SCOTTISH scientists have launched a pioneering project that will allow indoor farmers to pinpoint the best conditions for growing their crops.
World-class laser experts at the University of Strathclyde’s Fraunhofer Centre for Applied Photonics have been enlisted by start-up Grobotic Systems to help develop its specialised plant growth chambers. These will enable farmers to find the best environmental conditions or “plant growth recipe” to cultivate high-quality crops, thus minimising wasted resources and increasing productivity.
It is known that different wavelengths or colours of light affect crop growth, flavour, nutritional value, and even medicinal properties, but precisely which colours affect these qualities remains a mystery.
Grobotic Systems’s chamber has a tuneable array of LEDs that will let farmers experiment with different colours to find the most effective “light recipe” for their crop of choice, be it lettuce with more anthocyanin for greater antioxidant properties or sweeter, juicier strawberries.
The Fraunhofer team will play a key role in creating a new state-of-the-art integrated imaging system to measure the growth rate and quality of crops throughout the process.
Henry Bookey, Project Lead at the Fraunhofer Centre for Applied Photonics added: “We are delighted to be involved in developing tools to allow a much more efficient and effective way of farming. Fraunhofer’s network of global research centres harness science to benefit industry and this particular idea could have wide commercial application.”
The two-year project won funding from Innovate UK, the Government’s innovation agency, via the Transforming Food Production Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here