Source: CLEMSON UNIVERSITY submitted to NRP
A CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT AGRICULTURE PLATFORM FOR CULTIVATION OF SALT-TOLERANT CROPS WITH INTEGRATED SALINE WATER IRRIGATION AND SALINITY MANAGEMENT
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
ACTIVE
Funding Source
AFRI COMPETITIVE GRANT
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1029707
Grant No.
2023-69012-39038
Cumulative Award Amt.
$10,000,000.00
Proposal No.
2022-07553
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Apr 1, 2023
Project End Date
Mar 31, 2028
Grant Year
2023
Program Code
[A9201]- Sustainable Agricultural Systems
Recipient Organization
CLEMSON UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
CLEMSON,SC 29634
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Freshwater scarcity is a threat to agricultural production. In many freshwater-scarce regions, saline water sources can be used for irrigation; however, increased soil salinization constrains their use. We can grow salt-tolerant crops sustainably with appropriate desalination techniques and effective management water use, nutrient application, and salinity. We will develop an integrated hydroponic Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) platform with pre-breeding and screening of mustard greens, cucumber, and tomato germplasm for salt tolerance and technologies for desalination to provide tailored-quality irrigation water. We will include university and K-12 education activities as well as extension training and outreach of stakeholders. Major impact of this project will be increased and sustainable use of naturally occurring saline water in food crop production without salinizing soils. Salt-tolerant mustard greens, cucumber, and tomato varieties will be available for further improvement and commercial production.
Animal Health Component
40%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
60%
Applied
40%
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
1021421106010%
1031430108130%
1111440202020%
2021460301010%
2030210302015%
9032499303015%
Knowledge Area
103 - Management of Saline and Sodic Soils and Salinity; 102 - Soil, Plant, Water, Nutrient Relationships; 111 - Conservation and Efficient Use of Water; 203 - Plant Biological Efficiency and Abiotic Stresses Affecting Plants; 202 - Plant Genetic Resources; 903 - Communication, Education, and Information Delivery;

Subject Of Investigation
1440 - Cole crops; 1460 - Tomato; 1430 - Greens and leafy vegetables; 0210 - Water resources; 1421 - Cucumber; 2499 - Plant research, general;

Field Of Science
2020 - Engineering; 1060 - Biology (whole systems); 3020 - Education; 1081 - Breeding; 3010 - Economics; 3030 - Information and communication;
Goals / Objectives
Our overall goal is to develop an integrated hydroponics CEA platform for cultivation of salt-tolerant food crops using saline irrigation water by enhancing crop salt tolerance, developing new concepts in agricultural-sector desalting technologies, and optimizing salinity management. Specific objectives of this multi- disciplinary, state, and institutional coordinated agricultural project (CAP) are as follows:Research:(1) Pre-breeding and physiological phenotyping for salt acclimation in mustard greens, cucumber, and tomato through germplasm screening, genome-wide association studies (GWAS), and marker development;(2) Desalting technologies and salinity management processes;(3) Hydroponic CEA platform evaluation of salt-tolerant mustard greens, cucumber, and tomato varieties using treated and/or blended saline waters; (4) Techno-economic analysis (TEA) and life cycle assessment (LCA);Education:(5) Develop and deliver an effective education program to foster general and technical awareness of sustainable saline agriculture; andExtension:(6) Stakeholder outreach - training and technology transfer of sustainable saline agriculture.
