A team of Harper Adams researchers has recently been awarded funding by the UK Government for a project titled: Review of Technology Utilisation within Controlled Environment Agriculture.
The researchers – Professor Jim Monaghan, Director of the FPRC, Dr. Andrew Beacham, Lecturer in Sustainable Crop Production, Dr. Iona Huang, Senior Lecturer in Agribusiness and Food Chain Management. and Dr. Laura Vickers, Senior Lecture in Plant Biology – received £50,000 to undertake a review of technology use in novel agricultural production systems.
Professor Monaghan explained: “The indoor production of food crops is undergoing something of a revolution at present. In addition to the traditional greenhouse and polytunnel systems, we are seeing huge interest in controlled environment agriculture (CEA) approaches, such as Vertical Farming.”
He added: “This is a rapidly moving and expanding sector with a wide range of technological innovation, some of which is also suitable to more conventional indoor production.”
The research team was approached by the UK Government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) thanks to their expertise in fresh produce production systems and food supply chains.
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