The value chain of flowering potted plants (FPP) is associated with environmental, social and economic sus-tainability challenges. Indicator-based assessment methods can provide insights into sustainability performanceof agricultural value chains. The FPP value chain is not comparable to other agricultural systems and thereforecannot be assessed with existing indicator-based tools. In this study, a framework was developed for sustain-ability assessment of the FPP value chain, from breeding to distribution. The development of the frameworkinvolved defining sustainability themes and subthemes based on the characterization of the value chain and theinvestigation of social, environmental and economic sustainability challenges. The generic sustainabilityassessment tools, Sustainability Assessment of Food and Agriculture Systems (SAFA) and Response-InducingSustainability Evaluation (RISE), provided the foundation for indicator selection and development. The cur-rent study emphasized the need for a system-specific view, especially in unique systems such as the FPP valuechain, because generic assessment tools, such as SAFA and RISE, do not cover all sustainability subthemes. Mostof the indicators missing from generic assessment tools were environmental indicators. Environmental assess-ment is closely related to value chain stages and product-specific processes, therefore indicators were allocatedaccording to the value chain stages, breeding, production and distribution. Social sustainability themes areinfluenced by national and regional socio-economic conditions, such as government provision of healthcare and asocial safety net. Therefore, indicators are allocated based on geographical regions and stakeholder groups. Theeconomic subthemes are determined by industry structure and sector-specific conditions. The ornamental sectoris characterized by low margins and high uncertainty, related to profitability and vulnerability. Despite the initialevaluation performed in the current study, in the next step, industry actors need to determine the feasibility ofthe indicators. The implementation of the framework developed in the current study will provide further insightsinto the value chain, which will guide actors in taking actions for performance improvement and provideguidance for policy-makers in setting sustainability targets.
Plant production in indoor farming systems offers significant advantages compared to open field orgreenhouse production systems. Especially in terms of quality and the ability for automation the system is superior to the conventional production systems. Concerning resource consumption indoor farming has considerable advantages in regard to water consumption and the use of pesticides.The main disadvantage is the high consumption of electrical energy. Taking advantage of the specific benefits or eliminating the disadvantages, for example by using renewable energies, different potentials and fields of application for indoorfarming arise.The paper outlines the potentials and future fields of application of indoor farming considering the specific differences to conventional production systems related to resource consumption, quality and automation.
Climate change and increasing global urbanization accelerate the expansion of protected cultivation systems. However, certain dependences to external weather conditions remain even in modern greenhouses. Indoor vertical farming, on the other hand, pursues complete inde-pendence from external weather conditions with the aim for highly accurate control of all crop parameters. Particularly with regard to the advancing climate change and the need for sustainable resource consumption, there are clear advantages due to the year-round and independent cultivation of plants and raw materials under optimal conditions. The complexity in the optimal networking of the plant-technology systems offers intensive development opportunities for dig-itization and interdisciplinary collaboration.
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Simon Goisser
,
Sabine Wittmann
,
Heike Susanne Mempel
In the past few years, portable and smartphone-based diagnostic technologies have found their way into the agri-food industry. The aim of this research was to evaluate the perfor-mance of portable near-infrared (NIR) spectrometers, so called food-scanners, with regard to their predictive accuracy of important quality parameters of fruit and vegetables. Food-scan-ner measurements were performed in combination with destructive measurements of the corresponding quality trait (sugar content, dry matter, relative water content) on a wide range of produce from the fruit and vegetable assortment. This study evaluated dry matter content of apple, avocado, blueberry, table grape and tangerine, which yielded cross validation re-sults (r²) of up to 0.95, 0.87, 0.94, 0.92 and 0.92 respectively. Furthermore, the evaluation of food-scanner spectra for the prediction of sugar content of blueberry, kiwi, mango, persim-mon, table grape, tangerine and tomato yielded cross validations (r²) of up to 0.95, 0.84, 0.80, 0.75, 0.95, 0.93, and 0.87. Furthermore, relative water content of ginger obtained a cross val-idation correlation of r² = 0.91. The results show that these traits can be predicted with a high degree of accuracy using non-destructive measurements performed with three commercially available food-scanners SCiOTM, F-750 Produce Quality Meter, and H-100F. Consequently, food-scanners can be used as objective measurement tools along the supply chain of fresh produce to quickly determine fruit quality. In addition, a practical example shows the poten-tial of these instruments for non-destructive quality assessment in incoming goods control at fruit and vegetable wholesalers over a time period of several weeks. Furthermore, possible areas of application of food-scanners along the