Difference between revisions of "Edible wall"

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(V0.3 as in .docx - to be verified by Michka)
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* Fertilise the plants with human source-separated urine only (and avoid using any chemical fertiliser)
 
* Fertilise the plants with human source-separated urine only (and avoid using any chemical fertiliser)
 
* Purify indoor air, which passes through the soil and root system
 
* Purify indoor air, which passes through the soil and root system
−
* Use material that is renewable, locally available, … (as far as possible)
+
* Use material that is renewable, locally available, … (as much as possible)
 
* Have a beautiful planted wall, that increases well-being in offices, inside buildings, or in the city
 
* Have a beautiful planted wall, that increases well-being in offices, inside buildings, or in the city
−
Our priority is to valorise human '''urine''' to grow '''edible plants'''. Yerk?! Yes, you read it correctly. And you should get convinced of the many advantages of the [[reuse of urine]] for agriculture by reading a coming page…
+
Among these functions, we want to focus in priority on valorising human '''urine''' to grow '''edible plants'''. Yerk?! Yes, you read it correctly. And you should get convinced of the many advantages of the [[reuse of urine]] for agriculture by reading a coming page…
 +
 
 
=== System description and constraints ===
 
=== System description and constraints ===
 
<!-- It’s not just pots of plants stacked above each other. It’s not just an outdoor garden fertilised from time to time by urine. It’s not exactly a hydroponic system. All or these are already known. We have a combination of all, tadam…) -->
 
<!-- It’s not just pots of plants stacked above each other. It’s not just an outdoor garden fertilised from time to time by urine. It’s not exactly a hydroponic system. All or these are already known. We have a combination of all, tadam…) -->
 
‘’Soil substitute''' <br />
 
‘’Soil substitute''' <br />
−
The vertical “modules” consists of pannels of a kind of foam. (Currently it’s rock wool, but we want to change this to another renewable material with similar properties). The plants are planted in holes, and their roots then develop through this “matrix” and at the back of the panels. Specificity: very little real natural soil, lightweight. <br />
+
The vertical “modules” consists of panels of a kind of foam. (Currently it’s rock wool, but we want to change this to another renewable material with similar properties). The plants are planted in holes, and their roots then develop through this “matrix” and at the back of the panels. Specificity: very little real natural soil, lightweight. <br />
 
‘’Fertigation (= irrigation + fertilisation)’’ <br />
 
‘’Fertigation (= irrigation + fertilisation)’’ <br />
−
Drip irrigation, with a nutritive solution made of tap water and currently a chemical fertiliser, which we’ll replace by urine. The solution is recirculated in the wall. Similarly to a hydroponic system, the solution must contain all nutrients needed by the plants, in a readily available form, and in the appropriate concentration for continuous fertigation (as opposed to ponctual fertilisation). <br />
+
Drip irrigation, with a nutritive solution made of tap water and currently a chemical fertiliser, which we’ll replace by urine. Similarly to a hydroponic system, the solution must contain all nutrients needed by the plants, in a readily available form, and in the appropriate concentration for continuous fertigation (as opposed to punctual fertilisation). <br />
 
This means that the nutrients concentration shouldn’t be too high, because 1. Too high an ammonium concentration is toxic to plant [refs] 2. Excessive fertilisation also causes damages, such as nitrates accumulating in leaves [refs].  
 
This means that the nutrients concentration shouldn’t be too high, because 1. Too high an ammonium concentration is toxic to plant [refs] 2. Excessive fertilisation also causes damages, such as nitrates accumulating in leaves [refs].  
 
ADD 1-2 PICTURES
 
ADD 1-2 PICTURES
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File:empty-module-Biotecture_08.07.15.jpg
 
File:empty-module-Biotecture_08.07.15.jpg
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
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'''Plants for vertical indoor garden'''
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'''Plants for vertical indoor garden'''
 
[…]
 
[…]
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=== Specific objectives ===
 
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'''Specific challenge for urine fertigation'''‘ [why we have these questions]
 
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[Why dilute: odour for indoor, toxicity of ammonium, damage if excess nutrients - ] <br />
 
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Obviously we want to avoid odours, especially because this version of living walls is designed for inside buildings. But we also need to find the ideal urine dilution also to avoid excessive nutrients (see just above) and the toxicity of ammonium. <br />
 
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[Why we need to make sure that urine gets nitfrifyied in the panels!] <br />
 
−
Most plants prefer nitrate-nitrogen to ammonia-nitrogen as a nitrogen source, and these plants are easily damaged by excessive ammonium nutrition. (Shinohara et al, 2008) [enter ref] This is why most hydroponic solutions contain nitrates, not ammonium [ref needed]. However stored urine contains nitrogen in the form of ammonium, which must therefore be converted to nitrate. This requires the presence of nitrifying bacteria, and sufficient oxygenation. It is generally the case in soil… but how about in our living walls, in soil substitue? Is it a suitable medium to host active nitryfiers? For this reason, we first want to answer the following questions. <br />
 
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<!—Should we could explain more? Or in the respective sections? E.g. *  Importance of aeration = of how panels are covered -->
 
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'''Questions for experiments''' <br />
 
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# '''Nitrification in modules''' - Does nitrification of urine take place in our soil substitutes? Is it quick enough? How it it influenced by the following factors?
 
