The AVF was invited to visit its penis Fraunhofer IME in Aachen , Germany , one of 72 institute of the Fraunhofer - Gesellschaft , an organization for employ scientific discipline in Europe with over 26,000 employee and various international branch around the world .
Fraunhofer IME edifice in Aachen , Germany . Credit : AVF
The Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME has six different sites in Germany and direct research in the domain of applied life story science from the molecular level to intact ecosystems . Its sectionalisation “ Molecular Biotechnology ” is located in Aachen , Germany and take R&D in the line of business of biotechnology with a firm focus on plant - based program .
From allow to right : AVF Chairwoman Christine Zimmermann - Lössl with Senior Acquisition and Project Manager Andreas Reimann from the Fraunhofer IME in Aachen , Germany . Credit : AVF
Over the last 10 years , the IME has developed and established two different perpendicular farming systems at the Aachen site in cooperation with the Fraunhofer IPT and IIS ( à VertiPharm ) as well as the Fraunhofer IML ( à OrbiPlant ):
VertiPharm , a full automated erect farm with a strong focus on different research app ( e.g. plant cultivation , plant phenotyping , biopharmaceutical production ) and OrbiPlant , a novel and price - efficient feeler to erect agriculture of food crops . These two vertical land systems are complemented by LEDitGrow , an innovative multi - chamber scheme for the rapid development of plant life growth protocol and the optimisation of specific plant target values .
From left to right : Andreas Reimann ( IME ) with AVF Project Manager Marvin Spence in front of a phytotron with a laboratory - scale upright husbandry system . course credit : AVF
The plan of the two IME erect agriculture systems , their degree of mechanization , data direction , efficiency and productiveness , as well as their app and research possibleness go beyond the current state of the artistry of indoor farming technology . The system allow for an unprecedented basis to promote vertical farming , not only in Germany but worldwide . The different technology platforms are available for cooperation projection . Potential cooperation partners are encouraged to get in touch with IME .
provide : Andreas Reimann ( IME ) at the VertiPharm pump place . Right : Conveyor smash section within VertiPharm . Credit : AVF
During a facility spell AVF had the opportunity to visit the different system that are draft below .
LEDitGROW – Multi - parameter individual plant culture systemA LEDitGROW unit comprise 24 undivided works cultivation chambers , each fit with various different LED - base light spectra include UVA . The building block has been design to fit into a phytotron to feed experiment at defined temperature , humidity and CO2 assiduity . Each plant bedchamber can hold a single plant life or several tissue culture petri dishes and can be separately supplied with nutrient solution .
LEDitGROW industrial plant cultivation unit for the accelerated multi - parameter growing of plant growth protocols . deferred payment : Ann - Katrin Beuel , IME
The parallelization of polish conditions together with a statistical multi - parameter design of experimentation ( DoE ) overture reserve the rapid establishment of species - specific maturation recipes as well as the optimization of specific target values such as biomass , secondary plant metabolites or morphology .
Left : N. benthamiana plants actuate through the farm on the conveyor belt . in good order : OrbiPlant pilot - scale system with unlike salad miscellany . Credit : AVF
VertiPharm – Automated multifunctional research program for vertical farmingThe highlight of the IME in Aachen is the fully automatize , pilot - scale vertical land research weapons platform featuring core group functionalities such as multi - tier - base erect farming , single flora manipulation , sensor - found in - summons control , 2D/3D plant scanning , vacancy industrial plant percolation , downstream processing and primal data point management .
Top sight on VertiPharm ’s perpendicular land building block ( above , recognition : AVF ) and N. benthamiana plant life under LED lighting in one layer of the erect farm unit ( below , credit entry : Andreas Reimann , IME ) .
The telling construction of the vertical farm unit consists of eight cultivation horizontal surface and provides ~550m2 of net finish area for the continuous or mint - wise cultivation of plants under high duplicability . unlike parameter such as temperature , humidness , CO2 - concentration , LED - based lighting and composition of the plant nutrient solution can be specify and monitored in the central control system . Each plant receives a singular I.D. during seeding and is track individually throughout the entire cultivation time until harvest . Movement , detector and measure datum are unceasingly recorded and can be used for in - process control or retrospective analysis of cultivation parameters and specific works characteristics .
Left : OrbiPlant pilot - scale system with baby folio varieties on special substratum Master of Arts in Teaching attached to the conveyor belt . properly : OrbiPlant archetype - scale leaf system with quick to harvest salads and herb . credit rating : AVF
The fully automatize readiness can be used to produce food and non - food plants of different smorgasbord and sizes . In accession to the perpendicular farming of plants a disjoined vacuity - percolation unit link to a fermentation suite allows the rapid product of recombinant biopharmaceuticals ( for instance vaccine , antibodies or enzymes ) in plants by genus Agrobacterium - mediated gene transport . Thanks to this multifunctionality the plant output enquiry platform at Fraunhofer IME enable a broad spectrum of applications in different plant - based athletic field but also in the field of engineering , for instance :
Overview of the OrbiPlant original - scale system at the Fraunhofer IME in Aachen , Germany . Credit : Andreas Reimann , IME
OrbiPlant – groundbreaking upright farming system for the cost - efficient output of food for thought cropsOrbiPlant represents an groundbreaking glide slope to vertical land of food crops that can truly make a difference to the spread and grocery penetration of vertical husbandry . The major difference to Graeco-Roman grade - based approach is a continuous conveyor belt belt organization that is flexibly coiffure in perpendicular loops reserve the easy placement of seed or seedlings on one ending of the conveyor arrangement and the easy harvest on the other end . In between plant life grow self - sufficiently under specific light-emitting diode lighting weather that can be adapted to the respective growth degree . The conveyor belt movement can be specifically adjust to a plant ’s growth round and takes advantage of a growth stimulating orbitropal effect on the plant , which is stemming from the changing gravitational orientation of the flora on the conveyor belt . The water - nutrient supplying is ensured by aeroponic honker inside the rap loop . The innovative OrbiPlant system has several key improvements over current erect farming organisation :
OrbiPlant pilot - ordered series organization with various leafy greens and herb on a conveyor rap . The plant size gradually increases along the four conveyor belt loops . Credit : Andreas Reimann , IME
OrbiPlant is not only providing a cost - effective , optimized production platform for intellectual nourishment crop with minimum distance and resourcefulness requirements , but its unique design and flexibility has the potential to take vertical farming to a new point . It overcomes the shortcoming of today ’s most commonly used horizontal rack systems , make unnecessary energy , utilizes intelligent automation , and enable easy handling and operation .
From left to right : OrbiPlant discoverer Simon Vogel ( IME ) , Andreas Reimann ( IME ) , Christine Zimmermann - Lössl ( AVF ) . credit rating : AVF
The AVF in cooperation with the Fraunhofer IME welcomes caller and stakeholder inquiries on the presented systems .
Christine Zimmermann - Lössl , AVF Chairwoman[email protect ]
Marvin Spence , AVF Project Manager[email protected ]
Fraunhofer IMEAndreas Reimann , Senior Acquisition and Project Manager , Business Field Indoor Farming / Vertical farming[email protected]www.ime.fraunhofer.de
