Source: UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA submitted to NRP
RESOURCE OPTIMIZATION IN CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT AGRICULTURE
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
HATCH
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1017884
Grant No.
(N/A)
Cumulative Award Amt.
(N/A)
Proposal No.
(N/A)
Multistate No.
NE-1835
Project Start Date
Oct 16, 2018
Project End Date
Sep 30, 2023
Grant Year
(N/A)
Program Code
[(N/A)]- (N/A)
Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
888 N EUCLID AVE
TUCSON,AZ 85719-4824
Performing Department
Biosystems Engineering
Non Technical Summary
This project aims to evaluate and develop strategies to improve energy efficiency in controlled environment agriculture. The project also aims to reduce fresh water use and evaluate alternative fertilizers and growing substrates for the production of greenhouse crops. Finally the project will train growers and students to utilize emerging controlled environment agriculture technologies.
Animal Health Component
40%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
40%
Applied
40%
Developmental
20%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
2051499202020%
4011499202020%
4021499202030%
4041499202030%
Knowledge Area
401 - Structures, Facilities, and General Purpose Farm Supplies; 205 - Plant Management Systems; 404 - Instrumentation and Control Systems; 402 - Engineering Systems and Equipment;

Subject Of Investigation
1499 - Vegetables, general/other;

Field Of Science
2020 - Engineering;
Goals / Objectives
Objective 1. To evaluate and develop strategies to improve energy efficiency in controlled environment agriculture. Objective 3. To train growers and students to utilize emerging controlled environment agriculture technologies. Objective 2. To reduce fresh water use and evaluate alternative fertilizers and growing substrates for the production of greenhouse crops.
Project Methods
Our methods in the project will include formal classroom instructions for students, presentations and hands-on sessions for growers, educators, general public in our workshops and short courses, laboratory instructions for students, experiential learning opportunities through research project involvement and internships for students, and with our extension and outreach activities.We work closely with the controlled environment agricultural industry throughout the United States. Several team members have partial Extension appointments, providing additional connections with grower associations, industry suppliers, and the Land-grant Extension network. We use these connections with the industry to develop questions that are based on actual industry needs and to communicate the new knowledge that we generate.We plan to continue sharing the results of our research through a variety of methods to reach both our peers at research institutions, as well as greenhouse growers, industry suppliers, and Extension personnel. Results will be published in refereed articles and Extension publications.

