Location: Environmental Microbial & Food Safety Laboratory
Project Number: 8042-42000-021-042-T
Project Type: Trust Fund Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Oct 1, 2025
End Date: Dec 31, 2029
Objective:
Urban agriculture and rising global food demands underscore the need for efficient and scalable vertical farming systems. To meet this need, such systems must integrate advanced sensing, environmental control, and intelligent decision-making technologies to optimize crop growth, minimize waste, and ensure consistent quality. The objectives of this cooperative research are to develop and implement a modular vertical farming platform that combines hyperspectral imaging, precise environmental controls, and AI-driven monitoring. The platform will enable early detection of plant stress, real-time environmental optimization, and improved resource use efficiency. Ultimately, the project seeks to establish site-adaptable protocols and practical strategies that support local producers' adoption of AI-driven vertical farming technologies.
Approach:
This cooperative research will join resources from transdisciplinary academic and industry partners to develop a modular vertical farming system equipped with spectral imaging sensors, programmable environmental control units (e.g., lighting, temperature, and humidity), and AI-driven data analytics modules. The system will collect spectral and environmental data across different growth stages of selected specialty crops. Experimental data will be used to develop AI models for plant health assessment, early stress detection, and optimization of resource use, including water and energy uses. These models will provide real-time control parameters to improve efficiency while maintaining high crop quality and yield. A prototype vertical farming system will be developed for pilot studies, during which environmental parameters and resource consumption will be monitored and optimized. Feedback from stakeholders and collaborators will provide data for system refinements. The output of the cooperative research is to build a scalable vertical farming system that can be adopted by local and regional agricultural communities to provide safety and secure foods.