Innovations in optimizing arugula, lettuce, seedling and strawberry production in closed areas

The main objective of the operation is to produce an improved technological and organizational innovation, related to the use of LED lamps with an appropriate color spectrum, adapted to the cultivation of lettuce, strawberry arugula and various types of seedlings in conditions where they require illumination. The totality of these features is expected to make the final user able to select the optimal lighting conditions for plant development and design and plan the lighting system to reduce energy consumption, environmental and financial costs.

The need for the implementation of the operation is justified by the results of scientific research within the meaning of Article 4. Paragraph 2 of the Law of July 20, 2018 Law on Higher Education and Science. Scientific research clearly suggests the need to expand the suitability of crops in a controlled environment in terms of the profitability of the yield obtained per unit area, as well as the nutrient content of the crops grown.

• The planned operation is very much in line with the Common Agricultural Policy in terms of competitive, low-carbon, climate-friendly and climate-resilient solutions by focusing on the generation of innovations related to the generation of technological innovation centered around the optimization of resources consumed in agriculture. 
• The use of an innovative lighting system to support plant growth and a lighting management system in the form of an app will allow the control of growth conditions and thus achieve high-quality products that are attractive to consumers, while reducing residues of chemical plant protection products. Thus, it will affect the possibility of developing organic agriculture. With organic production, the use of synthetic inputs is abandoned, enabling environmental protection and the production of healthy food.
• Certified crops significantly reduce the negative impact of agricultural activities on soil, water and air.

Project activities

The assumed operation will be implemented in 5 stages. Each member of the consortium will carry out a series of activities leading to the production of an improved innovation as a result of research and development work.

• These are aimed at producing an innovation that allows the use of LED lamps with appropriate spectral lengths.
• For implementation, the purchase of appropriate equipment and machinery will be made and plant sampling will be conducted for research.
• Analysis of the collected data will be carried out, as well as their statistical processing to assess the effectiveness of lighting variants.
• At the same time, agrotechnical treatments and consortium meetings will be carried out to verify the results obtained.

The main benefits of the project

• The final user will be able to select the optimal lighting conditions for plant growth and design and plan the lighting system to reduce energy consumption, environmental and financial costs.
• The solution in the form of an app will allow it to be used anytime and anywhere.
• The improved organizational innovation aims to create opportunities for better planning, management and enforcement of the lighting aspect of crops in confined areas. The application will allow estimation of possible savings from the introduction of improved innovations, simulation of the impact of different types of lighting on different types of plants or the efficiency of the proposed lighting.
• The proposed solution will allow the adaptation of the developed experience in the form of an application that can be used by the farmer. in the framework of the project. The produced improved organizational innovation will allow a variety of simulations that will allow a number of farmers to understand the principles of the developed improved technological innovations, estimate ways to implement them, and quantify the added value resulting from their implementation.

The main benefits for end users will be a reduction in production costs, a reduction in management costs, a reduction in environmental costs (consumption of crop protection products and greenhouse gas emissions) and an increase in their marketing position. 

The totality of these activities translates into an increase in the level of innovation in the agricultural industry in Poland and an increase in the level of environmental protection and mitigation of the effects of climate change.

The result of the operation is expected to be the creation of innovations in the field of lighting system for supporting the growth of lettuce, arugula , strawberry and seedlings in cultivation in a controlled environment. The innovation includes both the field of technology and the field of organizational methods. The main benefit of the operation is that agricultural producers will be able to use the solution. Producers will be able to comprehensively manage the lighting system digitally while using resource optimization information.

Practice summary

Implementation of the operation will be completed with the development of a digital solution that can be used by the farmer. With the digitization of agricultural processes, it becomes possible to increase farm productivity, while affecting the sustainability of the agricultural sector both economically and ecologically. 

• The operation will develop an application that will allow analysis and simulation of optimal lighting and the appropriate color spectrum for proper growth and development of plants grown under controlled conditions. By using the solution, it will be possible to achieve the highest possible yields. The developed solution will be made available for use as a digital solution. Due to the relatively low distribution costs of digital solutions, the product, in the form of an app, will be a competitive offering in the market for digital agricultural services.
• technology on the farm will be low. The use of a digital solution will allow the lighting system to be planned most efficiently for a given crop based on the data entered by the user.
• The application, after processing the entered data, will show, among other things, information about the savings in energy consumption that will be generated if the indicated solution is applied. The farmer will thus be able to assess whether the solution is profitable for his crop. The data will be presented in a simple and clear way, primarily in graphs. The ability to select the optimal lighting conditions for the development of the plant and to design the lighting system taking into account the different spectrum, will enable the reduction of energy consumption, environmental and financial costs.

Results achieved

The main objective of the operation was to produce an improved technological and organizational innovation, related to the use of LED lamps with an appropriate color spectrum, adapted to the cultivation of lettuce, strawberry arugula and various types of seedlings in conditions where they require illumination. The totality of these features made the final user able to select the optimal lighting conditions for plant development and design and plan the lighting system to reduce energy consumption, environmental and financial costs.

The final user is able to select the optimal lighting conditions for plant growth and design and plan the lighting system to reduce energy consumption, environmental and financial costs. The solution in the form of an app allowed it to be used anytime and anywhere. The improved organizational innovation created opportunities for better planning, management and enforcement of the lighting aspect of crops in confined areas. The application allowed estimation of possible savings from the introduction of improved innovations, simulation of the impact of different types of lighting on different types of plants or the efficiency of the proposed lighting. The proposed solution allowed the adaptation of the developed experience in the form of an application that can be used by the farmer, in the framework of the project. The produced improved organizational innovation allowed a variety of simulations that allowed a number of farmers to understand the principles of the developed improved technological innovations, estimate ways to implement them, and quantify the added value resulting from their implementation.

The main benefits for end users is a reduction in production costs, a reduction in management costs, a reduction in environmental costs (consumption of crop protection products and greenhouse gas emissions) and an increase in their marketing position. The totality of these activities translates into an increase in the level of innovation in the agricultural industry in Poland and an increase in the level of environmental protection and mitigation of the effects of climate change. The result of the operation is creation of innovations in the field of lighting system for supporting the growth of lettuce, arugula , strawberry and seedlings in cultivation in a controlled environment. The innovation includes both the field of technology and the field of organizational methods. The main benefit of the operation is that agricultural producers are able to use the solution. Producers are able to comprehensively manage the lighting system digitally while using resource optimization information.

Additional comments

The potential area of impact of the result of the operation extends beyond the territory of the Republic of Poland.

• The solutions currently used in agriculture related to crop illumination include the use of LED technology and the appropriate light spectrum when growing crops requiring illumination. Due to the diversity of photomorphogenetic reactions, the spectral range of emitted light should be matched not only to the specific species, but also to the plant variety and cultivation method. arugula, strawberries and their seedlings.

The combination of this innovation together with the generation of appropriate organizational innovations can guarantee the area of impact of the operation's result in farms producing lettuce, arugula, strawberries and their seedlings in the entire European Union. od was used.

• The totality of these facts makes it possible for the results of the operation to have an impact beyond the territory of the Republic of Poland, particularly within the common market of the European Union