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## ‘Inoculation’ (none / with nitrifying solution)
 
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## ‘Dilution factor’ (between 1:10-1:50)
 
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## ‘aeration properties’ of the panels (free surface / covered with a plastic sheet / active aeration)?
 
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## ‘Different soils’ (none? / special for germination, sterilised / garden compost / field, without chemicals?)
 
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# What is the ideal '''dilution rate'''?
 
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## Limit to prevent odours
 
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## Appropriate dilution to reach at least the same performance as the chemical solution (or compare between dilutions)
 
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# How do '''different edible plants''' grow under these conditions? Which are the most adapted?
 
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=== People involved ===
 
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'''Main actors''':  [mailto:alexandra.florin@est2e.com Alexandra F.] and  [mailto:michka.melo@est2e.com Michka M.]
 
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'''Participants''' (have helped us so far):
 
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* at Hackuarium:  Clément D., … and of course [[User:Shalf|Yann H.]] & [[User:hekkcess|Yann P.]]
 
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* Colleagues at ESTEE:  Saida N., Théodore B., Tomas R.
 
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'''External partners''': We cooperate with the enterprises [[link Biotecture]] and [[link Living Green City UK]]. They produce and install living wall inside and outside buildings. Biotecture have provided us with the core of the modules and share some know-how. The team at Living Green City UK, in London, currently focus on air filtration function. We are in contact with them, to ensure the integration of the different functions.
 
−
 
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Friends and '''related projects''':
 
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Vertical / urban farming, aquapony, and such species: Vertikal farms, Exodes Urbains, others met [[Links]]
 
−
 
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'''Communication''':
 
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[[Slack]] channel: [https://hackuarium.slack.com/archives/wg-edible-wall #wg-edible-wall]
 
  
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== Activities ==
 
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=== Overview of project parts ===
 
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Details on these activities will be found in the following sections (title level 2).
 
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* Urine Fertigation
 
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** Urine collection and storage – install DIY waterless urinal
 
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** Nitrifiying solution – design and grow a community of nitrifying bacteria
 
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** Wall structure and irrigation system – design & build
 
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** Test the nitrification in modules - experiment
 
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** Dilution test: planted experiment 1
 
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** Dilution test: planted experiment 2
 
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* Vegetal Community
 
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** Nursery: design, build and plant
 
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** Selection guide for different conditions  (such as indoor/outdoor, light, space, etc.)
 
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*** Select and gather plants for the first experiments
 
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*** Matrix for indoor walls
 
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* Integration of air filtration
 
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** This will come later. Idea taken into account in the part “nitrification in  modules”
 
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=== Timeplan ===
 
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Mhh, why is this empty? Maybe because we’re soo quick that we rise through time…
 
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==== News: ====
 
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13.07.2015 I've received the empty modules, to be planted!
 
  
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22.07.15 [http://wiki.hackuarium.ch/index.php?title=Openhackuarium_vol._55_-_22.07.15 openHackuarium vol.55] small presentation of project plans
 
 
== Urine collection & storage ==
 
== Urine collection & storage ==
 
See the page [[DIY waterless urinals]] (This may serve also to other projects!)
 
See the page [[DIY waterless urinals]] (This may serve also to other projects!)

Revision as of 07:06, 22 July 2015

This page is under construction!

Objectives and context

Motivation: upgrading a multi-functional “living wall”

Our general motivation is to produce food on-site, while valorising excreta (human waste) and combining several advantages. In this project, our mission is to upgrade existing “living walls” to combine several functions and characteristics:

  • Grow edible plants (or medicinal, scented… instead of just decorative exotic plants)
  • Fertilise the plants with human source-separated urine only (and avoid using any chemical fertiliser)
  • Purify indoor air, which passes through the soil and root system
  • Use material that is renewable, locally available, … (as much as possible)
  • Have a beautiful planted wall, that increases well-being in offices, inside buildings, or in the city

Among these functions, we want to focus in priority on valorising human urine to grow edible plants. Yerk?! Yes, you read it correctly. And you should get convinced of the many advantages of the reuse of urine for agriculture by reading a coming page…

System description and constraints

‘’Soil substitute
The vertical “modules” consists of panels of a kind of foam. (Currently it’s rock wool, but we want to change this to another renewable material with similar properties). The plants are planted in holes, and their roots then develop through this “matrix” and at the back of the panels. Specificity: very little real natural soil, lightweight.
‘’Fertigation (= irrigation + fertilisation)’’
Drip irrigation, with a nutritive solution made of tap water and currently a chemical fertiliser, which we’ll replace by urine. Similarly to a hydroponic system, the solution must contain all nutrients needed by the plants, in a readily available form, and in the appropriate concentration for continuous fertigation (as opposed to punctual fertilisation).
This means that the nutrients concentration shouldn’t be too high, because 1. Too high an ammonium concentration is toxic to plant [refs] 2. Excessive fertilisation also causes damages, such as nitrates accumulating in leaves [refs]. ADD 1-2 PICTURES

  • Empty-module-Biotecture 08.07.15.jpg

Plants for vertical indoor garden […]


Urine collection & storage

See the page DIY waterless urinals (This may serve also to other projects!)  

Nitrifiying solution

 

Wall structure and irrigation system

 

Test the nitrification in modules – experiment

 

Dilution test: planted experiment

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