Indoor Vertical Farming Research Articles

Effects of Light Spectra on Growth, Physiological Responses, and Antioxidant Capacity in Five Radish Varieties in an Indoor Vertical Farming System

Effects of Light Spectra on Growth, Physiological Responses, and Antioxidant Capacity in Five Radish Varieties in an Indoor Vertical Farming System

An Overview on the Use of Artificial Lighting for Sustainable Lettuce and Microgreens Production in an Indoor Vertical Farming System

With the global population projected to reach 8.6 billion by 2050 and urbanization on the rise, sustainable food production in cities becomes imperative. Vertical farming presents a promising solution to meet this challenge by utilizing space-efficient, controlled-environment agriculture techniques. In a vertical farming system, high quality, high nutritional value products can be produced with minimum water consumption, using LEDs as energy-efficient light sources. Microgreens are a new market category of vegetables among sprouts and baby leaf greens. The most critical challenge in their cultivation is the choice of growing medium, lighting, and light spectrum, which affect photosynthesis, plant growth, and yield. This review explores various cultivation methods, including hydroponics, within the context of vertical farming. Using current research, it investigates the effect of LED lighting on the physiological properties and growth of microgreens and baby leaf lettuce, but further research is needed to determine the response of the varieties and the optimal light spectrum ratios to meet their needs.

Mapping the Dynamics of the Vertical Farm: A Biopolitical Epistemology of Valuation

ABSTRACT In early 2020, Sobeys—one of Canada’s largest food retailers—partnered with Infarm Indoor Vertical Farming to install hydroponic vertical farming units in their retail locations. This partnership aims to build a resilient agri-food ecosystem in the face of climate change. Infarm is one of few vertical farming start-ups to reach ‘unicorn’ status in the recent boom of venture capital-backed urban farming solutions. Working to mitigate the climate crisis is critical, but I take venture capital as the spokesperson for green technologies as intuitively strange. Actor-network theory is a powerful tool for describing networks in which modern technical objects are embedded. By mapping the nodes of Infarm’s actor-network and analyzing how and by what the expertise of a ‘black-boxed’ vertical farm is negotiated, we can identify obligatory points of passage that render the epistemology of the network durable. Ultimately, Infarm’s vertical farming practice and its climate change mitigation logics are moulded by venture capital and its biopolitical epistemology of valuation—a way of thinking that conceptualizes ‘life’, biology and, therefore, the climate in terms of political economy.

Microclimate Control in Strawberry Production with Hydroponic System in Indoor Vertical Farming

The purpose of this paper is to analyze Microclimate Control in strawberry production using hydroponic system in Indoor Vertical Farming. This research will discuss the Microclimate parameters that affect strawberry growth to be controlled in maintaining strawberry productivity. The parameters controlled include temperature, humidity, CO2 levels, light and EC/pH of nutrients. The data collection technique of this research is taken using Priva Climate Computer technology whose settings are adjusted to the target parameters set and analyzed using the Priva Cloud Office Direct Client application which is part of the Priva Climate Computer technology. The results of the Microclimate control carried out, obtained temperature 17,8-20,9ºC, humidity 67,4-91,3%, Carbon Dioxide (CO2) levels 597-600 ppm, light with light intensity PPFD 29,9 μmol m-2s-1 and nutrient solution concentration with Electrical Conductivity (EC) 0,9-1,18 mS/cm and pH 5,8-6,1 in Indoor Vertical Farming. After going through a series of studies, the results of measuring environmental parameters are in accordance with the targets that have been set. It can be concluded that the results of the study are in accordance with the recommendations for environmental parameters for the growth of large and uniform strawberries. The results of this study can be used as a reference for readers to increase knowledge, practice commercial directly and become a reference for further research.

Effects of Exogenous Ethanol Treatment in Nutrient Solution on Growth and Secondary Metabolite Contents of Three Herb Species in an Indoor Vertical Farming System.

