Artificial methods of growing lettuce produce twice the amount of the crop as traditional field-based methods, according to a new study from the University of Surrey.
Artificial methods of growing lettuce produce twice the amount of the crop as traditional field-based methods, according to a new study from the University of Surrey. The meta-analysis also found that it was quicker to grow lettuce using artificial methods, with production rates 50% faster in summer periods and up to 300% faster in winter.
Researchers reviewed over 120 published papers to try to understand the impact of using controlled-environment agriculture (CEA) systems to grow lettuce – a high-value crop commonly grown in these systems.
The study found that, on average, CEA methods produce double the yields compared to field-based agriculture (3.68 kg m−2 vs 1.88 kg m−2). The team also found that the cultivation time of CEA yields was, on average, 40 days. This was shorter than the average field-based cultivation time of 60–120 days.
Interestingly, the team also found that using CEA methods for vertical farming (where crops are grown in stacked layers) yielded significantly higher results (6.88 kg m−2) than field-based agriculture.
Read more at University of Surrey
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