Project Methods
RESEARCH: We will implement a hydroponic CEA platform, using saline waters for irrigation, selecting mustard greens, cucumber, and tomato varieties for enhanced salt tolerance, and managing salinity to better align with crop physiological responses acclimating to high salinity. As an alternative to single use of saline water in irrigation, we will investigate the cascading use of saline water within the platform for cultivation of multiple crops in series, ranging from lower salt tolerance to higher salt tolerance (with return flows from each cycle reflecting build-up of salts due to evapotranspiration). Partial and/or complete desalting technologies (latter with saline-source blending) will be operated to provide tailored-quality irrigation waters and a novel salinity management process will be used to manage desalting brines and return flows while also providing low-grade heat to drive a thermal desalting process. Design and operation of the hydroponic systems will be based on appropriate platforms. We will develop new approaches for desalination applicable to the agricultural sector, including modified-operation partial desalination technologies and/or complete desalination technologies with saline-source blending to produce tailored water quality for selected crops, each with a defined salt tolerance. A novel salinity management process will be articulated to handle agricultural desalination brines and return flows. We will assess tradeoffs between desalting/brine management costs and crop value along the continuum of crop yield versus salinity as well as addressing environmental impacts including carbon footprint through an integrated Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) and Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) framework. EDUCATION: We will provide experiential learning opportunities for undergraduates by training them on Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) and hydroponics as well as desalination and brine management. We will also develop educational materials customizable for use at various levels of instruction for teachers of middle and high school students on salt tolerant crops, saline agriculture, and role of water in sustainable agriculture. EXTENSION: We will provide outreach to stakeholders: extension agents, farmers/growers, hydroponic enterprises, policy-/decision-makers, and consumers. The extension component targets stakeholder engagement and potential users. Our outreach focus includes activities ranging from creation of a Stakeholders Advisory Group (SAG), new technology implementation and adoption, and hands-on training of extension agents, growers, and students to conducting stakeholder analysis and needs assessment and demonstration projects in cooperation with extension specialists and educators. Findings from our research will be made available to farmers to protect food sources and promote agricultural resiliency in terms of climate change, sea level rise, crop improvement, and water usability. Key extension focus topics will include salt-tolerant crops, hydroponics, CEA, saline water sources, desalting processes, and brine management.

Progress 04/01/24 to 03/31/25

Outputs
Target Audience:Research: Collaborators, contemporary researchers, and External Scientific Advisory Committee (ESAC) Education: graduate and undergraduate students, post-doctoral associates, and technicians (courses, research experience, and project meetings) Extension: Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) growers, industry participants, vegetable growers, and stakeholder advisory group (SAG) members. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Hands-on training for undergraduate and graduate students, post-doctoral associates, and technicians was provided. Stakeholder meetings with growers and industry partners have been conducted.Two "In-Service Trainings" were held on "Salinity Risk in Controlled and Conventional Agriculture Production". How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?A flyer on project description has been disseminated during stakeholder/extension meetings.Extension Presentations with over 100 flyers distributed. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?[1] Pre-breeding and physiological phenotyping: Mustard greens: (a) We will finalize high-performing Brassica juncea accessions with strong salinity tolerance and develop a comprehensive dataset linking phenotypic traits with stress indices (STI, SSI) for informed selection and (b) Genome-Wide Association Studies(GWAS) will be conducted to identify key genetic variants. For this, we will evaluate 384 mustard green accessions for biomass and ion content and utilize identified STI and SSI lines to develop biparental populations (RILs, NILs, CSSL). Cucumber: (a) GWAS) will be conducted using phenotypic data from the three PI salinity screening experiments, (b) Seeds of the most susceptible and tolerant PI will be increased for use in additional studies, and (c) Transcriptomic analysis (RNA-seq) of selected highly tolerant and susceptible cucumber PIs to identify key genes and molecular pathways involved in salinity response. Tomato: (a) We will identify and optimize the salt-tolerance conditions for screening of tomato germplasm and screen large population of tomato accessions for salt tolerance under controlled environment, (b) We will develop a phenotype-image collection for salt-tolerance tomato seedlings, and (c) Isolate DNA for high-throughput sequencing and GWAS analysis. [2] Deaslting technologies and salinity management processes: (a)We will explore innovations in NF through simulations of closed-circuit NF, concentrate-recycle NF, and further testing of NF internally staged design (ISD), (b) We will conduct experiments with NF membranes and ED membranes for diluted seawater and inland groundwater feeds in bench-scale testing units, and (c) We will further probe brine management options for dealing with partial desalting-brines as well as NFT blowdown/bleed off in Year 3. [3] Hydroponic CEA platform evaluation: (a)We will complete inorganic multifactor experiment for harvest stage mustard greens in deep water tank, (b) develop leaf surface area model based on two-dimensional imaging, and (c) Conduct nutrient management under saline water trials in 8 channel NFT.UF is on schedule to perform the year 3 trials as seeds arrive from plant breeders for the Plant Array and NFT systems. These new breeding lines will be tested under saline water hydroponics and compared with controls for both PlantArray and NFT in greenhouse and bench top systems. [4] Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA): (a) Wewill update hydroponic model to be more flexible in terms of production scale, crop type, facility location (for heating and lighting energy), input water quality (based on salinity-yield data from Obj 1&3), (b) Update desalination models to include more technologies (ED and MD) and to enable hybrid/blending operation, (c) We will developLCA model for solar pond, and (d) Incorporate economic data into both LCA model and conduct sensitivity analysis to incorporate data uncertainty. [5] Education: (a)The Summer 2025 Course: "AGED 7500 -- Use of Brackish Water Resources in Controlled Environment Agriculture for Sustainable Production of Salt-Tolerant Food Crops," will be taught over the week of June 23-27, 2025 at the USDA Vegetable Lab in Charleston, SC, (b) We will add meta tags to all of the Reusable Learning Objects (RLOs) digital files, and (c) We willcontinue to work with Undergraduate Researchers at the University of Florida and has 14 applicants for the Research and Extension Experiences for Undergraduates (REEU) who are engaged with aspects of this project. [6] Extension: (a) Coordinate and implement a listening session with Stakeholder Advisory Group via Zoom with pre-session questions and follow up survey, (b) Distribute information about a quarterly CEA research symposium with SAG members and creation of informational material for stakeholders, and (c)Continual In-Service Trainings (ISTs) and surveys to gauge knowledge levels about CEA and content delivery by the Education and Extension teams.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? [1] Pre-breeding and physiological phenotyping: Mustard greens: (a)Established electrical conductivity (EC) range(~15-16 mS/cm) for effective differentiation of mustard green accessions, (b) Standardized hydroponic evaluation system using the nutrient film technique (NFT), (c) Assessedphenotyes and growth performance under controlled salinity conditions (five trials), and (d) Identied and selected distinct salinity tolerant and sensitive genotypes using clusing and Principal Component Analysis (PCA).The Plant Array Phenotyping Platform at University of Flordia screened two genotypes of Brassica juncea to test the effect of saltwater stress on their phenotypic responses; a publication is in preparation describing the types of data that can be collected for salt-water treatment systems for B. juncea. Cucumber:(a)Four commercially available cucumber cultivars (Diva, Katrina, Suyo Long, and Striped Armenian) were used in the initial screening of two saline water sources, (b) No significant differences (P=0.654) in plant survival were observed between the two saline water sources, (c) Striped Armenian was significantly more tolerant to higher salinity (15 and 20 dS/m) compared to other three cultivars and cultivar Diva was highly susceptible to both saline water sources, (d) Based on the experiments 15 dS/m was selected as appropriate concentration for evaluating the cucumber Plant Introduction (PI) core collection, (e) Three hundred and eighty four (384) cucumber PI were phenotyped using 15 dS/m IO. Data on plant survival and wilt ratings were collected for a period of four weeks after application of saline water treatments, (f) Eight PI were highly susceptible to 15 dS/m, and all plants of these PI succumbed within two weeks after start of treatment, (g) Of the 384 PI, 245 PI were susceptible and succumbed four weeks after saline water treatment, (h) Six tolerant cucumber PI and five highly susceptible PI were identified for use in further studies to confirm that these PI were indeed tolerant, (i) The entire 384 PI are being evaluated again under the exact same conditions to confirm consistency of results from the previous screen, and (j) The resistant PI are being grown in NFT system to produce self-pollinated seeds for use in further studies including RNAseq. Tomato: (a) We acquired390 PI accessions from U.S. National Plant Germplasm System and 50 LA accessions from UC Davis Tomato Genetic Resources Center (17 wild-species & cultivars known to be salt tolerant), (b)Optimized the environmental conditions and seed treatment to improve seed germination and plant growthfor seed multiplication on selected lines with limited seeds, (c) Evaluated different