Indoor Farming and Artificial Cultivation

Dear Colleagues,

There is growing interest in indoor farms (or plant factories), which are expressly designed to provide an optimal environment for crop plants. These typically include vegetable and medicinal species. The objective of a precise control of plant growth and development is obtained through a strict control of internal climate and the application of close-loop hydroponic system. Indoor farms have evolved from greenhouse crop environments, from which they differ in location (they are built in an urban environment), dependence on artificial lighting (with obvious effects on electricity consumption) and, often, on multi-layer cultivation (vertical farm is synonymous with indoor farm). The sustainability of indoor farms essentially depends on the reduction in energy consumption and on the increase in production and its commercial value (e.g., through bio-fortification, pesticide-free cultivation, application of specific techniques to improve the nutraceutical quality of fresh vegetables).

The proposed Special Issue on "Indoor Farming and Artificial Cultivation" aims to present the results of recent research studies or review papers in this field. Original studies on the physiology and growing techniques of plants grown in indoor farms are welcome.  Manuscripts on the engineering and energy aspects of indoor farms, as well as on the evaluation of their sustainability and socio-economic implications, will also be considered. We look forward to receiving your manuscripts to share the achievements with the scientific community.

Prof. Dr. Alberto Pardossi
Prof. Dr. Luca Incrocci
Dr. Martina Puccinelli
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Horticulturae is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.