Vertical Farm Tomato Model Finds Plant Shape Can Lift Fruit Yield Up to 12%

Research from Wageningen University and Research suggests that changing tomato plant architecture could raise fruit yield by up to 12 percent in high-density vertical farming systems.

PhD researcher Michele Butturini built a three-dimensional model that simulates how light moves through a dense crop canopy and how individual leaves convert that light into assimilates and fruit growth.

The model found that plants with steeper, moderately curved leaves allowed more light to penetrate deeper into the crop.

At high planting density, the improved plant architecture produced up to 12 percent more fruit in the simulations.

The work addresses one of vertical farming's persistent economic challenges: lighting is a major operating cost, yet most commercial crop varieties were bred for greenhouses or open fields rather than stacked indoor systems.

The research argues that plant shape and planting density need to be optimised together rather than treated as separate production decisions.

That opens a breeding opportunity. Instead of adapting existing outdoor varieties to indoor farms, breeders could select specifically for leaf angles, canopy structure and compact growth that make better use of artificial light.

The findings do not eliminate vertical farming's energy and capital challenges, but they show that crop genetics and plant architecture can materially improve the productivity side of the business model.