salt-concentrations affecting tomato growth and tolerance level, and (d) Defined measurements and developd resources-collaborations. [2] Deaslting technologies and salinity management processes: NF and ED Modeling of Partial Desalting Technologies: We have completed an evaluation of partial desalting technologies, nanofiltration (NF) and Electrodialysis/ Electrodialysis Reversal (ED/EDR) through process modeling using Dupont's WAVE model for NF and Veolia's NEWatsys model for ED/EDR. The evaluation included single-stage and two-stage NF simulations, conventional ED/EDR, and an alternative approach, using RO or NF with source blending. The main evaluation criteria are resultant specific energy consumption (SEC) (kWh/m3), product water recovery (%), and water quality (product water salinity (ppm)). NF and ED Experimental Evaluation: A bench-scale cross-flow NF testing unit and a bench-scale single-pass ED testing unit have been set up. NF system is equipped with in-line meters that include conductivity (CP, CF), pH, pressure (P), and flow rate calculated through balance reading. Pressure, flux, and rejection are being studied. Ion compositions are measured through ICP-OES and IC. We have acquired more types of NF membranes with a range of pore sizes, configurations (spiral wound membranes and hollow fiber membranes), and different membrane surface charges. Spiral wound membranes have been tested with synthetic water recipe. Conventional and monovalent ion elective ED membranes have been acquired. [3] Hydroponic CEA platform evaluation: We established protocols to identify synergistic relationships of nutritive ions in hydroponic media for production of B. juncea in saline water. We have been growing mustard greens to harvest maturity in a 7-factor fractional factorial experiment to identify ionic relationships in hydroponic media that inhibit or exacerbate salt stress in three varieties B. juncea. This experiment has been conducted using 52 deep water culture hydroponic vessels and 47 unique hydroponic media formulations. Preliminary data suggest that potential mitigation strategies are contextual to specific ionic stress from saline water. The greenhouse in Citra, FL has six working replicate NFT systems and these were run for five experiments (6 weeks) with up to 3 genotypes; two instances of hurricane and wind damage terminated two of these experiments.Approximately six independent experiments of desktop NFT systems were run for testing ocean water on 2 to 3 genotypes of brassica demonstrating a positive effect on biomass up to about 22% ocean water solution compared to no ocean water. [4] Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA): (a) Completed literature review and meta-analysis of LCA studies of desalination technologies and hydroponic systems, (b) Constructed initial LCA model for desalination (RO and NF) system and hydroponic system, (c) Have been collecting data from a CEA grower to adjust hydroponic LCA model, and (d) Have been working with desalination suppliers to obtain data on actual systems. Our preliminary results show that the major contributors to most impacts for hydroponic systems are the energy inputs for lighting and heating followed by fertilizer production and for desalination systems is the electricity to drive the process. [5] Education: Undergradaute student researchers were integrated into this project (n=8, year 2). A USDA Research and Extension Experiences for Undergraduates (USDA-REEU, 10 weeks) and a Student Science Training Program (UF-SSTP, 7 weeks) were intiated on this project in summer. More than 100 objects for the Reusable Learning Objects (RLOs) have been collected over the past two years. This year, Jean Paul Pompeo, a Ph.D. student working with Dr. Correll in the Agricultural and Biological Engineering department at the University of Florida uploaded 79 different photos, SketchUp models of CEA greenhouses, and diagrams of hydroponic systems to the web space where we are housing the RLOs. Currently, there are more than objects collected, which can be found at this URL: https://clemson.box.com/v/sas-cea-rlos? The Summer 2025 Course: "AGED 7500 -- Use of Brackish Water Resources in Controlled Environment Agriculture for Sustainable Production of Salt-Tolerant Food Crops," is currently in the recruitment stage. This course will be taught over the week of June 23-27 at the USDA Vegetable Lab in Charleston, SC. [6] Extension: Two "In-Service Trainings" were held on "Salinity Risk in Controlled and Conventional Agriculture Production" on August 22 and September 12, 2024. Additionally, a fact sheet on salinity management and nutrient use efficiency in hydroponic systems was developed and accepted for UF/IFAS EDIS publication.Implemented stakeholder engagement strategies and obtain feedback on CEA from various stakeholders to improve extension initiatives. The extension team established a recurring joint meeting with the education team to better coordinate information delivery and feedback mechanisms. The extension team also met to discuss the logistics for an upcoming listening session with the Stakeholder Advisory Group (SAG).

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2024 Citation: Shaik, A., R. Karthikeyan, & Kousik, C. S. Evaluation of cucumber cultivars for salinity tolerance in CEA using NFT system. In 2024 Joint National Workshop on Sustainable Development of Controlled Environment in Agriculture, Charleston, South Carolina.
  • Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Pompeo, J. P., Yu, Z., Zhang, C., Wu, S., Zhang, Y., Gomez, C., & Correll, M. 2024. Assessing The Stability of Indoor Farming Systems Using Data Outlier Detection. Frontiers in Plant Science, 15, 1270544. doi:10.3389/fpls.2024.1270544
  • Type: Other Status: Other Year Published: 2024 Citation: Vought, K., A. Martin-Ryals & H.K. Bayabil. How efficient are hydroponic systems in nutrient usage under low and high salinity? University of Florida IFAS Extension Publication.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2024 Citation: Mainella, S. R. and Correll, M.J. Salt-stress and tolerance in hydroponically-grown mustard greens (Brassica juncea).� Annual Student Science Training Program (SSTP) at the University of Florida, July 23, 2024.�
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2024 Citation: Hubbard, E., Pompeo, J.P., Correll, M.J. Salt Tolerance of Brassica juncea: Image Analysis of Seedling Growth.� The 2024 Joint National Workshop on Sustainable Development of Controlled Environment Agriculture (USDA and NASA). Charleston, SC. July 9-12, 2024.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2024 Citation: Pompeo, J.P.,Pompeo, J., Correll, M., Tomlin, M., Adelberg, J., Karthikeyan, R., and E. Bassil. Pre- Design and Setup of a Greenhouse in Citra, FL for evaluating the salt tolerance of mustard greens grown under saline irrigation. The 2024 Joint National Workshop on Sustainable Development of Controlled Environment Agriculture (USDA and NASA). Charleston, SC. July 9-12, 2024.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2024 Citation: Lantin, S., Molina, M., Gandhi, M. Peters, A., Ng, Kayla, & Correll, M.J. 2024. Autonomous Detection and Rectification of Water Stress in Space Agriculture.� Senior Design Symposium at the University of Florida. Gainesville, FL.� April 18, 2024.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2024 Citation: Jing-Hua Tzeng, David A. Ladner, Clinton Williams, W. Shane Walker, Neil Moe, R. Karthikeyan, M.Carbajales-Dale, Gary Amy,  Partial Desalination of Saline and Brackish Waters for Sustainable Hydroponic Food Crop Cultivation, 2024 Joint National Workshop on Sustainable Development of Controlled Environment Agriculture, July 9 -12, US.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2024 Citation: Jing-Hua Tzeng, David A. Ladner, Gary Amy, Clinton Williams, Morgan Tomlin, Shashi Kant, Jeff Adelberg, Qiong Su, Sandra E. Branham, Patrick Wechter, Azeezahmed Shaik, Shaker Kousik, Kai-Shu�Ling, and Raghupathy Karthikeyan,  Saline and brackish groundwater resources for salt-tolerant crops: A sustainable water treatment paradigm, 2024 South Carolina Water Resources Conference (SCWRC), Oct 16-17, US.�
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2025 Citation: : Jing-Hua Tzeng, David A. Ladner, Clinton Williams, Raghupathy Karthikeyan, W. Shane Walker, Robert Huehmer, and Gary Amy, New Paradigm for Hydroponics Using Partially Desalinated Saline Waters: Modeling and Experimentation of NF systems, 2025 membrane Technology Conference, Feb. 24-27, US.
  • Type: Other Journal Articles Status: Other Year Published: 2025 Citation: Jing-Hua Tzeng, David A. Ladner, Clinton Williams, Raghupathy Karthikeyan, W. Shane Walker, Neil Moe, Robert Huehmer, and Gary Amy, Partial Desalination as a New Paradigm for� Cultivation of Salt-Tolerant Food Crops in Hydroponic Controlled Environment Agriculture using Brackish Waters: A Critical Review.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2024 Citation: Zaria Blain and K. Robinson. "The Role and Importance of Extension in CEA" and presented it at the Joint National Conference on Controlled Environmental Agriculture, July 2024
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2024 Citation: Lingireddy, H., Radhakrishna, R., Layfield, D., Robinson, K., & Karthikeyan, R. (2024, July). Integrating Research, Education, and Extension for Enhancing Outcomes in SAS-CEA Project. In 2024 Joint National Workshop on Sustainable Development of Controlled Environment in Agriculture, Charleston, South Carolina.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2025 Citation: Lingireddy, H., and Radhakrishna, R. (2024, July). Evaluation Approaches to Assessing Controlled Environment in Agriculture (CEA) Impact. In 2024 Joint National Workshop on Sustainable Development of Controlled Environment in Agriculture, Charleston, South Carolina.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2024 Citation: Lingireddy, H., and Radhakrishna, R. (2024, Oct). Using Quadrant Analysis to Determine Needs Assessment Priorities for a Multistate Sustainable Ag Systems Program on Controlled Environment in Agriculture. In AEA conference, Portland, Oregon.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2024 Citation: Lingireddy, H., and Radhakrishna, R. (2024, Oct). Using Feedback as a Formative Evaluation Approach to Minimize Implementation Fidelity and Maximize Project Accomplishments in a Multi-institutional Sustainable Agriculture Systems Project. In AEA conference, Portland, Oregon
