Vertical Farming System

Project/Experiment Duration: 2019-2021

Objectives:

1. To investigate economic and technical feasibility of vertical farming (containers donated by Mr. Essa Abdulla Al Ghurair, Chairman of Essa Al Ghurair Investment) to produce high-value crops using minimum water
2. To quantify resource requirements for growing vegetables in a vertical farming system
3. To quantify productivity of vegetables grown in a vertical farming system
4. To assess effect of lighting (spectrum, intensity and duration) on energy use and productivity

Project/Experiment Details:

• The setup varies depending on lighting methods and crop types.
• The facility will be used for speed-breeding various crops.

Crop types:

Lettuce, sweet basil and strawberries

ICBA’s vertical farming system is comprised of eight connected shipping containers equipped with full climate control, irrigation and fertilization technology, a plant processing unit, two crop growing units (one for leafy greens and one for berries) and two nurseries.

Donated by Mr. Essa Abdulla Al Ghurair, Chairman of Essa Al Ghurair Investment, the vertical farming system is designed to explore the potential of vertical farming and study its technical and commercial viability in arid conditions.