Progress 10/01/19 to 09/30/20

Outputs
Target Audience: Commercial growers and systems operators for greenhouse and indoor vertical farming systems Controlled environment agriculture educators and extension agents Controlled environment agriculture systems manufacturers, distributors, suppliers Academicians, technical staff and students General public interested in controlled environment agriculture based crop production Changes/Problems:Some of our research activities have been slowed down due to limited access and resources available due to Covid-19, however overall we maintained productive research, educational and outreach/extension programs. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Graduate and undergraduate students were mentored in CEA systems such as greenhouse, growth rooms and indoor vertical farming-based research projects at UA-CEAC. Kacira (co-PI), in collaboration with K. Chief (PI) et al., within NSF-NRT funded project titled "Indigenous Food, Energy, and Water Security and Sovereignty" continued to educate a cohort graduate students on novel and sustainable off-grid production of safe drinking water, brine management operations, and controlled environment agriculture systems to provide technical solutions for communities, currently with Navajo Nation, challenged to have access to fresh produce and safe drinking water. The project collaboration included educational and training programs for technical staff members and intern students, on controlled environment agriculture (CEA) systems, hydroponic crop production, sensors and controls in CEA and within UA-CEAC annual greenhouse crop production and engineering short courses and intensive workshops.UA-CEAC continued to provide educational opportunities on CEA for new farmers through its 19thAnnual Greenhouse Engineering and Crop production Short Course (80 participants, 18 exhibitors).UA-CEAC Online Intensive Workshops on education of growers producing hydroponics tomato greens (Dr. Stacy Tollefson, Instructor) and leafy greens (Myles Lewis, Instructor) in controlled environments. (50+ participants).SUMC Roof Top Greenhouse weekly community tours (10 - 15 guests) established with Todd Millay, Director SUMC and Dr. Stacy Tollefson. Providing kg fresh veggies to the UA Student Pantry for food challenged students. Providing internship experiences for operations of RTGH. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We organized 19th Annual Greenhouse Engineering and Crop production Short Course (80+ participants, 18 exhibitors) (Kacira, Giacomelli, and other colleagues as presenters). UA-CEAC Online Intensive Workshops on education of growers producing hydroponics leafy greens (Lewis) and tomato crops (Tollefson) in controlled environments (60+participants).Our research outcomes and information generated from the project were presented at USDA NCERA 101 and NE 1335Committee meetings for faculty, staff and students and industry collaborators, and with national and international webinar/seminars. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Continue working on evaluating and developing strategies to improve energy and resource use efficiency in controlled environment agriculture with innovative sensors and environmental control system applications, closed loop fertigation systems, co-optimization of environmental variables in greenhouse and vertical farming systems, unique covering materials for greenhouses with photoselective and energy producing capabilities. Computer vision guided system and predictive modeling AI applications for crop growth monitoring and predictions and as decision support system developments for improving resource use efficiency.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Kacira Lab evaluated various daily light integrals (DLI) (9-17 mols/m2/day) with LED lighting (with 80% red, 15%blue and 5% green), CO2 concentrations with Roxia and Rex lettuce varieties at UA-CEAC vertical farm facility (UAg Farm) to determine effects on yield and quality of lettuce and for energy savings in indoor multi-tiered vertical farming settings. Data is also used to develop a model to predict biomass yield which is aimed to be used as part of a biofeedback based environmental control strategy (Shasteen and Kacira). Kacira Lab continued evaluating yield and quality of lettuce crop in floating raft based hydroponics system in a multi-tiered indoor vertical farm research facility (UA-CEAC UAg Farm) under six different DLIs (9-17) and varied CO2 concentrations (400-1100 ppm) to evaluate resource use efficiency and potentials for energy savings (Shasteen and Kacira). We have continued to develop and implement closed loop nutrient injection and management system for tomato production in coco-based growing media system (Alcorn and Giacomelli), as well as in an NFT system (Allgeyer and Giacomelli), as well as an ebb & flood system for grape (Farrow and Giacomelli), and for tomato production in rockwool growing media with a closed loop fertigation system within an organic photovoltaics integrated greenhouse system, where energy production from the PV system has been evaluated (Waller and Kacira). Kacira Lab, in collaboration with Sadler Machine Co., SynerGy LLC., Thales Alenia Space, German Space Agency, Italian National Research Council, University of Naples Federico II, continued to work on designing and evaluation of a water and nutrient delivery system for crop production in microgravity environments with project funded by NASA.Kacira Lab completed project on evaluating performance of a wavelength selective organic photovoltaic film (OPV) integrated to a greenhouse roof as covering material and its effect on crop yield (Waller and Kacira).Wavelength altering properties of quantum dots in plastic film for the improvement of lettuce plant production was continued in collaboration with UbiQD company (Blum, Giacomelli, Bergen).

