Keeping a resilient supply of safe and nutritional food at affordable prices is a global challenge. This is especially so in Singapore, where there is land and water scarcity. In order to ensure the nation’s food security, our local farming and production capabilities have to be optimised. There is a need to develop farming systems that can increase productivity significantly, and a need to increase the efficiency of our use of energy and water resources to minimise crop production costs.

With funding from Temasek Foundation Innovates through its Singapore Millennium Foundation Research Grant Programme, Associate Professor He Jie from the National Institute of Education (NIE) has developed an LED-integrated vertical aeroponic farming (VAF) system to address these challenges. This system is able to produce popular leafy vegetables such as Chinese broccoli and basil locally, thus reducing Singapore’s reliance on vegetable imports. Additionally, the vegetables grown are also healthy and sustainable, as the VAF system eliminates the threat of disease and contamination from animals, and eradicates invasive insects and the need for harmful pesticides.

The VAF system comprises three main components. Firstly, a vertical farming system is used, where growing units are stacked over one another. This system addresses land concerns as farming is done vertically. Secondly, an aeroponic system is used. This is a soil-less method where plant roots are suspended in the air while a nutrient solution is delivered to them. It addresses water resource issues, as aeroponic cultures require significantly less water. Thirdly, the combinations of different LED spectra are used to provide effective and uniform light to the growing units, which enhance photosynthesis and maximise crop density, productivity, and even the quality of specific crops.

Plant biologists are now performing experiments and collecting scientific data from the VAF system, so as to gain a better understanding of constraints to crop production, and to create new knowledge on vertical urban farming.