TO BE UPDATED LATER AFTER THE CYLON ATTACK

Agriculture Production in the fleet.

With just over a 100,000 people to feed, the fleet was fortunate enough to have a functioning botanical cruiser with an FTL drive. This ship by itself is enough to grow and process food crops for the entire fleet, but its dangerous relying on one ship to do that, so a program was started. Quintus Sertorious, the current councilman for Aerilon with other leaders begun a program in which most ships would have some level of agriculture production.


Concord - Botanical Cruiser - A very large ship, about two-thirds the size of a Battlestar, with fourteen 12-hectare

Botanical Cruisers are also known as Agro-ships. These ships, such as the Concord were used to supply a source for agriculture product for large space settlements such as mining communities and industrial space complexes. The cost of transporting food to these settlements was quite expensive, so therefore the need for these large botanical ships. These ships carried a large range of stock, including small livestock animals, such as chickens, rabbits, fish, and pigs.

The Concord was in the process of moving to a new mining settlement when the attack begun, it was found by the battle group in the early days. It was a significant find, and is one of the fleet’s most valuable ships. Biosphere Agriculture using mostly hydroponic systems can produce approximately food for 5000 people per hectare. The Concord's maximum out put with 168 ha can produce enough food for 850,000 people annually!

Shangri-la, Resort Liner - Another large ship about equal the size of a Battlestar, has three large 20-hectare bio-domes. Each dome has been partially converted for agriculture use. The rest of the landscape inside the domes were preserved as a place of refuge and for the morale of those who would visit and enjoy the simulated planetary surface and artificial sky.

domes, (7 domes above and below the main superstructure). The main superstructure houses crew and laborers quarters, packing house and warehousing, and ship systems. What the inside looks like in one of Shangri-la's three bio-domes (source canon Cloud Nine)

Babylonia, Casino Liner - This ship also has a 10-hectare bio-dome with an artificial surface to simulate a planet’s surface.

Ark Royal, Luxury Liner - This ships has a rotary bio-ring with nearly 14 hectares of usable space for field production. Because of its narrow strip, its main stock is non-food stuffs such as tobacco, cotton, and other plants for medical use.

Greening the fleet

Under the program, each ship without an artificial bio dome, were required to set aside space for hydroponic growing rooms. This included warships if space was available. Many personal container gardens with sun lamps were produced by the fleet's micro-industry for resale for small and easy vegetable growing and other herbs.

Hydroponics is the use of soil-less media for growing plants. This process is mostly the way things are grown aboard ships, especially the Botanical Cruiser. It allows for compact growing rows, which in turn can be stacked in intervals above others by a rotation mechanism for measured light exposures. The ratio of plants grown in this process is nearly 30 to 1 of that which is naturally grown in a field on a planet’s surface. Taking account for the huge transportation costs and space limitations, hydroponics is more cost effective and good use of space. These system use gray or waste water. The extra benefits are also oxygen production, and water recycling.

An informative article about the future of farming, Skyfarming.

Add Pictures of hydroponics systems

Why Hydroponics?
Here are some of the possible benefits that may be gained by growing a commercial crop hydroponically, rather than in soil:

• Crop yields are usually slightly higher than those obtained in good soil used in the same environment. This can be financially significant.

• Faster crop turnaround can give further increases in yield and perhaps extend cropping into higher priced periods.

• Produce can also have a better vase or shelf life.

• The soil may be unsuitable, or poorer, cheaper land can be used.

• Water usage can be much lower than with most soil growing.

• Fertilizer usage can be much lower than with soil growing.

• Under hot conditions the better water availability to roots can reduce water stress on plants, giving better yields and longer plant life.

• For crops vulnerable to soil diseases, crippling losses can be substantially reduced or eliminated.

• Some crops, such as lettuce and strawberries, can be lifted from ground level to a much better height for planting, cultivation and harvesting.

• This gives much better working conditions and hence lower labour costs.

• Some systems require less work in setting up and planting than growing in soil.

• Weeds can be substantially reduced or eliminated