Publications

  • Type: Books Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Proceedings of the III International Symposium on Innovation and New Technologies in Protected Cultivation. 2020. Volume 1271. Editors F. Boyaci, M. Kacira, S. Hemming, Y. Tuzel
  • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Allgeyer, A. 2020. Evaluating mini-tomato production in a closed loop hydroponic system. Master Thesis, The University of Arizona. (Advisor: Dr. G. Giacomelli)
  • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Heintz, R. 2020. Single Polyethylene encapsulated substrate bags: The potentials for sanitation and reuse. Master Thesis, The University of Arizona. (Advisor: Dr. G. Giacomelli)
  • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Parrish, C. 2020. Optimization of Spectral Quality with Quantum Dots to Enhance crop yield in controlled environments. Master Thesis, The University of Arizona. (Advisor: Dr. G. Giacomelli)
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Friman-Peretz, M., F. Geoola, S. Ozer, E. Magadley, I. Yehia, A. Levi, R. Brikman, S. Gantz, A. Levy, M. Kacira, M. Teitel. 2020. Microclimate and crop performance in a tunnel greenhouse shaded by organic photovoltaic modules  comparison with conventional shaded and unshaded tunnels. Biosystems Engineering, 197, 12-31.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Magadley, E., I. Yehia, M. Teitel, M. Friman Peretz, M. Kacira. 2020. Outdoor behavior of organic photovoltaics on a greenhouse roof. Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments, 37, Article 100641.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Montaya ,A., A. Obando, A. Osorio, G. Morales, M. Kacira. 2020. Design and implementation of a low-cost sensor network to monitor environmental and agronomic variables in a plant factory. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 178: 105758.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Zhang, Y. and M. Kacira. 2020. Comparison of energy use efficiency of greenhouse and indoor plant factory system. European Journal of Horticultural Science, 85 (5): 310-320.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Friman Peretz, M., F. Geoola, I. Yehia, S. Ozer, A. Levi, E. Magadley, R. Brikman, L. Rosenfeld, A. Levy, M. Kacira, M. Teitel 2019. Testing organic photovoltaic modules for application as greenhouse cover or shading element. Biosystems Engineering, 184, 24-36. Was shortlisted for 2020 EurAgEng Outstanding Paper Awards.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Giacomelli, G. A., van Weel, P., & Blok, C. 2019. Ebb and Flood Nutrient Delivery System for Sustainable Automated Crop. ActaHorticulturae, 1296:11291136.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Zhang, Y. and M. Kacira. 2019. Enhancing Resource Use Efficiency in Plant Factory. ActaHorticulturae, 1271: 307-314
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Kacira, M. 2020. Monitoring Your Greenhouse Environment: Simple Tools to Technology Trends, March 3, Tucson, Arizona.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Giacomelli, G. 2020. Greenhouse Design and Environmental Control, March 2, Tucson, Arizona
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Giacomelli, G. 2020. Greenhouse Energy Conservation Technologies, March 2, Tucson, Arizona
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Promotional video for Biosystems Engineering CEA academic program with focus on 2 fall semester courses, Introduction to Hydroponic Production and Controlled Environment Systems. G. Giacomelli, M. Kacira and S. Tollefson, D. Jondall, E. Worth.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Under Review Year Published: 2020 Citation: Waller, R., M. Kacira, E. Magadley, M. Teitel, I. Yehia, 2020. Evaluating performance of flexible, semi-transparent, large-area organic photovoltaic arrays deployed on a greenhouse. Solar Energy Journal.


