Design of a vegetable production model: Z-farming

Abstract

Abstract Currently, climate change is a limiting factor in agriculture, due to the changes in periods and intensity of rainfall, extreme temperatures which generate economic losses and shortages of food. In addition to this factor, population growth and migration to the cities establish the need to seek strategies to guarantee food security and sovereignty, through the so-called urban gardens. From this concept comes a new and visionary subtype of agriculture called Z-farming, which includes the production of food in vertical environments, without using soil and available in open spaces close to cities or completely closed. The “Semillero de Investigación en Tecnología Electrónica Aplicada, Centro de Biotecnología Industrial, Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje, Palmira”, developed an automated system design for plant production, which aims to raise awareness about food production in small spaces, in order to provide a tool for food production. The design includes the improvement of product characteristics with emphasis on shape, function, and use, with a priority focus on the end user. The project aims to develop a prototype of an automated plant production system as a strategy for innovation and research in sustainable agriculture.