How is wastage of light energy minimized in the new revolutionary ‘pink farms’
Answers
Answer:
The newly-opened Badia Farms in Al Quoz uses environment friendly pink LED lights to reduce costs and speed up crop growth
Explanation:
Dubai: A newly opened farm in Dubai has devised a unique method of growing pesticide-free veggies all year round. It uses eerie pink LED lights instead of sunlight.
Less energy, more growth
Unlike traditional indoor farms lit by high-powered flourscent lamps, the climate-controlled Badia Farms in Al Quoz 1 basks under efficient low-energy pink-colured lights which are not only cost-effective and durable but also speed up crop growth dramatically.
Researchers have found that plants grown under LED lights can significantly reduce greenhouse energy costs without sacrificing yield. According to them, the technique could change the way farming works.
“Since these crops aren’t exposed to sunlight, they don’t lose water or energy and therefore are far more nutritional than plants grown outdoors,” says Saudi businessman Omar Al Jundi, founder and CEO of Badia Farms which operates from a warehouse. The neon pink lights make the place look more like a nightclub than an indoor farm.
When plants are stacked on top of each other in a vertical farm, the ones at the bottom are often deprived of essential nutrients.
Power of pink
New research shows that plants don’t necessarily need the whole spectrum of ROYGBV lights. According to scientists, pink light – a combination of red and blue wave lengths -- is all that they really need to grow.
Spread over 8,500 square metres, Badia Farms produces nearly 18 varieties of micro-greens including arugula, kale, radish, red cabbage, basil and mustard.
The only way to get around this problem is to add artificial light which could add up to costs.