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Agriculture
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Innovative Technologies for Sustainable Crop Production in Controlled Environment Agriculture
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Innovative Technologies for Sustainable Crop Production in Controlled Environment Agriculture

A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Agricultural Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 January 2024) | Viewed by 9090

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Uttara Samarakoon

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Agricultural Technical Institute, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH 44691, USA
Interests: controlled environment agriculture; hydroponics; nutrient optimization; irrigation efficiency; floriculture; plant disease control
Dr. James Altland

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
US Department of Agriculture, Application Technology Research Unit, 1680 Madison Avenue, Wooster, OH 44691, USA
Interests: substrate management; fertilizer management; irrigation; nutrition; substrate analysis; substrate microbiome
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. James Faust

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
Interests: floriculture physiology; greenhouse production of ornamental flowering crops; potted and cut flowers; Cannabis (industrial hemp)

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) is rapidly increasing on a global scale due to the ability to cultivate crops independent of climate uncertainties and an increased demand for fresh produce, ornamental plants, and medicinal herbs. While technological advancements have been made to increase production and profitability in the industry, it is imperative to maintain a focus on sustainability to mitigate the impact on natural resources and the environment. Therefore, innovative technologies that increase the production efficiency, reduce energy and resource use, and sustainably source materials are of significant value for the future of CEA. 

This Special Issue aims to publish novel research findings in controlling atmospheric conditions (light, temperature, humidity, CO2, etc.), rootzone environment (substrates, fertilizer, pesticides, irrigation water), and management of pests, diseases, and disorders that will enhance productivity while making CEA more sustainable.

Dr. Uttara Samarakoon
Dr. James Altland
Prof. Dr. James Faust
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agriculture is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • energy efficiency
  • irrigation efficiency
  • optimization of nutrients
  • soilless substrate
  • food crop production
  • floriculture
  • sustainable agriculture

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 2372 KiB  
Article
Substrate Comparison for Tomato Propagation under Different Fertigation Protocols
by Milon Chowdhury, Alexandra Espinoza-Ayala, Uttara C. Samarakoon, James E. Altland and Teng Yang
Agriculture 2024, 14(3), 382; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14030382 - 28 Feb 2024
Viewed by 829
Abstract
Greenhouse tomato production faces multiple challenges, including the excessive use of nonrenewable substrates that are difficult to dispose of after use. Currently, most growers propagate tomatoes in rockwool, but there is an increasing demand for sustainable media. The objective of this research was [...] Read more.
Greenhouse tomato production faces multiple challenges, including the excessive use of nonrenewable substrates that are difficult to dispose of after use. Currently, most growers propagate tomatoes in rockwool, but there is an increasing demand for sustainable media. The objective of this research was to evaluate sustainable and organic alternatives for greenhouse propagation of tomato seedlings intended for high-wire production. Different organic and inorganic substrates were evaluated in three experiments, using a nutrient solution composed of a complete water-soluble fertilizer. Germination and growth parameters, including height, stem diameter, number of leaves, leaf area, foliar chlorophyll levels (SPAD), and shoot fresh and dry weight, were measured. In the first experiment, which employed overhead irrigation, rockwool, coir, wood fiber–coir mix, medium-grade pine bark, pine bark < 0.64 cm, and pine bark < 0.32 cm were evaluated. Tomato germination was faster and achieved higher percentages with pine bark < 0.64 cm compared to other substrates. However, growth performance was similar or better in coir than in rockwool four weeks after transplantation. For the second experiment with sub-irrigation only, rockwool, coir, wood fiber–coir mix, pine bark < 0.32 cm bark, and peat were evaluated at different container heights. Peat resulted in greater growth across all parameters, followed by wood fiber–coir mix in all container heights, while pine bark had the least growth across all measured parameters. In the third experiment with overhead irrigation, rockwool, wood fiber–coir mix, pine bark < 0.32 cm, and a commercial peat-based mixture were evaluated under different fertilizer rates (electrical conductivity of 1.1 and 2.2 mS·cm−1). Wood fiber–coir mix, peat-based mix, and rockwool were the substrates with the highest values for all evaluated parameters. While all the organic substrates showed potential for use in tomato propagation, pine bark < 0.32 cm bark and wood fiber–coir mix provided the best media for germination. Peat and wood fiber–coir mix showed the best media for subsequent seedling growth and demonstrated potential to be used as substitutes for rockwool. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Technologies for Sustainable Crop Production in Controlled Environment Agriculture)
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19 pages, 5371 KiB  
Article
Effect of Short Day and Low Temperature at the Nursery Stage on the Inflorescence and Yield of Six Different Strawberry (Fragaria ananassa Dutch.) Cultivars in a Soilless Culture System
by Su-Hyun Choi, Dae-Young Kim, Seolah Kim and Chan Saem Gil
Agriculture 2024, 14(1), 22; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14010022 - 22 Dec 2023
Viewed by 646
Abstract
In Korea, the majority of strawberry cultivation follows a forcing culture, where planting occurs in mid-September after the flower differentiation, and harvesting begins at the end of November. October and November constitute off-season, resulting in higher prices. The accelerated forcing culture involves artificially [...] Read more.
In Korea, the majority of strawberry cultivation follows a forcing culture, where planting occurs in mid-September after the flower differentiation, and harvesting begins at the end of November. October and November constitute off-season, resulting in higher prices. The accelerated forcing culture involves artificially promoting flower differentiation to expedite strawberry harvest. This study aimed to identify the most suitable schedule for strawberry cultivation using the short-day and low-temperature treatments through greenhouse environmental control during the nursery stage. The selection of the most suitable cultivars for accelerated forcing culture among Korean breeding cultivars (‘Sulhyang’, ‘Kuemsil’, ‘Kingsberry’, ‘Vitaberry’, ‘Jukhyang’, and ‘Altaking’) was also part of the objectives. The nursery treatments were initiated on 4 July, 14 July, and 25 July. After approximately 5 weeks of treatment, transplanting was carried out. The control group was transplanted on 15 September. When night-chilling nursery treatment was applied on 4 July, followed by transplanting on 11 August, all six cultivars exhibited flowering earlier compared to the control group, leading to increased early yield. Particularly, the ‘Sulhyang’ cultivar showed the highest marketable yield at 68.6 g per plant in October. This research contributes to identifying the nursery cultivation schedule for off-season strawberry production and selecting suitable cultivars, and is expected to contribute to increased farm income. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Technologies for Sustainable Crop Production in Controlled Environment Agriculture)
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16 pages, 4368 KiB  
Article
A Study on the Impact of Different Cooling Methods on the Indoor Environment of Greenhouses Used for Lentinula Edodes during Summer
by Anhui He, Xiao Wu, Xinfeng Jiang, Reyimei Maimaitituxun, Ayesha Entemark and Hongjun Xu
Agriculture 2023, 13(8), 1560; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13081560 - 04 Aug 2023
Viewed by 1084
Abstract
The shitake mushroom (lentinula edodes) industry in the Gobi Desert region of southern Xinjiang has experienced rapid development and has reached a certain scale. To clarify the laws governing different cooling methods in greenhouses and identify suitable cooling methods for mushroom [...] Read more.
The shitake mushroom (lentinula edodes) industry in the Gobi Desert region of southern Xinjiang has experienced rapid development and has reached a certain scale. To clarify the laws governing different cooling methods in greenhouses and identify suitable cooling methods for mushroom production in the Gobi Desert region, this study focused on monitoring the environmental changes in greenhouses using three different cooling methods: natural ventilation cooling, water-sprinkling roof cooling, and a fan and pad cooling system. The results showed that when combined with external shading (shade netting), natural ventilation cooling, fan and pad cooling, and water-sprinkling roof cooling, respectively, reduced the air temperature by 8.6 °C, 14.0 °C, and 15.2 °C. They also increased the relative humidity by 15.3%, 43.3%, and 51.2%, resulting in cooling efficiencies of 28.5%, 56.3%, and 68.1%, respectively. The water-sprinkling roof cooling system demonstrated the best cooling effect and temperature uniformity and had higher economic benefits. Therefore, the use of the external sprinkler cooling method in double-skeleton greenhouses is suitable for summer lentinula edodes production in the Gobi Desert region of southern Xinjiang. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Technologies for Sustainable Crop Production in Controlled Environment Agriculture)
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Review

