Supplemental lighting is often necessary for year-round greenhouse production of ornamentals and vegetables. However, the cost of providing supplemental light is high. It is therefore important that supplemental light is provided in a way that provides the greatest benefits for the crop, at the lowest possible price. To do so, it is important to understand […]
How Could AI Improve Controlled Environment Agriculture?
Most people are familiar with the term artificial intelligence or AI. Ken Tran, founder of Koidra LLC, said artificial intelligence is a very loosely defined term. In his efforts to apply artificial intelligence to controlled environment agriculture, Ken Tran (right) collaborated with horticulture specialists worldwide, including Dr. Xiuming Hao (left) and Shalin Khosla in Canada. [...]
Plant Responses to Integrated Light and CO2 Control
by Neil Mattson, Tim Shelford, Jonathan Allred Light is the driving force for photosynthesis in plants which is why managing daily light integral (DLI) is so important in Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA). However, many factors beyond light influence photosynthesis and ultimately biomass accumulation including: temperature, carbon dioxide, and plant stress (drought, nutrient deficiencies, etc.). In [...]
Horticultural Lighting Systems Energy Savings Calculations Source
The webinar “Horticultural lighting systems energy-savings calculations” was presented by Dr. AJ Both from Rutgers University and Dr. Neil Mattson from Cornell University about Supplemental lighting is a major cost component for controlled environment agriculture facilities. While lamp efficiency (efficacy) is an important factor, other key factors include crop needs (intensity and duration), cropping strategy […]
Greenhouse Solar Spectral Measurements Offer Powerful Future Farming Tool
by Elsebeth Kolmos, Rick Neal & Robert Karlicek The question of how the solar spectrum changes over time is important for providing the best light environment for crop production under controlled conditions. Light is the energy source in photosynthesis and light also serves as an important cue for developmental responses. For example, different ratios of [...]
LED Basics Applied to Horticulture Lighting Systems
This webinar will first give a brief overview of LED design and manufacturing, including the different types of LEDs used in horticultural lighting. We will then discuss the state of the LED manufacturing industry and prospects for future improvement in higher efficiency operation and lower costs, and how this may impact the future adoption of […]
Can far-red light improve plant growth?
When it comes to using artificial light, especially with LEDs, in controlled environment production, growers are primarily using a combination of red and blue light or white light. “Plants under red and blue light have a decent photosynthetic rate,” said Dr. Shuyang Zhen, who is a postdoctoral fellow in the Plants, Soil and Climate Department [...]
Consistent Crops Require Consistent Light
by Tim Shelford, Kale Harbick Melissa Brechner, Louis Albright and Neil Mattson In commercial greenhouse production, the KEY to acquiring and retaining long-term customers involves ONE simple concept: Produce a consistent, high-quality crop at a predictable and steady rate, 365 days per year. To meet this goal you need to grow the same amount of [...]
GLASE Provides Analysis of CEA Market Growth to Industry Members
One of the benefits offered by the Greenhouse Lighting and Systems Engineering (GLASE) consortium to its industry members is its Industry Talks series. This series of informal conversations are presented by academics and field experts who focus on topics suggested by the consortium’s industry members. During the consortium’s Industry Talks presentation in August, GLASE executive […]
New Research LED Fixture for Plant Growth
by Dr. Robert Karlicek GLASE researchers have developed a specialized LED light fixture for tunable irradiance growth efficiency research (TIGER) designed to examine how wavelengths and timing of lighting can impact plant growth rates and nutritional quality. TIGER lights were designed to meet very specific research requirements (listed below) for plant growth in controlled environment [...]
GLASE Uses Outreach Activities to Inform and Educate Growers, Manufacturers and Suppliers
The goal of the Greenhouse Lighting and Systems Engineering (GLASE) consortium is to create a more sustainable and profitable greenhouse industry. The consortium is a partnership between Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Albany, N.Y. GLASE is supported by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and [...]
Growing the World’s Food in Greenhouses
Neil Mattson, School of Integrative Plant Science, Horticulture Section, spent his childhood on a farm with flower and vegetable gardens. “If you know how to grow your own food, you’ll never go hungry,” Mattson recalls his grandmother, who grew up during the Great Depression, saying. “That ethos has carried with me.” And it has carried […]