This study aimed to explore the possibility of exogenous ethanol treatment as a technology to regulate the growth and the synthesis of secondary metabolites in herbaceous plants. After transplantation, sweet basil, Korean mint, and sweet wormwood were cultivated in a controlled vertical farming system and consistently exposed to exogenous ethanol at concentrations of 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, and 8 mM. Their growth parameters, antioxidant activity, and secondary metabolite contents were Everything is fine. measured to investigate the effects of the exogenous ethanol treatment on the three plants. The low-concentration ethanol treatments increased the shoot dry weight of the sweet basil and sweet wormwood compared to that of the control. As the ethanol concentration increased, the shoot fresh weight and leaf area in the sweet basil and Korean mint decreased compared to those of the control (0 mM). The DPPH (2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging activity and total phenolic content of the three plants increased with the ethanol concentration, while the total flavonoid content did not demonstrate a significant trend. The chlorophyll and carotenoids of the basil showed no apparent concentration-dependent trends; however, the chlorophyll and carotenoids of the Korean mint and sweet wormwood decreased with high ethanol concentrations. Moreover, the antioxidant enzyme activity increased with high ethanol concentrations, indicating that high ethanol concentrations induce oxidative stress in plants.

Comparative evaluation of minerals content of common green leafy vegetables consumed by the Asian populations in Singapore

Many green leafy vegetables (GLV) are native to Southeast Asia but information on their minerals content remains limited. Minerals content of 31 types of GLV, including 26 from conventional farming consumed by three ethnic groups in Singapore and five from indoor vertical farming, were studied using ICP OES. Mineral contents (mg/100 g fresh weight (FW)) of 26 GLV were diverse for the nine elements: Ca (6.55–394), K (163−771), Na (0.40–106), P (18.3–119), Mg (9.30–131), Cu (0.02–0.30), Fe (0.09–5.25), Mn (0.06–6.42), and Zn (0.10–3.60). GLV consumed by Malay and Indian ethnic groups contained significantly higher levels (p < 0.05) of microelements (Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn) and macroelements (Ca, K, Na, P, and Mg) than GLV consumed by Chinese ethnic group. GLV from indoor vertical farming contained significantly (p < 0.05) lower Fe (0.57 mg/100 g FW), Zn (0.21 mg/100 g FW), and Na (3.63 mg/100 g FW) than conventional farming (Fe: 0.87, Zn: 0.47, Na: 18.0 mg/100 g FW). Overall, these data will be useful to identify promising sources of GLV for improved dietary minerals intake, nutritional education and agricultural research in the region for better health outcomes.

Exploring the potential of concentrating solar power technologies for vertical farming in arid regions: The case of Western Iraq

Indoor vertical farming can address future food insecurity by reducing land use and environmental dependence positively mitigating the environmental impacts associated with conventional agriculture. However, its high energy consumption and environmental impact raise concerns. This paper explores the use of Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) to power vertical farming in Iraq's arid regions, using abundant solar resources to reduce environmental impact and energy costs. The study evaluates the feasibility and benefits of integrating CSP technologies into sustainable agricultural practices, considering factors like implementation costs, energy production, and water usage. The study utilized the system advisor model (SAM) to carry out the techno-economic assessment by relocating existing commercial CSP plant in Seville, Spain to six Iraqi locations, following a comprehensive technical site assessment. The energy production level, capacity factor (CF), and levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of the initial Spanish plant were lower than five of the six selected locations. Haditha and Ar Rutbha cities have the highest annual energy output, 123 GWh and 122 GWh, respectively, surpassing Seville's original plant output, which at 110 GWh performed less than Iraq locations. Next, comparisons are made between conventional farming and vertical farming (VF) cultivation. The study focuses on Romaine lettuce as the benchmark crop due to its prevalence in vertical farms and its suitability for arid climates. VF shows the potential to achieve yields between 41 and 68 kg/m2/y, 63 to 104 times higher than conventional farming in Western Iraq. VF's year-round cultivation with artificial lighting results in 83 times greater energy demands, requiring 25 kWh/kg/y. The findings emphasize the potential of CSP technologies to support sustainable agriculture in Iraq's arid regions. These findings demonstrate the possibility of utilizing solar power for sustainable agriculture in Iraq, offering valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders seeking cost-effective and energy-efficient solutions.