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2025 Citation: Lingireddy, H., and Radhakrishna, R. (2025, March). Approaches to Enhance Implementation in a Multi-institutional Sustainable Agriculture Systems Project. In Texas Evaluation Network, Virtual presentation.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2024 Citation: Cherry, A. L., Neeley, C. C., Clark, S. A., & Layfield, K. D. (2024, July 9-12). Using hydroponic systems to learn CEA among secondary agricultural education students [Poster Presentation]. 2024 Joint National Workshop on Sustainable Development of Controlled Environmental Agriculture, Charleston, SC, USA.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2024 Citation: Layfield, K. D., Eck, C. J., Neeley, C., & Karthikeyan, R. (2024, June 24-28). Bridging virtual and physical spaces: Online graduate students mentoring on-campus undergraduates in Clemsons foundations of digital media & learning course [Poster Presentation]. 2024 North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture Conference, Wooster, OH, United States.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2024 Citation: Correll, M., Pompeo, J., Hammond, B., Karthikeyan, R., Amy, G., Basil, E., Huffaker, R., Bayabil, H. (July 30, 2024). Technologies for Assessing Salt-Tolerant Genotypes of Brassica in Hydroponics. Annual International Meeting American Society for Agricultural and Biological Engineers. Anaheim, CA.
  • Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2025 Citation: Su, Q., R. D. Kambale, J-H Tzeng, G. L. Amy, D. A. Ladner, R. Karthikeyan. 2025. The growing trend of saltwater intrusion and its impact on coastal agriculture: Challenges and opportunities. The Science of the total environment.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2025 Citation: Karthikeyan, R., G. Amy, D. Ladner, C. Williams, S. Branham, and J. Adelberg. 2025. Integration of hydroponic controlled environment agriculture with brackish water resources. Presented at the 2025 Multi State Salinity Coalition (MSSC) Annual Salinity Summit. Las Vegas, Feb 26-28, 2025.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2024 Citation: Shaik, A., R. Karthikeyan, and C. Kousik. 2024. Evaluation of Cucumber Cultivars for Salinity Tolerance in CEA Using NFT System. ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting, San Antonio, TX.


Progress 04/01/23 to 03/31/24

Outputs
Target Audience: Research: Collaborators, contemporary researchers, and External Scientific Advisory Committee (ESAC). Education: graduate and undergraduate students (courses, research experience, and project meetings). Extension: Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) growers, industry participants, small and underrepresented vegetable growers, and stakeholder advisory group (SAG), Changes/Problems:Project scope did not change. No major changes/problems encountered. Following changes in the project personnel: 1. Dr. Willam Hammond (University of Florida) joined the team in place of Dr. Elias Bassil since his departure. Dr. Bassil still serves and participates in the project meetings and provides insights. 2. Dr. Ray Huffaker retired (University of Florida). Will still participate in the project. 3. Dr. Patrick Wechter (Clemson University) joined the project team. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Hands-on training for undergraduate and graduate students have been provided.Stakeholder meetings with growers andindustry partners have been conducted. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?A flyer on project description has been disseminated during stakeholder/extension meetings. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?[1] Pre-breeding and physiological phenotyping: Mustard greens:DNA will be extracted from a bulk sample of 10 S2 seedlings per accession (n=384accessionsfrom the salinity response extremes) for whole-genome resequencing.S2 seeds will be used for salinity screening in hydroponic Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) systems.Cucumber: 384 PIs and four commercial cultivars and Tomato: 476 accessions will be screened for salinity tolerance and 10 top lines each will be selected for further evaluation.We will optimize the throughput of the Plant Array phenotyping platform by discriminating via the earliest-warning signal for identifying salinity tolerance from stress responses. [2] Desalting technologies and salinity management processes: We will perform two-stage NF simulations to optimize the system for removal, feed pressures, and fluxes for seawater and inland brackish groundwater. We will conduct experiments with NF membranes and ED membranes. We will also evaluate brine management in Year 2. [3] Hydroponic CEA platform evaluation: In Year 