AgScience-on-Tap: The Future of Farming Indoors
This semester's „AgScience-on-Tap“ focussed on current developments in vertical farming - from AI-supported plant stress sensors to the indoor cultivation of medicinal plants.
At the „AgScience-on-Tap“ event series on 6 May 2026 at Furtnerbräu Freising, two specialist presentations provided insights into current developments in vertical farming. Under the title „No soils, no sun, no problem? - The Future of Farming Indoors“, the focus was on the question of how controlled vertical farming systems can contribute to sustainable food and plant production in the future. The event was organised by the Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences (HSWT) and the Technical University of Munich (TUM).
Vertical farming as a building block of future food systems
Lukas Deuring (TUM) presented vertical farming as a possible solution to the future challenges facing Agriculture: multi-storey plant cultivation in controlled indoor spaces. Compared to outdoor cultivation, pesticides can be reduced and yields increased - Deuring cited the high energy requirements as a key challenge.
The focus was also on so-called VOCs („Volatile Organic Compounds“) as stress indicators for plants. Sensor technology and AI should enable early detection and automatic adaptation of cultivation systems in the future.
Medicinal plants in indoor cultivation
Pooja Suresh Gowda (HSWT) presented research results on the cultivation of medicinal plants. Closed hydroponic systems enable resource-saving production and significantly reduce water consumption in particular.
One focus was on the cultivation of medicinal plants such as valerian, Rhodiola rosea or Artemisia, which are interesting for vertical farming due to their high market value. Suresh Gowda presented trials with valerian, for example, in which even a ten per cent increase in the blue light content showed significant effects on plant growth and yield.
Intensive discussions and a look into the future
The discussion centred on questions relating to energy requirements, technical risks and the economic aspects of indoor farming. The speakers made it clear that vertical farming offers great potential for specialised crops and resource-saving production methods, but is also associated with considerable risks: technical failures or power interruptions can lead to high crop losses in fully controlled systems. Their central message was that in future, different cultivation systems should exist in parallel and complement each other.