Thermo-fluid dynamic analysis of the air flow inside an indoor vertical farming system

In this study, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is used to assess the thermo-fluid dynamic behaviour of an indoor vertical farming system. Experimentally driven three-dimensional k-ε steady simulations are performed using a species transport model to account for relative humidity. In-field sensor measurements are used to set the boundary conditions for the simulations and to validate the results in terms of temperature and humidity distribution within the growing cell. The entire cell, consisting of eight levels of growing tables is simulated under daylight conditions, including the heat source from LED lights in the thermo-fluid dynamic air flow field. Results help to understand the main features of the air flow distribution. The comparison of the numerical results with measurements demonstrate the ability of the numerical approach to characterize the thermo-fluid dynamic flow field of the indoor farming system and the reliability of well-calibrated CFD simulations in controlling the air flow distribution, which is necessary to reduce energy consumption and to improve plant growth quality. Critical regions for the plant growth are identified within the farm based on the study of air speed uniformity and on the analysis of vapor pressure deficit (VPD). A growing table efficiency index is introduced based on the definitions of two dimensionless objective uniformity parameters. The analysis of these indices helps identifying differences in the fluid dynamic behaviour of the upper and lower floors of the cell and some deficiencies in the ventilation system ability to provide uniform air conditions to all the growing tables. Results show a symmetric behaviour of the left and right layers for upper floors, with tables in front of the evaporators showing better efficiencies. An opposite behaviour is observed on the lower floors, exhibiting a strong asymmetry between left and right layers. On the other hand, the VPD analysis reveale that certain regions near the evaporators and walls (with good flow uniformity) experience extreme conditions that could affect plant growth. The approach presented in this paper provides a detailed understanding of the indoor vertical farming environment and its impact on growth and yield of leafy greens. This, in turn, helps in the effort to optimize the vertical farm ventilation system and thus its energy, which remains the main issue of such cultivation plants.

Consumer reaction to indoor farming using LED lighting technology and the effects of providing information thereon

Indoor vertical farming using artificial light has gained popularity as one solution to food problems. However, prior studies have shown that some consumers have a negative impression that crops are grown in an artificial environment. The increased use of purple Light-Emitting Diode (LED) lighting, which would make the growing environment look more artificial, may exacerbate that negative perception, leading to low acceptance of vertically farmed produce. Given that consumers are increasingly seeing indoor vertical farming directly, for example, in supermarkets and office buildings, it is important to understand how they perceive the use of purple LED lighting to grow crops and whether these perceptions can be improved by learning more about the scientific basis for artificial light cultivation. This study aimed to determine whether purple LED lighting reduces consumers’ perceptions of indoor vertical farming compared to traditional white lighting, and to examine whether providing information on plant growth and artificial light changes those perceptions. We administered a web-based questionnaire to 961 Japanese respondents, and analyzed the response data using analysis of variance and an ordered probit model to explore the factors that define the likability for indoor vertical farming. The results revealed that the color of LED lighting had a limited influence on consumers' perceptions of indoor vertical farming, whereas explaining the principle of plant growth under artificial light improves their perceptions. Additionally, personal factors, such as resistance to novel food technology, trust in food safety, and awareness of indoor vertical farming, had a significant impact on the perceptions. It is crucial to expand opportunities for people to interact with artificial light cultivation and disseminate information about its scientific mechanisms.

Strengthening food security through alternative carbohydrates in the city-state of Singapore

Strengthening food security, in places where land and natural resources are limited or no longer available, is challenging. This is especially true for the production of staple food carbohydrates. Unlike some alternative foods, such as cultured meats, producing food carbohydrates using conventional agri-food approaches requires many natural resources, which are not available in some regions such as Singapore. Therefore, we must develop new, sustainable methods to enhance the quantity and nutritional quality of foods rich in carbohydrates. In this article, we review current developments in food security in the city-state of Singapore and emphasize the essential role of food carbohydrates in the food security plan. We discuss technology developments (i.e., indoor vertical farming, urban farming) used to enhance crop quality and production. We also make a few recommendations such as exploring underutilized and unconventional crops that are resilient and nutrient-dense, identifying hidden resources in local ecosystems (i.e., revalorizing agri-food processing by-products), and producing alternative carbohydrates (i.e., microbial and synthetic carbohydrates). Experience and approaches developed in Singapore provide an example to other regions and may inspire creativity in securing food availability.

A production capacity investment decision-making tool for the indoor vertical farming industry

Indoor vertical farming (VF) systems are a form of controlled environment agriculture, making use of technology to improve food availability and security while reducing environmental impacts. Commercially, it is a young industry with potential to disrupt the food supply chain status quo but is faced with uncertainty and risk with respect to product demand and production technology efficacy. As a result, VF firms must make decisions to develop production capacity that meets market demand while ensuring long-term profitability. This research presents a method for VF firms to facilitate the allocation of capital resources to new production capacity considering demand and production uncertainty. The method makes use of two mixed integer linear programming models, executed sequentially, to identify a production technology plan and then to identify production capacity plans under a range of different demand scenarios. Profit is used to evaluate performance and the method includes a multi-criteria comparison of how production plans perform using a range of preselected criteria.

