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// SCIENCE HUB

How the systems work — and why the numbers hold.

Component diagrams for every system, plus the vetted facts behind our claims. Figures are ranges, conservatively framed, with sources. The calculator's coefficients trace to this table.

// DIAGRAM SET

Hydroponic techniques — NFT

reservoirpumpsloped channelsreturn
NFT — Nutrient Film Technique — Thin recirculating film over bare roots in sloped channels.

Hydroponic techniques — Aeroponic

reservoirpumproot mist chamberreturn
Aeroponic — Roots misted in air — maximal oxygen, minimal water.

Vertical farm cross-section

LED planetraysair
Cross-section — stacked trays, spectrum-tuned LED planes, vertical airflow, nutrient riser.

Closed-loop water cycle

reservoirfiltrationdosingcanopyET recapturerecirculation — up to ~90% water recovered
Closed loop — filtration, dosing, evapotranspiration recapture, recirculation.

Light & photosynthesis (PAR / DLI)

400nm700nmPAR — photosynthetically active radiationDLI target (leafy greens) ≈ 12–17 mol/m²/day
Spectrum-tuned LEDs concentrate energy in blue + red PAR peaks; plan to crop DLI.

Irrigation network topology

sourcepumpzone 1zone 2zone 3sensor feedback
Source → pump → zones → emitters, with soil-moisture sensor feedback to the controller.

Farm-management data flow

sensorstelemetryrules engineactuatorsclosed-loop control
Sensors → telemetry → rules engine → actuators, closing the control loop.

Bioengineering pipeline

discoverytrait designvalidationtrialreleasebiosafety-forward · containment at every stage
Discovery → trait design → validation → trial → release, with containment posture tracked throughout.

Vertical integration map

machineryirrigationCEA infrabioengineeringfarm mgmt
How the products interlock — farm management at the center, fed by every system.
// VETTED FACTS
up to ~90%

Closed-loop hydroponic and vertical systems recirculate nutrient solution and can use up to ~90% less water than conventional soil farming (recirculation commonly ~90–95%). Vertical-grown leafy greens have been reported at roughly 20–30 L of water per kg.

Source: industry & agronomy reviews, 2025–2026· figures vary by crop, system & operator; as of 2026

~11.7 kg/m²/yr

Stacked systems can produce many times more per m² than open field — leafy greens commonly cited at up to ~10×, with controlled-environment facilities reporting on the order of ~11.7 kg/m²/yr. Extreme multiples are best-case, not typical.

Source: CEA facility reporting, 2025–2026· figures vary by crop, system & operator; as of 2026

~25–50% faster

Controlled environments can mature crops ~25–50% faster and lift yields by roughly ~30–35% versus soil, enabling year-round continuous production.

Source: controlled-environment agronomy, 2025–2026· figures vary by crop, system & operator; as of 2026

~28–40% energy saved

Photosynthesis is driven by PAR (≈400–700 nm); plan to crop DLI targets — leafy greens commonly ~12–17 mol/m²/day. Spectrum-tuned LEDs have shown ~28–40% energy savings while sustaining ~2–3× yield/m² in reported vertical operations.

Source: horticultural lighting studies, 2025–2026· figures vary by crop, system & operator; as of 2026

pH 5.5–6.5

Most hydroponic crops sit around pH 5.5–6.5, with EC varying by crop (leafy greens lower, fruiting crops higher). VPD governs transpiration and is a primary climate-control target.

Source: hydroponic nutrient management, 2025–2026· figures vary by crop, system & operator; as of 2026

kWh/m²/day · DLI

Insolation is expressed as kWh/m²/day (for PV sizing) or DLI in mol/m²/day (for the plant light budget). Location data is used to offset supplemental lighting in glazed/outdoor systems and to size PV that reduces energy opex.

Source: solar resource & PV sizing, 2025–2026· figures vary by crop, system & operator; as of 2026

All ranges are corroborated across multiple 2025–2026 industry and agronomy sources and kept as ranges; on-page figures are estimates, not guarantees.