply plant your first seeds in CityCrop’s soil-free hydroponics base and then you can monitor and guide your growing experience. You will be kept informed about the growth of your plants and know when to enjoy them.
If you’re living in an apartment, Aerogarden offers an easy hydroponic solution for growing fresh salad ingredients, even for beginners. It is pricey, but all you have to do is drop in the pods, add water and plant food and you can enjoy fresh salad ingredients without herbicides or pesticides.
Vertical gardens
Traditional gardens require a fair amount of space but in urban areas where space is limited, it makes sense to grow up rather than out. Vertical gardens have become very popular due to the fact that they save space and they also use about 70 percent less water than traditional gardens.
They could even become hubs of agriculture in the cities of the future. In lieu of natural sunlight, artificial lights are used for indoor vertical gardens and big improvements in LED lighting technology have played an essential role.
LED lighting accelerates plant growth and enables high yields in small urban areas while also being cost-effective. The Modiwall Vertical Garden System allows you to easily create your own vertical garden. You can build one of any size or shape to fit in the space you have available.
The modular units consist of three main components; a wall panel, grid panel, and pots. The individual units easily slot into one another and the swivel action of the panels allows them to be installed on a curved wall.
Pots clip into the grid panel and reservoirs placed at the bottom of the installation supplies water to the top panels. The water trickles down and irrigates the individual pots.
Homebiogas
Homebiogas offers a way to turn your food waste into energy. The system takes any kind of organic material. The waste is poured in and goes into a digester where it is broken down into biogas.
This gas goes up into a filter and down a pipe into a gas bag and the gas flows through a pipe into a kitchen stove that gives up to two hours worth of cooking time every day. Of course, this is 100% renewable energy.
A second amazing by-product of the system is a liquid fertilizer that will help your garden to grow. The whole system is made of very durable material that has a lifespan of 15 years. It is all black to absorb as much sunlight as possible and it is 100% recyclable.
To create pressure for gas flow, there are sandbags on top of the gasbags. Activating the system requires the once-off use cow or horse manure. You don’t have to worry about the smell as the system is entirely closed.
Try out one of these innovative products or growing methods and you will be surprised at how easy it is to grow your own food.