supply chain of fresh produce are discussed, possibilities for practical applications are presented and time-saving means are highlightedLANDTECHNIK 76(1), 2021, 52–67Food-scanner applications in the fruit and vegetable sectorSimon Goisser, Sabine Wittmann, Heike MempelIn the past few years, portable and smartphone-based diagnostic technologies have found their way into the agri-food industry. The aim of this research was to evaluate the perfor-mance of portable near-infrared (NIR) spectrometers, so called food-scanners, with regard to their predictive accuracy of important quality parameters of fruit and vegetables. Food-scan-ner measurements were performed in combination with destructive measurements of the corresponding quality trait (sugar content, dry matter, relative water content) on a wide range of produce from the fruit and vegetable assortment. This study evaluated dry matter content of apple, avocado, blueberry, table grape and tangerine, which yielded cross validation re-sults (r²) of up to 0.95, 0.87, 0.94, 0.92 and 0.92 respectively. Furthermore, the evaluation of food-scanner spectra for the prediction of sugar content of blueberry, kiwi, mango, persim-mon, table grape, tangerine and tomato yielded cross validations (r²) of up to 0.95, 0.84, 0.80, 0.75, 0.95, 0.93, and 0.87. Furthermore, relative water content of ginger obtained a cross val-idation correlation of r² = 0.91. The results show that these traits can be predicted with a high degree of accuracy using non-destructive measurements performed with three commercially available food-scanners SCiOTM, F-750 Produce Quality Meter, and H-100F. Consequently, food-scanners can be used as objective measurement tools along the supply chain of fresh produce to quickly determine fruit quality. In addition, a practical example shows the poten-tial of these instruments for non-destructive quality assessment in incoming goods control at fruit and vegetable wholesalers over a time period of several weeks. Furthermore, possible areas of application of food-scanners along the supply chain of fresh produce are discussed, possibilities for practical applications are presented and time-saving means are highlighted.
Indoor vertical farming offers great opportunities regarding a sustainable and consistent production of high-quality herbs and raw materials all year round for the perfume, chemical, or food industry. Cultivation takes place in an enclosed structure, operating predominantly independent from external conditions in multi-layer systems equipped with artificial lighting, enabling extremely high resource use efficiencies with a simultaneous increase in yield. On the other hand, field production in terms of plant quality and harvesting times is highly influenced by environmental conditions, making it difficult to maintain homogenous raw material qualities throughout the year. To show how different light qualities affect the overall efficiency and quality of Origanum majorana grown in an indoor farm, the resource consumption, yield, and cultivation time as well as the essential oil quantity was analyzed, and the efficiencies in terms of energy and land use efficiency calculated. The experimental setup clearly demonstrated that the yield regarding fresh as well as dry matter and oil content was comparable to one square meter of open field production. Based on this, the multi-layer system and the noticeable lowered growth period result in a significantly higher area efficiency compared to the open field, leading to a potential increase of annual yields of dried leave weight and oil contents by up to 21 times. It was also shown that a white spectrum (W) showed similar influence on plant growth and yield as a spectrum consisting of blue and red (B/R). Nevertheless, the LED treatment W did show higher light use efficiencies as well as a better working conditions inside the cultivation chamber. By an integration of indoor vertical farming into existing industrial processes, new and innovative opportunities for a flexible and low-risk supply chain seem feasible and according to German food industry meet the interests of existing stakeholders.
Mehr
Simon Goisser
,
Michael Fernandes
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Sabine Wittmann
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Christian Ulrichs
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Heike Susanne Mempel
The assessment of tomato fruit quality depends on a variety of extrinsic and intrinsic quality parameters such as color, firmness and sugar content. Conventional measurement methods of these quality parameters are time consuming, require various measurement devices, and in case of intrinsic quality, involve destructive measurements. Latest research focused on the non-destructive determination of these parameters by using spectroscopic measurements. The goal of this study was to evaluate the capability of three commercial-ly available portable and miniaturized VIS/NIR spectrometers, socalled food-scanners, in predicting various tomato quality attributes in a non-destructive way. Additionally, this study evaluated the software provided by manufacturers for building of prediction models by comparing the results derived from those software tools to state-of-the-art software for multivariate analysis. Evaluation of food-scanner spectra resulted in prediction models of high accuracy (r² > 0.90) for tomato fruit firmness, dry matter, total soluble solids and color values L*, a* and h°. Prediction models computed with manufacturer’s software showed similar accuracy to those derived from state-of-the-art evaluation software. Results of this study illustrate the great potential of commercial food-scanners for non-destructive quality measurement. Further important features of food-scanners with respect to the application along the fresh produce supply chain are addressed.
