After the pig-raising skyscraper and fish farming in the desert, China has announced the world’s tallest automated farm managed by artificial intelligence (AI) in Chengdu.
The SCMP reported on December 5 that Chinese scientists have unveiled a 20-story farm (the tallest in the world) managed by artificial intelligence (AI) in Chengdu, located in the southwestern province of Sichuan.
Crops in the Chengdu automated farm are nurtured with hundreds of different colored LED lights tailored to each growth stage – (Photo: CMG).
This automated farm can cultivate and harvest crops regardless of weather conditions, producing quality comparable to traditional methods, and doing so faster and in greater quantities. The farm was developed under the supervision of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.
In contrast to conventional farm models, vertical automated farms often face spatial arrangement challenges due to their vertical nature. However, the research team at the Urban Agriculture Institute (IUA) of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) has overcome this drawback. They utilized advanced technology that incorporates multiple automated farming systems managed by AI to ensure stable production.
As a result, the automated farm in Chengdu has surpassed limitations regarding land, space, and climate. It can automatically adjust the amount of light and nutrients needed for crops, promoting growth and significantly shortening the growth cycle.
According to CGTN, this automated farm can grow and harvest lettuce every 35 days. Mr. Wang Sen, a researcher at IUA, told CMG: “We have built a database of 1,300 combinations for 72 types of crops.”
He asserted that there is no significant difference in the quality of crops grown in the lab compared to those from traditional farms.
“This method is much more effective and allows us to harvest over 10 crops of vegetables each year,” emphasized Li Zonggeng, a research assistant at IUA.
China’s tallest automated farm – (Photo: CMG).
Additionally, researchers indicated that this automated farm can function as an accelerator for livestock farming and shorten the breeding time for wheat, cotton, and soybean by at least 50%.
IUA announced on its official website that it is negotiating with Foshan NationStar Optoelectronics to commercialize the aforementioned model.
Aspirations for Self-Sufficiency in Food At the end of September 2023, China constructed a 26-story building specifically for pig farming in Yichang, Hubei Province. In mid-October, they also unveiled technology for rice cultivation on saline-alkaline soils near the edge of the Taklamakan Desert. Previously, in August 2023, the populous nation reported breakthroughs in technology that enabled the creation of aquaculture systems in the Taklamakan Desert for raising seafood such as salmon, shrimp, abalone, and crayfish. |