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46 pages, 2942 KiB  
Review
Agricultural Greenhouses: Resource Management Technologies and Perspectives for Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions
by Chrysanthos Maraveas, Christos-Spyridon Karavas, Dimitrios Loukatos, Thomas Bartzanas, Konstantinos G. Arvanitis and Eleni Symeonaki
Agriculture 2023, 13(7), 1464; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13071464 - 24 Jul 2023
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 5682
Abstract
Resource management in agriculture is considered a pivotal issue because greenhouse farming and agriculture-related activities generate about 10–29% of all global greenhouse gas emissions. The problem of high greenhouse gas emissions is still unresolved due to the rapid expansion of arable land to [...] Read more.
Resource management in agriculture is considered a pivotal issue because greenhouse farming and agriculture-related activities generate about 10–29% of all global greenhouse gas emissions. The problem of high greenhouse gas emissions is still unresolved due to the rapid expansion of arable land to meet global food demand. The purpose of this systematic literature review was to generate new perspectives and insights regarding the development of resource management and optimized environments in greenhouses, thereby lowering energy requirements and CO2 emissions. This review sought to answer what technologies and inventions could be used to achieve zero greenhouse gas emissions through efficient energy-saving mechanisms while considering their technical and economic viability. The synthesis of the findings led to several themes which included energy-saving techniques for greenhouses, systems that reduced unfavorable external conditions and renewable energy systems. Other themes identified regarded energy storage systems, systems for managing conditions in greenhouses, carbon capture and storage, and factors influencing the performance of different technologies to enhance resource management and ensure zero carbon emissions. The findings also revealed various technologies used in the design of energy-saving techniques in greenhouses including proportional–integral–derivatives (PID), fuzzy, artificial neural networks, and other intelligent algorithms. Additionally, technologies that were a combination of these algorithms were also examined. The systems that reduced unfavorable external conditions included the use of insulation panels and intelligent shading systems. Greenhouse covers were also optimized by smart glass systems, sensors, Internet of Things (IoT), and Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems. Renewable energy systems included PV (solar) panels, wind turbines, and geothermal electricity. Some of the thermal energy storage systems widely studied in recent research included underground thermal energy storage (UTES) (for seasonal storage), phase-change materials (PCMs), and water tanks, which are used to address short-term shortages and peak loads. The adoption of the various technologies to achieve the above purposes was constrained by the fact that there was no isolated technology that could enable agricultural producers to achieve zero energy, zero emissions, and optimal resource utilization in the short term. Future research studies should establish whether it is economical for large agricultural companies to install smart glass systems and infrastructure for slow fertilizer release and carbon capture in greenhouse structures to offset the carbon footprint. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Technologies for Sustainable Crop Production in Controlled Environment Agriculture)
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