Progress 10/16/18 to 09/30/19

Outputs
Target Audience:- Commercial growers and systems operators for greenhouse and indoor vertical farming systems. - Controlled environment agriculture educators and extension agents - Controlled environment agriculture systems manufacturers, distributors, suppliers - Academicians, technical staff and students - General public interested in controlled environment agriculture based crop production Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?One graduate student received MS degree with focus on solar energy integrated greenhouse systems, one student with MS with research in indoor vertical farming systems, another student and one student with a PhD on modeling study for optimizing air distribution system designs. 10+ undergraduate students received hands-on learning during the project period. We disseminated information to general public, growers and other stakeholders about alternative energy integrated greenhouse systems, sensors and controls, climate control systems, and hydroponic crop production with hands-on workshop and lectures during our annual greenhouse engineering and crop production show course, and also with seminar presentations. Kacira in collaboration with K. Chief (PI) et al., within NSF-NRT funded project titled "Indigenous Food, Energy, and Water Security and Sovereignty" continued to educate a cohort graduate students on novel and sustainable off-grid production of safe drinking water, brine management operations, and controlled environment agriculture systems to provide technical solutions for communities, currently with Navajo Nation, challenged to have access to fresh produce and safe drinking water. The project collaboration included educational and training programs for technical staff members and intern students, on controlled environment agriculture (CEA) systems, hydroponic crop production, sensors and controls in CEA, with onsite visitations at the Navajo Nation, as part of Tribal College and University Program, and within UA-CEAC annual greenhouse crop production and engineering short courses and intensive workshops. UA-CEAC continued to provide educational opportunities on CEA for new farmers through its 18th Annual Greenhouse Engineering and Crop production Short Course (80+ participants, 15 exhibitors). UA-CEAC Intensive Workshops on education of growers producing hydroponics leafy greens (Dr. Stacy Tollefson, Instructor) and tomato crops (Myles Lewis, Instructor) in controlled environments. (40 participants). SUMC Roof Top Greenhouse weekly community tours (10 - 15 guests) established with Todd Millay, Director SUMC and Dr. Stacy Tollefson. Providing 25+ kg fresh veggies to the UA Student Pantry for food challenged students. Providing internship experiences for operations of RTGH for 2 students. UA-CEAC provided technical and engineering support. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We organized18th Annual Greenhouse Engineering and Crop production Short Course (80+ participants, 15 exhibitors) (Kacira, Giacomelli, and other colleagues as presenters). UA-CEAC Intensive Workshops on education of growers producing hydroponics leafy greens (Lewis)and tomato crops (Tollefson) in controlled environments (40 participants). Our research outcomes and information generated from the project were presented at USDA NCERA 101 and NE 1335 Committee meetings for faculty, staff and students and industry collaborators, at seminars, national and international conferences, and at UA-CEAC Summer Research Retreat as well as UA-CEAC Covering Environment Seminar Series. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Continue working onevaluatingand developing strategies to improve energy and resource use efficiency in controlled environment agriculture with innovative sensors and environmental control system applications, closed loop fertigation systems, co-optimization of environmental variables in greenhouse and vertical farming systems, unique covering materials for greenhouses with photoselective and energy producing capabilities. Computer vision guided system and predictive modeling AI applications for crop growth monitoring and predictions and as decision support system developments for improving resource use efficiency.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? We developed computer vision guided crop growth monitoring, and environmental variables monitoring using low cost microcontroller based application suited for indoor vertical applications (Montaya and Kacira). Various daily light integrals (DLI) (9-17 mols/m2/day with 2 DLI increments) with LED lighting (with 80% red, 15%blue and 5% green) and with CO2 concentrations (400-1300 ppm) with experiments at UA-CEAC vertical farm facility (UAg Farm) to determine effects on yield and quality of lettuce (variety Fairly), and for energy savings in indoor multi-tiered vertical farming setting (Caplan and Kacira). We have developed and implemented closed loop nutrient injection and management system for tomato production in coco-based growing media implemented system [Heintz and Giacomelli], and for tomato production in rockwool growing media with a closed loop fertigation system within an organic photovoltaics integrated greenhouse system, where energy production from the PV system has been evaluated (Waller and Kacira). We developed a simulation model that evaluates energy generation of organic photovoltaic film (OPV) integrated to a greenhouse roof as covering material, crop yield and economic profit under various OPV film coverage ratios and deployment alternatives (Okada and Kacira). Wavelength altering properties of quantum dots in plastic film for the improvement of lettuce plant production was performed in collaboration with UniQD company (Parish, Giacomelli, Bergen). We used 3D CFD modeling to evaluate various air flow distribution systems that can improve air flow uniformity, and environment in production beds for multi-tiered indoor vertical farming based agriculture system. Resource use efficiency compared between various greenhouse systems and indoor vertical farming system operations (Zhang and Kacira). Kacira in collaboration with K. Chief (PI) et al., within NSF-NRT funded project titled "Indigenous Food, Energy, and Water Security and Sovereignty" continued to educate a cohort graduate students on novel and sustainable off-grid production of safe drinking water, brine management operations, and controlled environment agriculture systems to provide technical solutions for communities, currently with Navajo Nation, challenged to have access to fresh produce and safe drinking water. The project collaboration included educational and training programs for technical staff members and intern students, on controlled environment agriculture (CEA) systems, hydroponic crop production, sensors and controls in CEA, with onsite visitations at the Navajo Nation, as part of Tribal College and University Program, and within UA-CEAC annual greenhouse crop production and engineering short courses and intensive workshops. UA-CEAC continued to provide educational opportunities on CEA for new farmers through its 18th Annual Greenhouse Engineering and Crop production Short Course (80+ participants, 15 exhibitors). UA-CEAC Intensive Workshops on education of growers producing hydroponics leafy greens (Dr. Stacy Tollefson, Instructor) and tomato crops (Myles Lewis, Instructor) in controlled environments. (40 participants). SUMC Roof Top Greenhouse weekly community tours (10 - 15 guests) established with Todd Millay, Director SUMC and Dr. Stacy Tollefson. Providing 25+ kg fresh veggies to the UA Student Pantry for food challenged students. Providing internship experiences for operations of RTGH for 2 students. UA-CEAC provided technical and engineering support. UA-CEAC, in collaboration with American Hydroponics (AmHydro), established a research and outreach greenhouse with nutrient film technique-based hydroponics system. The experiments have been conducted to evaluate yield and quality of three lettuce varieties under two different EC levels (1.8 and 1.2 dS/m). One graduate student received MS degree with focus on solar energy integrated greenhouse systems, one student with MS with research in indoor vertical farming systems, another student and one student with a PhD on modeling study for optimizing air distribution system designs. 10+ undergraduate students received hands-on learning during the project period. We disseminated information to general public, growers and other stakeholders about alternative energy integrated greenhouse systems, sensors and controls, climate control systems, and hydroponic crop production with hands-on workshop and lectures during our annual greenhouse engineering and crop production show course, and also with seminar presentations.