Effect of different LED wavelengths on growth, chlorophyll and anthocyanin content of purple-red pakchoi (Brassica rapa chineensis) in indoor vertical farming

Understanding the effects of different light wavelengths on plant growth and the accumulation of essential nutrients like antioxidants is critical for obtaining optimal light conditions for the production of high-quality vegetables in indoor vertical farming. Purplered pakchoi (Brassica rapa chineensisis) is a fast-growing brassiceous vegetable. This vegetable is known to have health-promoting properties due to anthocyanin, which is a crucial antioxidant in the diet. This crop was used to evaluate the effects of red (RL), blue (BL), and green (GL) wavelengths on plant morphology, relative chlorophyll content, and phytochemical accumulation (anthocyanin). Light treatments consisted of three different wavelength combinations: a) full spectrum, white light (WL) as a control (the proportions of RL, BL and GL wavelengths were 42%, 15% and 43%, respectively); b) combination RL81BL19 (the proportions of RL and BL wavelengths were set at 81% and 19%, respectively); and c) combination RL70BL21GL9 (the proportions of RL, BL and GL wavelengths were set at 70%, 21% and 9%, respectively). The experiment was carried out in the LED Light Research Lab (MARDI, Serdang), a walk-in chamber with a 12-hour photoperiod. The temperature, CO2, and relative humidity levels in the LED light lab were kept under control. Plant width and height were found to be most prominent in plants exposed under RL81BL19 LED light, followed by RL70BL21GL9, while plants grown under WL were relatively small. Purple-red pakchoi exposed to a combination of RL and BL, supplemented with GL light treatment, had a slightly smaller plant height and width than plants exposed to RL81BL19 light treatment. Similar results were obtained in terms of shoot fresh and dry weight, with the RL81BL19 having the highest shoot fresh and dry weight, followed by the RL70BL21GL9 and WL light exposure plants. Furthermore, when compared to other treatments, purple-red pakchoi treated with RL81BL19 light had a significantly higher content (p&lt;0.05) of chlorophyll and anthocyanin. This finding indicated that GL light treatment has no direct effect on overall growth, chlorophyll accumulation, or anthocyanin content in purple-red pakchoi. This study found that the RL81BL19 wavelength is the best LED light treatment for purple-red pakchoi production in indoor vertical farming.

Indoor vertical farming could boost Africa’s food sustainability

Indoor vertical farming could boost Africa’s food sustainability

Application of Smart Techniques, Internet of Things and Data Mining for Resource Use Efficient and Sustainable Crop Production

Technological advancements have led to an increased use of the internet of things (IoT) to enhance the resource use efficiency, productivity, and cost-effectiveness of agricultural production systems, particularly under the current scenario of climate change. Increasing world population, climate variations, and propelling demand for the food are the hot discussions these days. Keeping in view the importance of the abovementioned issues, this manuscript summarizes the modern approaches of IoT and smart techniques to aid sustainable crop production. The study also demonstrates the benefits of using modern IoT approaches and smart techniques in the establishment of smart- and resource-use-efficient farming systems. Modern technology not only aids in sustaining productivity under limited resources, but also can help in observing climatic variations, monitoring soil nutrients, water dynamics, supporting data management in farming systems, and assisting in insect, pest, and disease management. Various type of sensors and computer tools can be utilized in data recording and management of cropping systems, which ensure an opportunity for timely decisions. Digital tools and camera-assisted cropping systems can aid producers to monitor their crops remotely. IoT and smart farming techniques can help to simulate and predict the yield production under forecasted climatic conditions, and thus assist in decision making for various crop management practices, including irrigation, fertilizer, insecticide, and weedicide applications. We found that various neural networks and simulation models could aid in yield prediction for better decision support with an average simulation accuracy of up to 92%. Different numerical models and smart irrigation tools help to save energy use by reducing it up to 8%, whereas advanced irrigation helped in reducing the cost by 25.34% as compared to soil-moisture-based irrigation system. Several leaf diseases on various crops can be managed by using image processing techniques using a genetic algorithm with 90% precision accuracy. Establishment of indoor vertical farming systems worldwide, especially in the countries either lacking the supply of sufficient water for the crops or suffering an intense urbanization, is ultimately helping to increase yield as well as enhancing the metabolite profile of the plants. Hence, employing the advanced tools, a modern and smart agricultural farming system could be used to stabilize and enhance crop productivity by improving resource use efficiency of applied resources i.e., irrigation water and fertilizers.

