建在公路隧道内的韩国“智能农场”

South Korean ‘Smart Farm’ Built Inside Former Road Tunnel

A South Korean company is operating the country’s largest indoor “smart farm” inside a former road tunnel.

The farm produces fruits and vegetables hydroponically, which means the plants do not grow in the ground. Instead, they grow on vertical¹ equipment that provides a continuous flow of water. Indoor farms use artificial light instead of sunlight.

There are other vertical smart farms in South Korea. But this one – built by the company NextOn about 200 kilometers south of Seoul - is the nation’s biggest. It is also one of the largest indoor vertical farms in the world, with a total area of 2,300 square meters.

But what makes the farm even more unusual is the fact that it sits inside a huge tunnel. The tunnel was built in 1970 for one of South Korea’s first major highways, but it closed down in 2002. NextOn signed an agreement with the government last year to take over the tunnel and turn it into a high-tech² farm.

NextOn officials say the tunnel environment permits ideal conditions for an indoor farm. It keeps a steady temperature of between 10 and 22 degrees Celsius³. The tunnel is also completely dark, making it easier to provide exactly the right amount of artificial light.

The farming system can produce more than 60 different kinds of fruits and vegetables. The company said foods produced in the indoor farm are also healthier since harmful chemicals are not necessary to prevent large insect invasions.

In South Korea, indoor vertical farming is seen as a possible solution to crop damage related to extreme weather that could get worse due to climate change. The country’s farming industry has also been hurt by shortages⁴ of land and workers.

South Korea’s Agriculture Ministry⁵ announced earlier this year it plans to invest in smart farm development nationwide. Those plans call for nearly doubling the current area for such farms.

Farming experts say high-tech farms, also used in Dubai and Israel, could be a good way to deal with problems many countries are facing with weather, decreasing farmland and fewer agricultural workers.

It can be difficult, though, for smart farmers to make a profit because of the high cost of building and operating. But NextOn said it cut its building costs in half by using the former tunnel and developing its own lighting⁶ and water systems.

These technologies reduced water and energy use and the need for workers. Sensors⁷ also measure things such as temperature, humidity⁸, light and air quality. NextOn says the crops will cost less than other organic vegetables grown today.

Operators of the farm say they even provide music for the plants, since the tunnel blocks out any real sounds of nature. “We are playing classical music because vegetables also love listening to music like we do,” said the NextOn’s chief, Choi Jae Bin⁹.

The company says it plans to expand its farm inside the tunnel in the near future to begin growing even more kinds of fruits, as well as plants used for medicinal purposes.

I’m Bryan Lynn.

Words in This Story

tunnel – n. long passage that runs underground or through a mountain

vertical – adj. pointing straight up from a surface

artificial – adj. not natural, but made by people

highway – n. a main road, especially between towns or cities

humidity – n. measurement of how much water is in the air

organic – adj. not using artificial chemicals when keeping animals or growing plants for food

classical – n. computer prog

1 vertical   

adj.垂直的，顶点的，纵向的；n.垂直物，垂直的位置

参考例句：

• The northern side of the mountain is almost vertical.这座山的北坡几乎是垂直的。
• Vertical air motions are not measured by this system.垂直气流的运动不用这种系统来测量。

2 high-tech   

adj.高科技的

参考例句：

• The economy is in the upswing which makes high-tech services in more demand too.经济在蓬勃发展，这就使对高科技服务的需求量也在加大。
• The quest of a cure for disease with high-tech has never ceased. 人们希望运用高科技治疗疾病的追求从未停止过。

3 Celsius   

adj.摄氏温度计的，摄氏的

参考例句：

• The temperature tonight will fall to seven degrees Celsius.今晚气温将下降到七摄氏度。
• The maximum temperature in July may be 36 degrees Celsius.七月份最高温度可能达到36摄氏度。

4 shortages   

n.不足( shortage的名词复数 )；缺少；缺少量；不足额

参考例句：

• Food shortages often occur in time of war. 在战争期间常常发生粮食短缺的情形。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• At the same time, worldwide food and fuel shortages eased. 同时，世界性粮食和石油短缺的现象终止了。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

5 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

6 lighting   

n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光

参考例句：

• The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
• The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。

7 sensors   

n.传感器，灵敏元件( sensor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were more than 2000 sensors here. 这里装有两千多个灵敏元件。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Significant changes have been noted where sensors were exposed to trichloride. 当传感器暴露在三氯化物中时，有很大变化。 来自辞典例句

8 humidity   

n.湿度，潮湿，湿气

参考例句：

• The house is not comfortable tonight ,because of the high humidity.由于湿度高，今晚屋子里不舒服。
• It's difficult to work because of the humidity.由于空气潮湿，工作很困难。

9 bin   

n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件

参考例句：

• He emptied several bags of rice into a bin.他把几袋米倒进大箱里。
• He threw the empty bottles in the bin.他把空瓶子扔进垃圾箱。