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Nirit Havardi-Burger
,
Heike Susanne Mempel
,
Vera Bitsch
The study investigated the value chain of flowering potted plants supplying the German market and the drivers influencing chain actors. The study builds on strategic and horticultural value chain literature. Data was collected by conducting 20 in-depth interviews with chain actors from different stages in the value chain and analyzed through qualitative content analysis. Results showed that the value chain of flowering potted plants is divided in two pathways due to distinct propagation methods, either generative (seeds) or vegetative (cuttings). Whereas propagation material is generally produced in southern countries, such as Africa and Central America, young plants and potted plants are cultivated within Europe. The paper identified driving forces such as retailer requirements, weather conditions, price pressure and innovations. Furthermore, the study provides an overview of chain activities and processes to help the sector anticipate developments, and support stakeholders in future decisions.
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Simon Goisser
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Sabine Wittmann
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Michael Fernandes
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Heike Susanne Mempel
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Christian Ulrichs
Lycopene, the red colored carotenoid in tomatoes, has various health benefits for humans due to its capability of scavenging free radicals. Traditionally, the quantification of lycopene requires an elaborate extraction process combined with HPLC analysis within the laboratory. Recent studies focused simpler methods for determining lycopene and utilized spectroscopic measurement methods. The aim of this study was to compare non-destructive methods for the prediction of lycopene by using color values from colorimeter measurements and Vis/NIR spectra recorded with three commercially available and portable Vis/NIR spectrometers, so called food-scanners. Tomatoes of five different ripening stages (green to red) as well as tomatoes stored up to 22 days after harvest were used for modeling. After measurement of color values and collection of Vis/NIR spectra the corresponding lycopene content was analyzed spectrophotometrically. Applying exponential regression models yielded very good prediction of lycopene for color values L*, a*, a*/b* and the tomato color index of 0.94, 0.90, 0.90 and 0.91, respectively. Color value b* was not a suitable predictor for lycopene content, whereas the (a*/b*)² value had the best linear fit of 0.87. In comparison to color measurements, the cross-validated prediction models developed for all three food-scanners had coefficients of determination (r²CV) ranging from 0.92 to 0.96. Food-scanners also can be used for additional measurements of internal fruit quality, and therefore have great potential for fruit quality assessment by measuring a multitude of important fruit traits in one single scan.
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Simon Goisser
,
Heike Susanne Mempel
,
Vera Bitsch
Originally advertised as tools for end-consumers, portable food-scanners have recently reached a high level of awareness and show potential as instruments for quality assessment along fruit and vegetable supply c hains. The current study explores preferences and concerns of chain actors regarding the implementation of this technology through semi-structured interviews. Results indicate that food-scanners could facilitate quality control at different levels of the fresh produce supply chain by providing fast, non-destructive and objective measurements. Concerns about the application of food-scanners could be identified with respect to potential additional requirements of fruit wholesaler resulting in more pressure on producers. To further a goal-oriented and user-directed development of this new technology, future research should be directed at its impacts on perception of fruit quality along the chain as well as end-consumers’ readiness to use these devices in everyday life.
Vertical Indoor Farming
Potenzial für die Produktion von pflanzlichen Rohstoffen für die Lebensmittel- und die pharmazeutische Industrie (2022) Rundschau für Fleischhygiene und Lebensmittelüberwachung 2022 (12), S. 400-402.
Indoor Vertical Farming, Potenzial zur Pflanzlichen Rohstoffproduktion für die Lebensmittel- und Pharmaindustrie (2022) FOOD-Lab Fachmagazin für Qualitätsmanagement, Analytik und Nachhaltigkeit 2022 (4), S. 14-19.
Heike Susanne Mempel
Wasserversorgung von Topfpflanzen - vom Produzenten bis zum Verkauf (2016) Taspo (40).
