During 2020 New York greenhouse growers were estimated to produce over 9 million square feet of industrial hemp reports Hemp Industry Daily. Cornell University horticulture professor Neil Mattson, who is a member of the Cornell Hemp Research Team, is conducting a variety of studies related to greenhouse hemp production including the use of supplemental lighting. […]
The importance of light quality in CEA systems
Spectrum has an important impact on plant growth, morphology, and development. Plants have evolved a sophisticated photoreceptor system capable of perceiving small changes on the light spectrum. Plants use spectral changes as information to adapt and increase survival and reproduction. Therefore, by understanding plant-light interactions, we are able to use light as a tool to […]
CEA Database and Benchmark Tool
Kyle Clark, Vice President, Business Development first came to EnSave in 2007 before going on to earn a master’s degree in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science at Sweden’s Lund University. After rejoining in 2013, Kyle has concentrated on business development and relationship building with EnSave’s industry partners, including several leading milk cooperatives. Erico Mattos, Executive […]
What do you need to consider when buying and installing LED grow lights?
With the increasing use and availability of LED grow lights more growers are looking at the potential benefits of installing these fixtures. LEDs have multiple uses including increasing vegetative growth, hastening flowering and speeding up a crop’s production cycle. Some growers are satisfied simply to be able to provide the optimum daily light integral to [...]
Food Safety in CEA Systems
Dr. Gioia Massa, plant scientist at NASA will highlight some of the unique aspects of space crop production and the microbial food safety considerations of space-grown produce. Data will be presented on space-grown leafy green vegetables, as well as from a study with market produce and ground-grown produce to compare. NASA’s preliminary Hazard Analysis Critical […]
Controlled Environment Agriculture Open Data (CEAOD) project
Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) is a data-driven scientific discipline. In CEA operations all the environmental parameters are monitored and controlled to provide optimal conditions for crop growth. Recent technological advancements made the use of sensors and controls more accessible to CEA growers allowing them to precisely adjust these parameters. The use of Machine Learning and […]
How can crop production data advance the controlled environment agriculture industry?
There is a considerable amount of data being generated by both private companies and university researchers when it comes to controlled environment crop production. This data is being generated for ornamentals, food crops, and cannabis. One of the questions about all this data is whether it is being used to its maximum potential to benefit [...]
Stakeholder needs relevant to indoor propagation
There are economic and knowledge-based challenges that must be addressed for indoor farms to be viable in the United States despite their potential benefits. A mixed-methods approach was used to identify the needs of specialty crop growers and stakeholders interested in or currently using indoor environments to grow seedlings, cuttings, and tissue-cultured plants. An online […]
CEA Workforce Development Study: What Makes a Successful Indoor Farmer Operations Manager?
The National Science Foundation-funded research project entitled “Strategic FEW (food, energy, water) and Workforce Investments to Enhance Viability of Controlled Environment Agriculture in Metropolitan Areas” (CEA Viability in Metro Areas) seeks to help the CEA industry develop a skilled workforce that will allow it to scale. As part of this project, Anu Rangarajan’s team has […]
Influence of Temperature and Daily Light Integral on Culinary Herb Production
Greenhouse average daily temperature (ADT) and daily light integral (DLI) can be adjusted to improve crop timing, maximize biomass production, and increase crop quality. In this webinar, Michigan State University researchers will discuss how the growth, development, and color of culinary herbs is influenced by ADT and DLI. They will share research on crops including […]