This collection reviews the wealth of research on vertical farms or plant factories with artificial lighting (PFALs). It summarises key research both on improving process efficiency and produce quality of horticultural crops such as fruit and vegetables, ornamentals and herbs.

With increasing temperatures and an escalation in the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, agricultural productivity remains at risk of being compromised. With the food security of millions threatened, there remains a need to develop alternative, sustainable production models which can thrive in the face of climate change.

Advances in plant factories: New technologies in indoor vertical farming reviews the wealth of research on optimising plant factories with artificial lighting (PFALs) as one potential solution to achieving a more sustainable agriculture. The book addresses developments in process monitoring, optimising energy use, as well as adjusting lighting conditions to improve the sensory and nutritional quality of a range of horticultural crops.

Part 1 Introduction: backgrounds, concept and methodology of sustainable PFALs

• 1. Characteristics, potential and challenges of plant factories with artificial lighting (PFALs): Introduction: Toyoki Kozai and Eri Hayashi, Japan Plant Factory Association, Japan;
• 2. Requirements and features of cultivation system modules in advanced plant factories with artificial lighting: Toyoki Kozai and Eri Hayashi, Japan Plant Factory Association, Japan;
• 3. Research and technology in plant factories with artificial lighting: past, present and future: Ying Liu, Paul Kusuma and Leo F. M. Marcelis, Wageningen University & Research, The Netherlands;

Part 2 Energy and other resource performance

• 4. Life cycle assessment of indoor vertical farms: Michael Martin, IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute and KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden; and Francesco Orsini, University of Bologna, Italy;
• 5. Reducing carbon emissions from plant factories with artificial lighting: Toyoki Kozai, Japan Plant Factory Association, Japan;
• 6. Optimizing energy and other resource use in vertical farms: Francesco Orsini, Laura Carotti, Mohammad Kazem Souri, Giuseppina Pennisi and Giorgio Gianquinto, University of Bologna, Italy;
• 7. Energy consumption in plant factories with artificial lighting: concepts and pathways toward a sustainable future: Michael Eaton and Neil Mattson, Cornell University, USA;
• 8. Closed plant production systems in vertical farms for a circular economy: Yoshiaki Kitaya, Osaka Metropolitan University, Japan;

Part 3 Phenotyping

• 9. Application of machine vision in plant factories: Wei Ma and Zhiwei Tian, Institute of Urban Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China;
• 10. Plant phenotyping of individual plants towards optimal environmental control in plant factories: Eri Hayashi, Japan Plant Factory Association, Japan;

Part 4 Spectral manipulations for controlling the growth and quality of leafy greens

• 11. Growth and quality of lettuce in vertical farms as affected by red:blue and red:far-red ratios: Wenqing Jin, Wageningen University & Research and Priva B.V., The Netherlands; and Hua Li, Wageningen University & Research, The Netherlands;
• 12. Spectral manipulations to control growth and quality of lettuce and other leafy greens in vertical farms: Yuxin Tong, Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China;
• 13. Adjusting photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) to improve the quality of leafy vegetables in vertical farms: Qianxixi Min, Leo F. M. Marcelis and Ernst J. Woltering, Wageningen University & Research, The Netherlands;

Part 5 Spectral manipulations for controlling the growth and quality of ornamentals, fruit vegetables and herbs

• 14. Effect of far-red light on improving yields of tomatoes produced in vertical farms: Yongran Ji and Michele Butturini, Wageningen University & Research, The Netherlands;
• 15. Growth and nutritional contents of medicinal plants and herbs as affected by light and root zone environments in plant factories with artificial lighting: Na Lu, Wenshuo Xu and Duyen T. P. Nguyen, Center for Environment, Health and Field Sciences, Chiba University, Japan;

Part 6 Business case studies

• 16. Lessons learned from operational and shuttered vertical plant farms: Francis Baumont De Oliveira, University of Liverpool, UK; and Ronald Dyer, University of Sheffield, UK;
• 17. Design and management of globally-networked plant factories: commercial application and future opportunities: Viviana Correa Galvis, Pádraic J. Flood and Pavlos Kalaitzoglou, Infarm - Indoor Urban Farming B.V., The Netherlands;
• 18. Oishii Farm: gaining the leading edge in the plant factory business and looking ahead: Hiroki Koga and Kenzo Uchigasaki, Oishii Farm, USA;
• 19. Data-driven operations for a productive and sustainable plant factory: Katashi Kai and Morio Okabe, Shinnippou Ltd, Japan;
• 20. Design and management of industrial‑scale vertical farms: Intelligent Growth Solutions (IGS): Gonçalo Neves, Andrew Lloyd, Niall Skinner, Douglas Elder, Dave Scott, Niels Kortstee, Emily Seward, Csaba Hornyik, Alexander Keel-Dwyer and Lawrence Ross, Intelligent Growth Solutions (IGS), UK;

Part 7 Concluding remarks

• 21. Plant factories with artificial lighting (PFALs): Concluding remarks: Eri Hayashi and Toyoki Kozai, Japan Plant Factory Association, Japan;