Beiträge in Monografien, Sammelwerken, Schriftenreihen
Simon Goisser
,
Michael Fernandes
,
Heike Susanne Mempel
Zerstörungsfreie Messmethode zur schnellen Qualitätsbewertung und Haltbarkeitsabschätzung von Lebensmitteln mit Hilfe von Food Scannern (2018) Tagung der Deutschen Gartenbauwissenschaftlichen Gesellschaft. BHGL-Schriftenreihe 33 , S. 34.
Content of teaching is often highly specialized for each course of studies, and students rarely have the possibility to learn more about related content which is outside of the subject area. Nevertheless, e.g. in indoor vertical farming, not only horticultural expertise is required to face the need for automated processes throughout the whole supply chain. We present here a unique approach to bring students from different courses of study together to develop digital solutions for these challenges in an agile environment. Agile in this context means letting students from different disciplines work together in a self-organized manner without hierarchies and based on the project management framework Scrum. In a first attempt, we let students with horticultural and bioinformatics backgrounds develop a digital tool that automates early detection of nitrogen deficiency for sunflowers grown in a greenhouse.
Effect of mild protein extraction methods, including pulsed electric fields, on Duckweed and functional properties of a protein concentrate as an innovative food source (2024) Poster presentation, 38th EFFoST International Conference 2024, 12-14 November 2024, Bruges .
Heidi Heuberger
,
Volker Henning
,
Andreé Hamm
,
Sofie Gawronski
,
Sabine Wittmann
,
Ivonne Jüttner
,
Heike Susanne Mempel
,
Fred Eickmeyer
,
Susanne Wöster
,
Joachim Müller
,
Marina Michalsky
,
Thomas Hannus
,
Andrea Krähmer
,
Georg Maier
Informieren - Diskutieren - Netzwerken - Neues Planen (2023) Aus der Praxis für die Praxis, 9. Tagung für Arznei- und Gewürzpflanzenforschung 2023 in Freising 28 (1), S. 24-35.
Development of an indoor farming cultivation process for Rhodiola rosea, using an aeroponic and deep-water irrigation method (2022) 31. International Horticultural Congress (IHC2022); International Symposium on advances in Vertical Farming .
Effect of pulsed electric fields on protein extraction of duckweed (L. minor and L. gibba) (2024) Oral presentation, 5th World Congress on Electroporation and Pulsed Electric Fields in Biology, Medicine, and Food & Environmental Technologies, 15-19 September 2024, Rome .
Fruit vegetables in indoor farming – potential of chili pepper production (2022) 31. International Horticultural Congress (IHC2022): International Symposium on Advances in Vertical Farming .
Simon Goisser
,
Heike Susanne Mempel
Mobile Nahinfrarottechnik im Post-Harvest-Management (2019) Vortrag im Forum "Auf einer Wellenlänge" des Forschungsprojekts "Food-Scanner" am 26.10.2019 in Freising .
Simon Goisser
,
Heike Susanne Mempel
Können Food-Scanner Lebensmittelverluste reduzieren? (2019) "Zu gut für die Tonne" - Themenabend zur Lebensmittelverschwendung am 14.05.2019 in Ansbach .
Simon Goisser
,
Julius Krause
,
Michael Fernandes
,
Heike Susanne Mempel
Determination of tomato quality attributes using portable NIR-sensors (2019) 4th International Conference on Optical Characterization of Materials (OCM), March 13th - 14th, 2019, Karlsruhe, Germany .
Simon Goisser
,
Heike Susanne Mempel
,
Vera Bitsch
Potential applications of food-scanners in fruit and vegetable supply chains and possible consequences for the German market (2019) 13th International European Forum (Igls-Forum) on System Dynamics and Innovation in Food Networks, February 18th - 22nd, 2019, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany .
Simon Goisser
,
Heike Susanne Mempel
Der Einsatz portabler Mini-Sensoren vom Erzeuger bis zum Verbraucher (2018) Deutscher Obst & Gemüsekongress (20.-21.09.2018 Düsseldorf) .
Heike Susanne Mempel
,
Simon Goisser
Fruchtqualität auf Knopfdruck – Nachernteverluste im Gartenbau (2018) Vortrag beim 1. Bayerisches Symposium gegen Lebensmittelverschwendung – Du bist, was du aufisst!“
Fachsymposium 2018 .
