Smart Farming

Introduction

Due to population growth, climate change and deforestation, global food production will at risk if levels of productivity are not addressed [1]. Food production could be increased by the adoption of more automation in processes [2]. This could provide greater food security and diversification, enhancing the ability to of some countries growing non-native crops. There are already systems in place that allow a farmer to automate when crops get water, fertilisers and pesticides, and identifying when they are ready to harvest. Through studying the environmental conditions that optimise a crop yield (such as temperature, light, humidity, water, pH and soil nutrients) automation can improve yields and reduce wastage [3]. However, many of these systems are limited to enclosed greenhouse conditions and not readily adaptable to the many acres of open fields. The UK has an abundance of abandoned warehouses and buildings that could be converted into indoor smart farms. This could allows crops that are usually imported (with significant air miles) to be produced locally.

Task

Your task is to design an integrated smart farm that will grow an international crop of your groups choosing. This system should be as automated as possible, to replace humans from carrying out manual labour. This also allows the smart farm to run with minimal staff and can be left unattended for an extended period of time.  Your design clearly target a known market of potential customers.  As such, you might aim to produce a flexible system which can perform a range of different controls to optimise appeal to customers.  It is up to you to select your own crop and elements to control to optimise performance.

Considerations

·      Context

What is the crop you wish to smart farm, who would consume it, and in what quantities?  What is its native geographical location, and what existing infrastructure is in place to import it?

·      Monitoring Devices and Data

What will you measure, and control. How will the data be collected?  How would such systems be deployed, operated and maintained?

·  Environment

Are there any constraints on the design due to the environment in which the system will operate?  Some devices maybe more susceptible to damage and would need additional environmental protection, and how will you filter for incorrect readings? Long term exposure of sensitive instruments to heat, water or corrosive chemicals can alter their performance and reliability.

·  Sustainability

Consider energy and material usage during the manufacture, supply, operation and maintenance of the whole system. Consider the product life span and compare to traditional methods, and future environmental impact.

References

[1] The International Union for Conservation of Nature, "Land degradation and climate change", IUCN.

 https://www.iucn.org/resources/issues-briefs/land-degradation-and-climate-change. [Accessed: October 12, 2023].

[2] Stephen Hussman, Automation in Agriculture, intechOpen:  March 14th 2018, [Online]. Available: https://www.intechopen.com/books/automation-in-agriculture-securing-food-supplies-for-future-generations [Accessed: October 12, 2023].

[3] Greg Nichols, “Automated vertical indoor farming” ZDNET. https://www.zdnet.com/article/automated-vertical-indoor-farming-starts-to-sprout/ [Accessed: October 12, 2023]