Controlled Environment Horticulture

Flowering Response of Cannabis sativa L. ‘Suver Haze’ under Varying Daylength-Extension Light Intensities and Durations , HORTICULTURAE (2023)

Effects of Light Intensity, Spectral Composition, and Paclobutrazol on the Morphology, Physiology, and Growth of Petunia, Geranium, Pansy, and Dianthus Ornamental Transplants , JOURNAL OF PLANT GROWTH REGULATION (2022)

Generation of Adventitious Roots and Characteristics of Gas Exchange according to Leaf Number of Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) Cuttings , HORTICULTURAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY (2022)

Impact of Different Daily Light Integrals and Carbon Dioxide Concentrations on the Growth, Morphology, and Production Efficiency of Tomato Seedlings , FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE (2021)

Our goal is to transform the process of strawberry plant propagation by utilizing controlled environment (CE) systems such as indoor farms and greenhouses. It is crucial to examine how strawberry plants respond throughout their vegetative cycle to enhance propagation yield and make it more cost-effective. Our research involves studying the effects of various factors like light, CO2 levels, photoperiod, temperature, substrate, nutrition, and different systems on propagation yields. Additionally, we are working on optimizing the economic viability of this innovative approach.

Our primary concentration lies in the environmental enhancement of controlled environment (CE) cannabis cultivation, including factors such as light, temperature, CO2 levels, and irrigation. This endeavor aims to boost production in both the nursery sector, specifically in generating cannabis clones, and the market for flowers and related compounds. We plan on evaluating the influence of light intensity and spectra on vegetative and flowering yields. Optimizing lighting, CO2 levels, substrate composition, and rooting hormones to enhance the production of Cannabis clones is another priority. Lastly, we hope to develop a predictive model for Cannabis growth in greenhouses, considering geographical location and environmental factors, and analyze energy usage.

Our team is dedicated to formulating precise “recipes” tailored for vertical farm systems. These recipes are designed to enhance the efficiency of propagation, improve overall plant performance, and increase profitability, particularly for specialty crops. Our specific focus includes the optimization of vertical farming techniques for a range of crops, including tomatoes, watermelons, cucumbers, strawberries, Cannabis, lettuce, and ornamental plants.

Through the utilization of controlled environment (CE) technology, our efforts are directed towards minimizing the breeding duration of crops. We achieve this by precisely optimizing the environmental conditions at various stages of plant breeding, encompassing transformation, tissue culture, ex-vitro establishment, and seed-to-seed cycles.

Additionally, contemporary molecular tools for breeding offer opportunities to introduce novel plant traits into existing agronomic crops, further enhancing the possibilities for innovation in agricultural practices.

Principal Investigator: Ricardo Hernández

Lead Scientist: Luis Morales Suarez, Ph.D

This research program will increase the affordability of Vertical farm products by providing more nutritionally dense produce by significantly increasing the phytochemical contents and biomass accumulation while reducing the resource inputs. We expect for exotic germplasms grown under optimized indoor conditions to have a greater content of beneficial phytochemicals than commercial cultivars. In other words, we plan to use CE research to find the baseline information to create plant-based nutraceutical farms.

Funded by: USDA NIFA, project [1007454]

Lead Student: Hans Spalholz, Ph.D.

Most research has focused on characterizing plant responses when exposed to a single light recipe (static spectrum). However, research that identifies the matching spectrum to the different plant growth stages (lag, log, and plateau) to maximize output (nutrient, flavor, growth) is lacking, we called this the dynamic spectrum. This research project is focused on finding dynamic light recipes to improve lettuce growth and quality.

Lead Student: Brandon Huber

Indoor nursery using electrical lighting is a standard commercial technology for pre- and/or post-grafting processes in Asian and European countries that have advanced nursery technologies. The advantages include 1) uniform plant growth, 2) higher density production, 3) highly contained environment, 3) complete independence from outside climate, and 5) conditioned flowering for earliness; yet the disadvantages are 1) high capital costs, and 2) limited availability of systems.

The objective of this project is to maintain high plant quality while reducing electricity demands from electrical lighting  by increasing concentration of supplemental CO₂ in order to increase plant grow efficacy (g per kWh).

Lead Student: Xiangnan Xu, M.S.

The current open-field strawberry nursery production system is a multi-year and multi-location operation and limited to select regions in the U.S. The current system has inherit risks. For example, disease contamination of strawberry nursery material; and lack of plant uniformity and supply due to variable environmental conditions.

In this research project, we aim to designing precision indoor propagation (PIP) tools to optimize strawberry nursery production and to develop disease-free propagation material. PIP is defined as the production of propagation material under fully controlled environments and under the exemption of natural sun light. The project main objective is to optimize the environment to increase runner/tip production while reducing production cost. Current efforts are focused on photoperiod, light intensity, and temperature optimization.

Lead Scientist: Titta Kotilainen, Ph.D.

The objective of this project is to measure irradiance conditions under a range of structural materials, different locations, sites, and times of day/year. Measurements will be performed with partners, in Finland, the US, UK and mainland Europe. The objective of the project is to predict light quality inside the greenhouse based on outside irradiance using modelling. Validation of models is done by measuring under various scenarios and comparing measurements to models of what the irradiance is predicted to be.

This project, funded by Academy of Finland, is a joint effort between University of Helsinki, Department of Biosciences, Division of Plant Biology; NCSU, Department of Horticultural Sciences; Stockbridge Technology Centre (UK); Kauppapuutarhaliitto (association for Finnish growers); and Photonics Finland.

Lead Scientist: Cristian Collado

Lead Students: Kai Rundquist and John Calero

While maintaining the same Daily Light Integral (DLI) using supplemental LED lighting in the greenhouse, we intent to improve plant morphology and quality by adjusting the photoperiod.

Lead Scientist: Cristian Collado

For more information contact ricardo_hernandez@ncsu.edu

Lead Scientist: Jimmy Byrtus

For more information contact ricardo_hernandez@ncsu.edu

Both A.J., Bugbee B., Craver J., Currey C., Dole J., Dorais M., Erwin J., Faust J., Fisher P., Frantz J., Hernández R., Kopsell D.A., Kubota C., Lopez R., Mattson N., Mitchell C., Runkle E., Stutte G., van Iersel M., Warner R., Whitman C. (2017) Light management in controlled environments. Light quality and photomorphogenesis. 105-137. Meister Media Worldwide

Mitchell, C.A., J.F. Burr, M.J. Dzakovich, C. Gómez, R. Lopez, R. Hernández, C. Kutoba, C.J. Currey, Q. Meng, E.S. Runkle, C.M. Bourguet, R.C. Murrow & A.J. Both 2015. Horticultural reviews-light-emitting diodes in horticulture, WILEY Blackwell.

Liu, T. X, Kang L., Lei Z., Hernández, R., (2010). Recent advances in entomological research: hymenopteran parasitoids and their role in biological control of vegetable Liriomyza leafminers (pp. 228-243). Higher Education Press.