A methodological tool for sustainability and feasibility assessment of indoor vertical farming with artificial lighting in Africa

African agriculture is bound to face challenges for its future food systems development and economic transformation. Indoor vertical farms with artificial lighting represent an opportunity that has been gaining relevance worldwide, thanks to their potential to enable high productivity rates, food quality and safety, year-round production, and more sustainable use of water and mineral nutrients. The present study assesses the potential for vertical farming technology integration within the African continent, targeting the countries where a more sustainable approach could be achieved. A deep analysis of each territory’s major opportunities and challenges was built through an updated database of 147 development indicators from 54 African states. Countries such as South Africa, Seychelles, Egypt, Mauritius, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Cape Verde, and Nigeria showed the best prospective for indoor vertical farming implementation. Moreover, Seychelles, South Africa, and Egypt resulted to be the countries where vertical indoor farming could be more sustainable.

Future of Smart Farming Techniques: Significance of Urban Vertical Farming Systems Integrated with IoT and Machine Learning

World population in recent decades has significant impacts on the traditional agricultural systems which has resulted in increased demand for food, land use and deforestation, water scarcity, climate changes but not limited to these impacts. In order to overcome all these issues, there is a need for advanced farming technologies for growing the most demand food crops. Smart farming also known as precision agriculture has evolved which uses the advanced technology to optimize the efficiency and productivity of the farming operations. It involves the integration of various technologies such as IoT sensors, drones, robotics and machine learning technologies, big data analytics to gather data on crop growth, environmental conditions and weather patterns. Vertical framing (VF) is one such precision framing efficient crop growth practices which adapts the integration of Internet of Things (IoT) and machine learning (ML) technologies in easier manner. Since, the vertical farming is completely an indoor farming technique, they do not depend on the particular geographical locations and outdoor growth parameters (like soil) for crop cultivation; hence, vertical farming is also known as controlled environment agriculture. This article explores the significance of different indoor vertical farming practices under controlled environment with the comparative analysis, efficiency, productivity, advantages and their potential benefits highlighting the need for sustainable agricultural practices that can meet the growing demand for food while minimizing the negative environmental impacts.

AUTOMATED IOT-ENABLED VERTICAL FARMING: PLANTING ATYPICAL CROPS IN AN URBAN ENVIRONMENT

Due to rapid technological improvement, smart farming significantly improved and became widespread. One of the trends in agriculture is indoor farming. This research aimed to develop IoT-based vertical indoor farming using microcontrollers. It was implemented in parallel with a traditional vertical farming setup without sensors and microcontrollers. Both platforms cultured vegetable species that do not commonly grow in an urban environment. The IoT-based vertical-farming setup monitors and maintains essential environmental parameters such as temperature, pH, and moisture content. After four weeks of monitoring and comparison between the two platforms, in the IoT-based vertical indoor farming, the height of basil, lettuce, and spinach increased by 73.13%, 84.33%, and 90.38%, respectively. Also, through visual analysis, the color of the plants grown by the proposed system is greener and healthier. Results show that plants grown indoors with the IoT-enabled Arduino vertical garden are healthier than plants grown traditionally in the same environment. The results show that, with the proposed system, uncommon vegetable species can be successfully cultured in a controlled indoor vertical farming setup. Keywords: Vertical Garden, Arduino, IoT, Automation DOI： https://doi.org/10.35741/issn.0258-2724.58.1.34

Response of Strawberry to the Substitution of Blue Light by Green Light in an Indoor Vertical Farming System

