Vertical Greenhouses Agro-technology: Solution Toward Environmental Problems

Abstract

Population growth and urbanization, climate change, and the environmental disadvantages of traditional agriculture have reached a critical limit. Global processes can reduce the amount of industrial waste and find environmentally friendly ways of recycling, abandon hazardous food products, solve problems in the market for organic products, and reduce food waste. World forums discuss topics such as sustainable development theory, environmental rents, the prospects for the green revolution, and the 4.0 science and technology revolution industry. Greenhouse productions are aimed at solving some of the environmental and food problems. Greenhouse production could be divided into three groups: the technology of growing plants without soil, the practical application of LED lighting systems, and the capabilities of digital IT technologies. Greenhouse production is located on a “scale of comparison,” from the simple technologies without soil in a house, office, on roofs, on the street, all the way to the system with various microclimate systems, a system of nutrient solutions, heating and air conditioning systems, humidification and dehumidification systems, lighting systems, gas generation systems, monitoring, and control systems, and other microclimate systems. The production efficiency would be increased by technical equipment and electrical installations, improving biotechnological methods and rising energy costs. The higher the manufacturability of greenhouse production, the higher the energy intensity of the process of growing plants. We are introducing digital IT technologies and are approaching the extreme point of the “scale of comparison” on which cyber-physical systems are located. Greenhouse technologies have varying degrees of success. Israel has no fertile soil, half of the territory in the form of a desert, and a lack of fresh water. However, Israel produces 17% of fruits and vegetables from all agricultural products. The agricultural sector represents approximately 5% of the population, which satisfies Israel’s needs for agricultural products by 92%. The success of Israel crop production is based on greenhouses, hydroponic systems in the field; drip irrigation of plants through a network of flexible tubes; plant breeding; digital IT technologies of phyto-monitoring, etc. The global achievement of greenhouse production in Japan is the practical application of new concepts: the Internet of Things (IoT) and cyber-physical systems (CPS). The greenhouse business in Japan has confirmed environmental safety, the prospect of growing clean organic products, and making a profit.