Publications

  • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Okada, K. 2018. Modeling and optimization of crop production and energy generation for economic profit in an organic photovoltaics integrated greenhouse. Master Thesis, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ.
  • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Caplan, B. 2018. Optimizing carbon dioxide concentration and daily light integral combination in a multi-level electrically lighted lettuce production system. Master Thesis, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ.
  • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: McBride, S. 2018. Distribution Center Paired Greenhouse Production for Private Labels. Master Thesis. The University of Arizona., Tucson, AZ.
  • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Zhang, Y. 2019. Improving climate uniformity and energy use efficiency in controlled environment agriculture. Dissertation. The University of Arizona., Tucson, AZ.
  • Type: Book Chapters Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Zhang, Y. and M. Kacira. 2019. Air Distribution and Its Uniformity. Chapter In: Smart Plant Factory: The Next Generation Indoor Vertical Farms. Ed. T. Kozai, Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Preface: Giacomelli, G. A. (2018). Preface. In "Basic Principles of Growing by Plant Empowerment" by P.A.M. Geelan, J.O. Voogt, P.A. van Weel. Plant Empowerment
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: L�pez-Cruz, I.L., E. Fitz-Rodr�guez, R. Salazar-Moreno, A. Rojano-Aguilar, M. Kacira. 2018. Development and analysis of dynamical mathematical models of greenhouse climate: a review. European Journal of Horticultural Sciences, 83(5): 269-280.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Zhang, G., C. Choi, T. Bartzanas, I. Lee, M, Kacira. 2018. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) research and application in Agricultural and Biological Engineering. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 149: 1-2.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Kai Staats, Iurii Molavanov, John Adams, Jason Deleeuw, Katherine Morgan, Gregory Schoberth, Thomas Curry, Gene A Giacomelli, 2019. An agent-based model for high-fidelity ECLSS and bioregenerative simulation, 49th International Conference on Environmental Systems ICES-2019-368 7-11 July 2019, Boston, Massachusetts.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Sean Gellenbeck, Barry Pryor, and Gene Giacomelli, 2019. Mushrooms on Mars: A Subsystem for Human Life Support, 49th International Conference on Environmental Systems ICES-2019-259 7-11 July 2019, Boston, Massachusetts.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Sean Gellenbeck , Roberto Furfaro, Gene Giacomelli, and Robert Lepore4, 2019. A Predictive Model for the Production Rates of a Bioregenerative Life Support System , 49th International Conference on Environmental Systems, ICES-2019-258 7-11 July 2019, Boston, Massachusetts
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Giacomelli, G. 2018. Adapting controlled environment food production technology for human life-support on other planets. IHC International Symposium on Innovation and New Technologies in Protected Cultivation Strategies and Technologies, Istanbul, Turkey
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Giacomelli, G. 2018. Horticultural Science & Engineering Critical for our Future on Earth and in Space. International Horticultural Congress IHC2018 Opening Ceremony, Istanbul Congress Center (ICC), �sk�dar Hall, Istanbul, Turkey. 12 August 2018.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Submitted Year Published: 2019 Citation: Teitel., M., Ozer, S., E. Magadley, M. Kacira, A. Levi, F. Geoola, A. Levy, I. Yehia, R. Brikman, F. Peretz, L. Rosenfeld. 2019. Testing organic photovoltaic modules for application as greenhouse cover or shading elements. Biosystems Engineering
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: N. Mattson, R. Dickson and R. Lopez. Urban crop production in vertical farms. Published in Produce Grower Magazine.