At the recent annual meeting of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), agInnovation (a unit of the APLU Commission on Food, Environment and Renewable Resources) presented the 2024 Excellence in Multistate Research Award to the NCERA-101 Committee on Controlled Environment Technology and Use.
This multi-state committee has worked for more than 40 years to advance the design and operation of controlled environments such as growth chambers and greenhouses, which are essential for crop production, research and education. Bringing together members from multiple states and disciplines, this committee has coordinated research and shared diverse expertise, information, technology and other resources, driving innovation and impact.
Led by Land-grant Universities, the committee has provided unbiased development and assessment of technologies and practices for lighting, humidification/dehumidification, and water and nutrient use that have improved controlled environment efficiency and sustainability. Growers using committee findings to design greenhouses and update operational strategies have been able to realize energy savings of 5-30%. These reductions save an average-sized greenhouse business an estimated $25,000 in annual operation and maintenance costs. Other studies developed new lighting strategies that flower growers can use instead of labor-intensive black cloth to induce flowering, reducing labor costs by 43%.
These and other advances have allowed for production of crops in seasons and areas where they previously couldn’t be grown. For example, spinach typically cannot be grown during the long summer season in the southern U.S. even in a greenhouse, but findings on root zone cooling and heat tolerant cultivars will allow greenhouse growers to extend the season through early summer.
The committee’s work has also been used to spark interest in STEM topics among millions of K-12 students and has influenced the expansion of controlled environment agriculture programs at multiple universities.
The Excellence in Multistate Research Award not only recognizes the committee’s past work s but will also support future impacts. The committee will receive $15,000 from the Hatch Multistate Research Fund to support their research and/or outreach objectives.
NCERA-101 Committee on Controlled Environment Technology and Use Partners
University of Alaska, University of Arizona, Brigham Young University, University of California, Clemson University, University of Connecticut, Cornell University, University of Delaware, Duke University, University of Florida, University of Georgia, University of Guelph, University of Hawaii, University of Illinois, Iowa State University, Kansas State University, University of Maryland, McGill University, Michigan State University, University of Minnesota, NASA - Ames Research Center, NASA - Kennedy Space Center, North Carolina State University, Ohio State University, Penn State University, Purdue University, Rutgers University, University of Tennessee, Texas A&M University, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Utah State University, West Virginia University, University of Wisconsin and University of Wyoming.