Research Publication: Vapor Pressure Deficit (VPD) Control in Micro Plant Factory to Enhance Spinach Microgreens Growth
Yogyakarta, 3 April 2025 – Smart Agriculture Research Center (SARC) is proud to announce its latest research publication in Scientia Horticulturae, a highly reputable international journal indexed in Scopus and Web of Science, focusing on horticulture and plant science in Volume 332, 1 June 2024, 113229. The research titled "Control of vapor pressure deficit (VPD) in micro-plant factory (McPF) to enhanced spinach microgreens growth" reveals methods for controlling vapor pressure deficit (VPD) to enhance the growth and yield of micro-plants within a Micro-Plant Factory (McPF) and Urban Mini-Plant Factory (UMPF). Scientia Horticulturae is recognized for its high publication quality standards and broad coverage of topics in horticulture, making it an ideal platform for disseminating these research findings to the global scientific community.
This research was conducted by a team of researchers consisting of Muhammad Athala Fawwaz Dzaky, Andri Prima Nugroho, Yudha Dwi Prasetyatama, Lilik Sutiarso, Mohammad Affan Fajar Falah, and Takashi Okayasu. They found that optimal VPD control, particularly on the middle shelf of the McPF system, significantly increased plant height and dry weight of spinach microgreens. The relative growth rate (RGR) was also higher under well-controlled VPD conditions.
The research results showed significant improvements in growth and yield. Increases in plant dry weight of up to 71% and 66% were recorded compared to the lower and upper shelves, as well as increases in plant height of up to 57% and 103%. These findings demonstrate the important role of VPD control in enhancing growth and yield of plants in structured environments such as McPF and UMPF.
Impact Outcomes:
This research makes a significant contribution to optimizing micro-plant production in controlled environments. The results can be directly applied by micro-plant factory entrepreneurs to increase production efficiency and profitability. Proper VPD control can reduce resource wastage, improve product quality, and ultimately enhance the competitiveness of Indonesian agricultural products in the global market. These findings also open opportunities for further research on optimizing plant growth environments in vertical farming systems.
The complete research publication can be accessed through the following DOI link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2024.113229
Contact: Andri Prima Nugroho, Ph.D (andrew@ugm.ac.id)
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