Recipient Organization
HELIPONIX LLC
800 S SAINT JAMES BLVD
EVANSVILLE,IN 47714
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Anu (Heliponix, LLC) is developing a Rotary Aeroponic® shipping container, based on their existing under-the-counter growing system. The device will hold approximately 3,700 plants, about 23 plants per square foot, 30 times more than conventional agriculture. At the core of the device is the Rotary Aeroponics technology which includes an enclosed cabinet equipped with a vertical tower, made up of stacked rings, which rotates growing past vertical LED arrays, while aeroponic mist provides the roots water and nutrients. The soilless, home compostable seed pods have been designed to be self regulating, requiring minimal effort beyond placing the seed pod in the system and harvesting the mature produce. Container-based controlled environment agriculture provides a climate-smart supplement to conventional agriculture by allowing the grower to place a container closer to the end consumer. This reduces the length of the conventional produce supply chain and the associated emissions, food safety concerns, and food waste. Potential use cases include grocery stores, community or urban gardens, and schools. Furthermore, Rotary Aeroponic containers can produce food year round in areas not suitable for farming. The goal of this project is to develop a shipping container configuration of the Rotary Aeroponics technology. This project will provide access to fresh and nutritious produce by bringing food closer to the end consumer and in turn alleviating the stress of food deserts. Environmental goals of this project are to reduce the overall footprint of conventional agriculture including reduced carbon dioxide and methane emissions, decreased food and plastic waste, and improved water and land use efficiency.
Animal Health Component
0%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
0%
Applied
0%
Developmental
100%
Knowledge Area
401 - Structures, Facilities, and General Purpose Farm Supplies;
711 - Ensure Food Products Free of Harmful Chemicals, Including Residues from Agricultural and Other Sources;
111 - Conservation and Efficient Use of Water;
205 - Plant Management Systems;
712 - Protect Food from Contamination by Pathogenic Microorganisms, Parasites, and Naturally Occurring Toxins;
704 - Nutrition and Hunger in the Population;
402 - Engineering Systems and Equipment;
Subject Of Investigation
5399 - Structures, facilities, and equipment, general/other;
6050 - Communities, areas, and regions;
2499 - Plant research, general;
Field Of Science
2020 - Engineering;
1060 - Biology (whole systems);
1010 - Nutrition and metabolism;
Goals / Objectives
The goal of this project is to develop a shipping container configuration of the Rotary Aeroponics technology. This project will improve access to fresh and nutritious produce by bringing food closer to the end consumer and thus alleviating the stress of food deserts. Environmental goals of this project are to reduce the overall footprint of conventional agriculture including reduced carbon dioxide and methane emissions, decreased food and plastic waste, and improved water and land use efficiency.By the end of the Phase I project, we will have finalized the design and optimized the performance of the "grow sleds" that make up the Rotary Aeroponic system within the container, each sled with a grow tower and isolated watering system. The LED array light intensity will be optimized for maximum light that the plants can use for photosynthesis without significant heat buildup and we will have tested 25 plant varieties and identified those varieties that perform best in the system. During these plant growth experiments, data will be collected related to energy consumption, water usage, and plant growth and final yields. This data will provide the basis for comparison of the sustainability of the system and the potential impact on food waste.Objectives:Integrate rotary aeroponic "grow sleds" into a climate controlled shipping container and optimize systems for best performanceDevelop container components and standard protocols to ensure ergonomics during harvest and to maintain a pest-free environmentOptimize performance of LED arrays and airflow for high photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) without excessive heat productionIdentify plant varieties with optimal performance in the container form factor and assess plant performance and yieldPerform plant growth assessments to confirm rates of seedling emergence, time to harvest, and yield at harvestExplore and identify additional plant varieties that are suitable for this form factorAssess the opportunity for the container to provide access to safe and nutritious produce and the sustainability of the container modelUse yield, water and energy usage, and plant growth metrics from objective 2 to evaluate the sustainability and waste reduction potential of the container model
Project Methods
1a. Develop container components and standard protocols to ensure ergonomics during harvest and maintain a pest-free environmentInitial work will involve implementing and troubleshooting grow sleds within the container, including hardware and software setup and configuration. Performance of components will be assessed by comparison to performance in the previously developed under-the-counter (UTC) units. Safety protocols will be enacted related to protection from bright lighting, ergonomics of operation/harvest, and clean operation practices. To reduce the chance of tracking pests into the container system, sticky mats will be placed at the entrance of the container. We will also explore door coverings or adding a small prep area separate from the growing area of the container. Tower cleaning protocols will involve removing/washing tower rings, reassembling the tower and running food grade hydrogen peroxide through the recirculation system, and emptying reservoirs and allowing them to refill. Cleanliness of produce will be assessed via a microbial analysis by Great Lakes Scientific. Samples of red leaf lettuce will be sent for analysis and results will be compared to previous analysis of samples from red leaf lettuce grown in UTC chambers and of the red leaf lettuce purchased from a grocery store. A total of 21 samples will be collected five months into the project period. Microbial analyses will provide data about microbial presence in the container after multiple