Crop Urbanis developed vertical infrastructure, environmental controls and harvest workflows to grow cotton indoors in northern France while preserving fibre quality.
A textile innovation lab wanted to explore indoor cotton production to shorten supply chains and demonstrate sustainable fibre cultivation. Crop Urbanis handled engineering and agronomy design.
Challenges & approach
Cotton requires precise photoperiod, heat and humidity not typical in northern France.
Mechanical harvesting inside vertical racks needed ergonomic and fibre-safe workflows.
Project demanded quantifiable water and energy savings to justify R&D investment.
Our contribution
Engineered climate zones with LED spectrum tailored to cotton flowering and boll development.
Designed modular racks with adjustable picking arms and lint capture systems.
Modelled water recirculation and energy loads, demonstrating sustainability metrics for stakeholder buy-in.
Outcomes & proof
Metric
Result
Context
Trial plan
Delivered
Growth stages + targets
Nutrient guide
Delivered
Cotton-specific
Observation checklist
Delivered
Weekly log
Inline FAQs
Is vertical cotton commercially viable yet?
This prototype validates feasibility; commercial rollout requires further scaling studies which are outlined in the dossier.
How do you manage lint and dust indoors?
The racks include filtration and air handling SOPs to capture lint and maintain air quality.
Project gallery
Vertical cotton farming R&D trialCotton plant close-up in controlled environment
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