Scientists have been focusing their attention especially in recent years on greenhouses, in order to improve the benefits we can get from them. Earlier I wrote about innovations such as solar windows that are installed in a greenhouse, in order to produce green energy at the same time. These objects are no longer just a place for plants, but people have started to build their homes inside them.
How important they are, maybe the farmers who, especially in previous years, have to deal with high temperatures, dry periods or extreme precipitation that includes hail, could best tell us. Food safety has become one of the most urgent problems that need to be solved. It is common that one problem does not go away on its own, but is accompanied by others. This is also about the growth of the population, which needs to be supplied with food.
Many scientists support the theory that population growth is not the cause of the food supply crisis, but that improper food management has a much greater impact. I would add negligence and lack of awareness of man. Be that as it may, climate change, population growth, carelessness and lack of awareness lead to a big problem that we are facing, and we could feel the consequences even more strongly in the near future.
Precisely for these reasons, greenhouses are becoming more and more important. Although they are already widespread and are not something that is new, as I mentioned, they are constantly being improved.
Namely, scientists have designed a coating that can improve the efficiency of greenhouses, especially in areas that do not receive enough sunlight. This coating uses luminescent materials that can redirect light, allowing better use of the sun’s rays.
To clarify, luminescent materials are substances that can absorb light energy and then emit it in the form of light, as if they have the ability to glow. In this way, the growth of plants is promoted in less favorable conditions.
Among the key materials in this coating is Eu3+-controlled polyoxotitanate, which can be easily incorporated into water-based acrylic paint. In addition to not containing harmful chemicals, this coating allows more natural light, thus reducing the need for additional artificial lighting, which requires electricity.
In the first experiment, scientists showed that the coating has a significant effect on increasing the dry mass of plants by nine percent. For clarification, plant dry mass represents the weight of the plant when water is removed from it. This kind of measurement is often used in agriculture during the assessment of plant growth and productivity.
The problem of food safety is becoming an increasingly present topic in modern society, which emphasizes the need for sustainable agriculture as a basis for the future. The principles of regenerative agriculture, the use of natural fertilizers, innovations such as improved greenhouses and other solutions are no longer just options, but necessary steps. Not only the way in which we will produce food, but also the quality of life of the generations to come will largely depend on these approaches.
Katarina Vuinac
Source: energetskiportal.rs