Indoor production systems with light emitting diode (LED) lamps are a feasible alternative for increasing strawberry productivity by reducing the incidence of pests and diseases and the damage caused by extreme weather events. Blue (BL) and red (RL) LED light are considered the most important light spectra for photosynthesis and crop yield; however, recent studies have demonstrated that the beneficial effects of green light (GL) have been underestimated. This information would be of particular importance for strawberry production in controlled-environments/vertical farming systems as it may lower input costs and enhance production efficiency and quality and marketability. The present study aimed to define the effect of GL in combination with BL in strawberry. A proportion of 20% GL (20% BL + 60% RL) of total photosynthetic photon flux density was beneficial for plant growth and productivity; however, a 27% GL (12% BL + 61% RL) proportion was detrimental or comparable to that with 6% GL (36% BL + 58% RF). Total dry mass increased 51% when plants were illuminated with 20% GL lamps compared to those with 6% GL; the most impacted plant part was the root as it increased by 155%. The higher yield was observed with GL at 20%, but further increasing GL to 27% resulted in reduced yield. GL at 20% and 27% exhibited higher photosynthesis but reduced transpiration, stomatic conductance, and internal CO2, which in turn increased instantaneous and intrinsic water-use efficiency. Plants with the highest yield (20% GL) exhibited lower total soluble solids in fruits but still the values obtained were acceptable (8.25 °Brix); these fruits contained a high total sugars and phenolics concentration but a reduced antioxidant scavenging capacity. High proportions of GL were associated with a higher leaf and fruit Ca and a higher leaf P and K, which may be due to the increased allocation of biomass to the roots. In conclusion, GL at 20% and BL at 20% resulted in the best growth and yield parameters, enhanced net photosynthesis rate, water-use efficiency and fruit quality attributes. The effects of GL observed in this study may also be important for other high-value horticultural crops suitable for indoor vertical farming.

Vertical farming: A trade-off between land area need for crops and for renewable energy production

Indoor vertical farming (VF) may play an important role in tackling future food insecurity as it can reduce the land use requirements for crop land and is not affected by environmental conditions. However, its energy-intensive operation and the associated environmental impacts can be a cause for concern. To alleviate these issues, it is desirable to operate VF with renewable energy. Our aim was to investigate the land use requirements for generating renewable energy for VF and whether the land area saved by growing crops in multiple layers is sufficient for energy production. The land area requirements for wind and solar (photovoltaic, PV) energy were assessed for lettuce, tomato, potato and wheat production in VF systems in Spain and Sweden. In addition to current-technology scenarios, future scenarios for technological advancement in VF systems and renewable energy generation were included. The results showed that with current technologies, the saved land area was sufficient to produce enough energy only in the case of using PV for lettuce production. However, with improved technologies, the saved land area was sufficient to produce electricity with PV for all crops except tomatoes in Sweden. In contrast, wind energy only satisfies lettuce production, even with future technologies. This study serves as a guideline for determining the feasibility of VF operated with renewable energy in relation to land area, electricity requirements and renewable electricity generation potential in various regions of Europe.

Blue and far-red light control flowering time of woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca) distinctively via CONSTANS (CO) and FLOWERING LOCUS T1 (FT1) in the background of sunlight mimicking radiation

Indoor vertical farming is currently a breakthrough horticultural production system. However, for fruit bearing crops such as strawberry, a major challenge is optimizing light spectral composition to control flowering. We have shown that it is possible to stimulate flowering and fruit development with different light treatments in the day-neutral strawberry accessions Fragaria vesca ‘Yellow Wonder’ YW5AF7 and ‘Hawaii-4’. We used blue (449 nm) and far-red (740 nm) light in a background of sunlight-mimicking photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) under both long- and short-day photoperiods. Flower induction was most successful when blue light was given during the night and far-red light was given for 24 h. These light treatments overruled the photoperiodic control of flowering. Both light treatments boosted flowering, leading to a higher fruit yield, with minor effects on vegetative plant growth. We also evaluated the role of FvCO and FvFT1 using expression analysis and RNAi lines, and revealed that both blue and far-red light treatments trigger flowering in part through the conserved FvCO and FvFT1 cascade. Blue light operates through FvFT1, partially independently of FvCO, while far-red light operates independently of FvCO. Furthermore, using transcriptional reporter lines of FvFT1, we found that FvFT1 is ontogenetically and tissue-specifically regulated, being exclusively expressed in the veins of older leaves, and induced predominantly by blue and far-red light. • Blue light at night and 24 h far-red light strongly promote flowering in woodland strawberry. • These light treatments function in the background of photosynthetic active radiation. • Photoperiod dependency of flowering time control can be overruled this way. • Blue and far-red light operate via FT1, partially independent of CO. • FT1 is age- and tissue-specific, showing light induced expression in veins of old leaves.