b'New Genetics Will Open Doorsfor Vertical Farming To better improve vertical farming, it starts with improving genetics.Alex MartinWITH ROOTS DATINGback to 1951 in Armenia, indooruniformity, hows the quality, hows the taste and color? agriculture isnt a necessarily a new industry, but its anThey still have to yield well and be competitive, but youre industry attempting to scale up production to new levels.also looking at how to provide a high-quality experience from While indoor agriculture might not be the one-size-fits-allthe consumer perspective, he says. solution to feeding the increasing global population by 2050,In addition to more strategies being implemented, like its going to be a big support to conventional agriculture.IPM, Purcell sees the opportunity for indoor agriculture to In fact, by 2027, the global vertical farming indus- take advantage of the digitization of agriculture. try should reach $1.38 billion, according to Allied MarketI describe it as Silicon Valley meets Salinas ValleyResearch, with a CAGR of 26.2% from 2021 to 2027. there are incredible tools to manage your crop using digital To scale up production, the sector needs access to elitemeans, he says. They allow you to assess how the crop is germplasm vegetable lines.And when it comes down to it,performing with cameras, probes and drones. When you the germplasm you need for indoor agriculture is going to bemove indoors, you have an opportunity to take full advan-different germplasm than youd want for conventional veg- tage of those digital crop management tools. etable breeding, says John Purcell, founding CEO of Unfold.Collaborations through mechanization, automation and With an exclusive license from Bayer, Purcell says Unfolddata will not only help better production, but optimize genet-can use some of Bayers germplasm in their breeding pro- ics. But, the key is the focus on collaboration.grams to create better varieties for vertical practices.When you collaborate, you get the best solutions. Theyre getting to a point where everyone is basicallyThe innovations are going to come from the confluence just buying seed from whomeverand almost all of that isof genetic with digital and engineering. When they come designed for developed for open field, Purcell says. Nonetogether, theyll bring the solutions vertical farming needs.of it was actually developed specifically for vertical, but thats where our premise comes in. Scaling Up to Feed the GlobeWith access to better germplasm, Purcell says UnfoldsWith indoor agriculture coming into the spotlight more, goal is to create seed varieties that can become solutions toPurcell says that though it might not be adapted to feed the vertical and indoor farming. He believes thats the first step toworld by itself currently, its the next evolution of the pro-upping the game for vertical farming.duce world.As an example, many open field crops have already made Breeding Focuses Change Indoorsthe move into more greenhousesfrom a simple net house When creating seed for indoor use, theres some differentto a more controlled environment. The next step seems easy steps you must take. For one, changing your mindset isto imagine: a completely controlled environment. important. Instead of focusing on issues youd have to tackleThis move towards a controlled environment has already in a conventional field, Purcell says you need to learn aboutbeen happening for years, Purcell says. Indoors is sort of the intricacies of farming in an indoor setting. the next permutation in the technology ladder. For certain One of the great things about vertical farming is you havecrops, indoor agriculture is going to play a major role.incredible management tools to control that environment, heThat doesnt mean that greenhouses will disappear.says. You can set the temperature, set the humidityevenWe need it all, he says. With a growing population and the lighting regime. When you can control that environment,pressures on our supply chains, you need every pieceeve-you can optimize the genetics to perform better. rybody has got to be working together to provide solutions Instead of the disease and abiotic stressors, Purcell sayswe need. Our goal is to help everyone expand fresh pro-you focus on challenges the genetics might facewhats theduces share of plate.SW20/ SEEDWORLD.COMOCTOBER 2022'