Vertical farming stands as a groundbreaking agricultural practice that involves cultivating crops in vertically arranged layers, often within controlled environments like towering structures or repurposed warehouses. This pioneering method optimizes spatial efficiency, facilitating year-round crop cultivation independent of external weather conditions. Employing advanced technologies such as hydroponics, aeroponics, and LED lighting, vertical farming maximizes resource use, curbing water consumption and minimizing reliance on traditional soil. The precisely regulated indoor setting further mitigates the impact of pests and diseases, allowing for pesticide-free cultivation. Vertical farming emerges as a promising solution to the challenges posed by urbanization, population expansion, and climate change. By localizing food production in urban centers, it diminishes transportation emissions and presents a sustainable response to the imperative of feeding the growing global population. With ongoing strides in automation and data analytics, vertical farming is poised to be a pivotal force shaping the future of agriculture. Its contributions extend beyond enhancing food security to fostering sustainability and innovation within the global food supply chain.
Title : Preventing/minimizing development of resistance in fungal plant pathogens to fungicides
Mohammad Babadoost, University of Illinois, United States
Title : Mycorrhizae and their role in climate resilience in agricultural systems
Mary Cole, The University of Melbourne, Australia