Heike Susanne Mempel
,
Simon Goisser
Qualitätsveränderungen bei pflanzlichen Lebensmitteln (2018) Vortrag beim Fachkongress "Lebensmittel retten 4.0 - Innovative Verfahren zur Reduzierung von Lebensmittelverlusten" am 16.05.2018 im Bayerischen Staatsministerium für Ernährung, Landwirtschaft und Forsten .
Heike Susanne Mempel
Technische Anpassungspotentiale für gärtnerische Produktionssysteme. Impulsvortrag auf dem HortInnova Expertenworkshop im Forschungsfeld "Anpassung gartenbaulicher Produktionssysteme an sich ändernde Herausforderungen" (2016) Vortrag an der Universität Bonn am 15.06. .
Paul Lampert
,
Vera Bitsch
,
Daniel Berki-Kiss
,
Swantje Duthweiler
,
Daniel Hauck
,
Nirit Havardi-Burger
,
Elke Meinken
,
Heike Susanne Mempel
,
Luisa Menapace
,
Klaus Menrad
,
Stephan Pauleit
,
Urs Schmidhalter
,
Laura Stratopoulos
Der Bericht fasst die Ergebnisse von vier Teilprojekten zum Thema Nachhaltigkeit im Gartenbau zusammen. Das erste Teilprojekt untersucht den Düngewert sekundärer Phosphorstoffe für Gartenbaupflanzen. Das zweite Teilprojekt entwickelt Nachhaltigkeitskriterien für die Wertschöpfungskette blühender Topfpflanzen. Das dritte Teilprojekt untersuchte die Verwendbarkeit von Bäumen aus trockeneren Umgebungen in städtischen Umgebungen. Das vierte Teilprojekt beschäftigt sich mit Verbraucheraspekten in Bezug auf Fairtrade Schnittrosen in Deutschland.
Carbon-Footprint-Analysen entlang der Wertschöpfungsketten von Obst und Gemüse an ausgewählten Beispielen sowie Erarbeitung eines entsprechenden Zertifizierungs- und Labellingsystems. Gekürzte Fassung des Schlussberichts an das BMBF (Förderkennzeichen: 17004X11) (2015) Hochschule Weihenstephan-Triesdorf (HSWT), Wissenschaftszentrum Straubing, Fachgebiet für Marketing und Management Nachwachsender Rohstoffe (MNR) .
DOI: 10.2314/GBV:860305716
Thomas Schwend
,
Dietmar Prucker
,
Heike Susanne Mempel
Der Einfluss von LED-Licht auf den Rosmarinsäuregehalt in Basilikum (2014) Infodienst Weihenstephan, Dezember 2014 / Januar 2015 .
Dietmar Prucker
,
Heike Susanne Mempel
Einfluss der verschiedenen Wellenlängen einer LED-Belichtung auf das Pflanzenwachstum (2013) Infodienst Weihenstephan, April 2013 .
Das Indoor Vertical Farming spezialisiert sich auf die Produktion von Pflanzen in mehrlagigen, vertikal angeordneten Kultursystemen in einer geschlossenen Gebäudestruktur (Container, Lagerhallen, etc.). Die Lichtenergie für das Pflanzenwachstum wird über künstliche Belichtungssysteme wie LED-Module zur Verfügung gestellt. Von der Temperatur über die Luftfeuchte, Belichtungszeit und -intensität, dem Lichtspektrum bis hin zur Bewässerung kann alles gezielt eingestellt und optimiert werden. Sensoren und Kamerasysteme ermöglichen zudem das Wachstum und die pflanzliche Entwicklung in Echtzeit zu beobachten und kontinuierlich zu optimieren.
Mehr
Justin Wolf
,
Heike Susanne Mempel
Die Senkrechtpflanzer (2019) Zeitungsartikel: Die Zeit, von Justin Wolff 2019 (45).
Ackerfläche wird knapp, doch Salat lässt sich gestapelt in Schränken und Regalen züchten. Ist die Technologie schon reif für die Produktion in großen Mengen?
HSWT Newsmeldung
,
Heike Susanne Mempel
Expertin der HSWT beantwortet häufig gestellte Fragen zum Thema Vertical Farming bzw. Indoor Farming (2019) Forschungs-News HSWT, 09.05.2019 .
Innovative Methoden in modernen Gewächshaussystemen sollen die Tomatenproduktion in Tunesien nachhaltiger und ressourcenschonender gestalten. Zentraler Mehrwert ist die Etablierung eines …
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