V.3 Polydome Concept Overview Key Features logical stress. Work requirements are also quite likely to vary from day to day, depending on the particular needs of the season. In the sketch of a physical layout for the Polydome model, we have also considered increasing the opportunities for workers to socialize by creating a central logistics bay, where most time is spent by groups of people. Other such features can be incorporated to improve the quality of the greenhouse as a work environment. Greenhouse Production Though many of the principles applied in Polydome would also provide benefits in outdoor cultivation, they can be applied to even greater effect in the controlled environment of a greenhouse. Of course, there are the usual benefits of having an environment where ambient conditions can be controlled. Pests can be kept out, waste heat and CO2 can be captured in the structure, and a number of other benefits can be realized. Additionally, as we propose here, different parts of the greenhouse can be kept at different climatic conditions. There are also unique benefits in using the greenhouse structure itself as a platform for the vertical stacking of crop modules. In a natural system, vertical stacking opportunities are limited by the height and structure of natural features. In a greenhouse, the building itself can be used as a physical platform for additional crop modules. The possibilities of using robotic logistics systems can also make stacked crops more accessible. 28 A Polydome greenhouse requires innovative ways of reconceptualizing the biological and structural aspects of a greenhouse system. The system is designed to enhance beneficial interactions between species within the greenhouse as well as between the greenhouse and its community surroundings. The result is a food production system that is designed to be both more dynamic and longerlasting, with a decreased footprint and increased benefits relative to traditional greenhouse. Our concept includes several key biological, architectural, and organizational features that are central to achieving these outcomes: Biological Features • Perennial Crops • Functional Crop Clusters • Pest and Weed Management • Substrates Structural Features • Spatial and Temporal Stacking • Microclimates and Microzones • Advanced Logistics • Additional Modules Biological Features Perennial Crops The Polydome greenhouse is designed for a minimum lifespan of 30 years and potentially as long as 100 years. One of the main reasons that it is designed for a relatively long time span compared to traditional glasshouses is that a large number of the crops (roughly half) are perennial. These crops do not need to be replanted on an annual basis, and will continue to produce for as long as 80 years. After the perennial crops are established, they form the basis of a semi-permanent ecosystem within the greenhouse, which does not need to be restarted from scratch at the beginning of each growing season. This allows for the longer-term development of soil communities, and also allows for chickens to be given free range within the greenhouse for certain months of the year, allowing them to turn soil and remove pests. Perennials are not sensitive to damage from the birds, whereas young annuals would be. Buying mature perennials (cane fruit, trees, etc.) can be quite expensive. In this system, we recommend that these crops be purchased at very early stages of maturity to reduce the initial investment price. In the earlier years of their growth, they can be intercropped with temporary annual crops so that this area of the greenhouse can be used productively in the meantime. The annual crops grown in the area can also be used to prepare the soil for the perennial crops as they mature. For example, legumes planted in the area will fix nitrogen in the soil, french marigolds will fumigate the soil Pagina 27
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