growing cycles.1b. Optimize performance of LED arrays and airflow for high photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) without excessive heat productionThe main source of heat generation within the system is the LED light arrays. Determining proper lighting intensity will require experimenting with providing the highest PAR possible to promote healthy plant growth, while maintaining low heat levels, and optimizing the benefit from increased light energy against the associated increase in power draw from the lights and HVAC systems. A Spectral Light Meter will be used to quantify the light energy (PAR) produced by the 44" LED arrays and compare against our goal of a PAR value at or above 700 μmol/m2/s.The container relies on fertilizer as a component of the seed pods, regulated by the number of plants growing. Adjustments to light energy provided and water level of the reservoir can be used to optimize fertilizer usage. As PAR increases, the photosynthetic machine can do more work and more fertilizer is consumed. Part of this objective will be to optimize the system so that PAR is maximized and heat is minimized, while taking energy usage into account. Once this balance is achieved, the desired water level will be finalized based on the anticipated dilution factor for fertilizer.To determine the proper light intensity for the container system, three 14 day Light Intensity Assessment (LIA) experiments will be conducted at low, medium, and high PAR. The goal of these experiments will be to determine what PAR can be achieved without raising the container temperature above 80°F and with consideration for power draw within the system. LIA experiments will be conducted for a total of 10 herb, leafy green, and microgreen varieties. Data will be collected for seedling emergence, plant biomass, and overall plant health to use plant stress indicators as an indication of heat buildup or fertilizer deficit. To assess heat and humidity issues, temperatures and humidities throughout the chamber will be monitored using the temperature and humidity sensors installed at each sled. To determine whether energy consumption is significantly higher between light intensity levels, energy consumption will be measured by a smart energy monitor switch meter throughout the duration of the experiment. To assess fertilizer usage from the water, water quality samples will be collected at the end of the experiment, with 3 samples each pooled across the reservoirs of 4 sleds, for water quality analysis including levels of Nitrogen, Phosphate, and Potassium (NPK) in the water to be compared against a control sample from the start of the experiment. To assess fertilizer uptake by the plants, plant tissue elemental analysis, which includes tissue NPK levels, will be conducted for 3 replicates of each of the 10 varieties across 4 of the 14 total towers, for a total of 120 samples per LIA experiment.2a. Perform plant growth assessments to confirm rates of seedling emergence, time to harvest, and yield at harvest.Time to emergence, time to harvest, harvest window, and yield are all metrics that will need to be provided to growers for each variety that we offer in the container systems. Twenty varieties including leafy greens, microgreens/shoots, herbs, flowers, and fruiting plants will undergo Emergence and Performance Assessments (EPAs) during this portion of the project. These varieties have passed through the seedling emergence and light intensity assessment pipelines developed to assess plants in UTC chambers, making them prime candidates for testing in the container Rotary Aeroponic system. These will be continuous growth trials where ten varieties will be growing on each tower with a total of 14 towers operating at once. Since there is variation in the growing cycle times between different plant varieties, harvests will be staggered to best match with the appropriate growing time. Overall data collected will include seedling emergence data, environmental metrics, plant biomass, bi-weekly water samples, and in-house image analysis. Detailed notes on plant growth, stress responses, and any undesirable traits will be taken on a daily basis. At the end of each variety's growing cycle, plant material will be collected and sent for NPK and other macro and micronutrient analysis. Three plants per variety across 4 towers (12 samples per variety) will be collected, for a total of 300 samples by the end of the project. Three water samples, each pooled across 4 grow sleds, will be collected every two weeks and sent for analysis of N, P, K, and standard water quality tests to get a representative view of the changes in fertilizer level and water quality over time.2b. Explore and identify additional plant varieties that are suitable for this form factorFor obj 2b, we will develop a better understanding of the plants that perform best in the container system. Qualitative Variety Assessments (QVAs) that will be used for initial growth and performance assessments and will be evaluated qualitatively based on plant performance, color, suitability for the container form factor, and taste.3a. Use yield, water and energy usage, and plant growth metrics from obj 2 to evaluate the sustainability and food waste reduction potential of the container modelTo evaluate the food waste/loss reduction potential, we will review data collected from LIA and EPA experiments, and scientific literature. Yield collected at the end of each growing cycle will help determine food loss in the container system by comparing to the initial number of pods planted. Overall plant health will be determined from results of obj 1 and 2. The plant tissue analysis will quantify the nutrients present in the plant biomass to assess the health of the plant. Sustainability of the container farm system will be measured by evaluating energy consumption as defined in obj 1b. This will be used to approximate the carbon footprint on a system level, per tower, or even on a per plant basis. Water use will be assessed over the course of the experiment and calculated on a per reservoir basis. This will be compared to carbon emissions calculations for the conventional agricultural supply chain. Yield of the plants will be compared to the UTC units and the field, and be used in calculations in combination with the expected time and distance between harvest and consumption to estimate the reduction in food waste and food loss when compared to conventional farming.