Abstract
A plant-factory research center is currently under operation at Tamagawa University in Tokyo, Japan. The full research facility, named Future Sci Tech (FST) Lab, has been in operation since May 2010. The main focus of this facility is to explore the possibility of an enclosed artificial lighting plant factory. The total construction area of the plant-factory research center is 801 m2 which includes the main cultivation room, the nursery room, the genetic transformation laboratory, the plant photophysiology laboratory, and the space agriculture laboratory. The facility utilizes multiple lighting sources, such as water-cooled high power Chip on Board (COB) Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs), Hybrid Electrode Fluorescent Lamps (HEFLs) and Hf fluorescent lamps for plant production. New features are being added continuously. For example, newly developed passive air-cooled LED panels have also been introduced. Various leafy vegetables, herbs, medicinal plants, and fruit vegetables are being cultured using this system. Research on the utilization of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for the plant-factory is also being conducted. In this review, the concept behind this facility and ongoing research are both discussed.
