S06 - Session O5 - Protein plant factories: producing and steering soybean protein content in indoor farming.

Authors: Isabella Righini *, Mark van Hoogdalem, Luuk Graamans, Caterina Carpineti, Esther Meinen, Daan van Munnen, Selwin Hageraats, Rick de Jong, Shuna Wang, Anne Elings, Cecilia Stanghellini

In rich countries there is an increasing consumer interest towards plant-based proteins compared to animal ones, due to health and environmental concerns as well as animal welfare. Nowadays, Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA), such as greenhouses and vertical farming, are already being used to produce highly nutritious crops with improved functional ingredients (e.g., minerals, vitamins), that are beneficial to human health. Protein-rich crops are generally grown in extensive, open field cultivations, however, the production in a controlled environment offers the opportunity to steer crop physiological mechanisms, provided there is sufficient understanding of crop response to the environment. The study investigates the effects of light spectrum (R:B ratio) and air temperature on improving soybean yield, seed protein quantity and quality (essential amino acid composition). The ultimate goal is to analyze the potential of growing high-value protein-rich crops in CEA and its feasibility in terms of production, tailored content of ingredient, energy and resource use efficiency. We conducted an experiment with two varieties of Soybean ( Glycine max ) in combination with two temperature treatments and R:B ratios. Although the analysis of yield and protein content is currently ongoing, we did observe morphological and [fresh] yield differences among cultivars and under the two combinations of temperature and light spectrum, suggesting that there is a substantial effect of the treatments applied. The final results will be presented in the full paper and will allow to answer whether and how the protein content and quality of a legume crop can be manipulated and production in CEA of such a crop could be viable (for instance with respect to energy required per gram protein).