Research project
Vertical-farm cereals and high-protein aquatic crops
Growing staple cereals and ultra-high-protein aquatic crops indoors for resilient, local supply.
Description
Adapting vertical farming to produce wheat, rye and ultra-high-protein Wolffia at commercial pilot scale—optimising growth cycles, harvest systems, and processing pathways so urban food systems can access local grain and novel proteins with predictable quality.
Problem
Indoor farming is optimized mainly for high-value leafy crops, not staple cereals or novel aquatic proteins. Growth cycles, harvest systems, processing and economics must all change before wheat, rye or Wolffia can contribute to resilient local supply.
Our idea
Run comparative pilot programmes for compact cereals and Wolffia, optimizing crop architecture, light and nutrition, harvest automation and post-harvest processing as one production chain.
Expected results
Measured yield and cycle data, practical harvest and processing concepts, nutritional-quality evidence and an economic boundary showing which crops and markets merit larger pilots.
Current status
The programme is in comparative research and pilot-definition stage. Crop protocols, processing requirements and target markets still require experimental validation.
Looking for partners
Cereal and aquatic-crop researchers, seed specialists, vertical-farm engineers, harvest-automation teams, food processors, analytical laboratories and potential ingredient buyers.