2, the following work is planned: calibration for NFT systems for automated control, experiments to compare salinity responses in the Plant Array with NFT systems, water and nutrient balance in system based on environmental conditions, table-top NFT systems to study salinity stress, and imaging platform to predict biomass. [4] Techno-economic analysis (TEA) and life cycle assessment (LCA): The TEA/LCA literature reviews will be finalized and the data will be collated for entry into the models.The TEA/LCA model structure for the desalination and hydroponic systems will be finalized.Water balances on NFT input from source to water treatment to disposal and treatment of high salinity water to determine optimization of recycle of water and salts will be established. [5] Education: Teaching modules on CEA will be developed in collaboration with Clemson U. Image analysis tutorials as RLO for students in undergraduate students will be developed. [6] Extension: IST workshop on salinity management will be conducted. Needs assessment survey will be analyzed. Small NFT units will be deployed for demonstration.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? [1] Pre-breeding and physiological phenotyping: Mustard greens:B. juncea accessions (n=464) were self-pollinated in the greenhouse for two generations (S2), producing S2 seed to reduce heterozygosity, which improved the power to detect a signal with genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Twenty-six open-pollinated heirloom mustard green cultivars were purchased for salinity screening and as donor germplasm for desirable horticultural traits.Cucumber: Two germination experiments were conducted using brackish water dilutionsranging from 0 to 19.5 dS/m, to assess salinity tolerance of 12 commercially available cultivars. Tomato: Germplasm with diverse genetic backgrounds were obtained from the USDA-ARS tomato curators and the Tomato Genetic Resource Center for salt tolerance screening.The UF Plant Physiological Phenotyping Array (UFPPA) is a fully automated, sensor-based phenotyping platform equipped with a customized fertigation setup that allows the application of three customized solutions and enables real-time and simultaneous assessments of whole plant physiological performance. In Year 1, we established irrigation of 0, 20 and 50% of Instant Oceanmixed with boric acid, and two varieties of B. juncea;Giant Curl and Carolina Broadleaf. This set up was mainly to test the functionality of the UFPPA and build pipelines to be used further. [2] Desalting technologies and salinity management processes: We have developed two synthetic water recipes for experimental testing and process modeling. We have conducted preliminary evaluation of partial desalting technologies, nanofiltration (NF) and electrodialysis (ED), through process modeling. We have also assessed modeling of a two-stage brackish water reverse osmosis (BWRO) system for achieving near-complete desalting with the opportunity for source blending. We have acquired a number of NF membranes with a range of pore sizes and ED membranes of regular thickness and thin membranes as well as monovalent selective membranes. [3] Hydroponic CEA platform evaluation: Clemson: We have developed two small-scale hydroponic systems to provide guidance on set points and time course in the saline-nutritional ionic milieu.We designed and tested a Deep Water Culture (DWC) system with 20 liters of aerated solution per tank, enabling 9 plants per tank to be grown to harvest maturity.Eight independent Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) systems were built in a greenhouse at Clemson University's Coastal Research and Education Center in Charleston, SC. Each system is comprised of 10 channels with 14 openings for plants. USDA-ARS: We developed a protocol with suitable growing conditions for tomatoes growing in hydroponic, with prolific fruit production under a controlled environment in our converted shipping containers for both dwarf and indeterminate tomatoes. This system is important for the follow-up experiment to screen and produce tomato crops indoor under LED light.UFlorida: Agreenhouse at the Plant Science Research and Education Unit from the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences at Citra, FL was procured and transitioned into a NFT Facility with 6 NFT systems 14 X 8 plants per unit. [4] Techno-economic analysis (TEA) and life cycle assessment (LCA): Two TEA/LCA modeling studies initiated, one on the hydroponic system and the other on the desalination system. Extensive literature review has been conducted forCEA and their respective technology systems as data inputs to TEA/LCA models.For the NFT, all parts, their costs, and where to purchase for building and monitoring the water treatment and NFT systems are available for the LCA. [5] Education: Clemson: Reviewed and identified state standards for (a) the South Carolina College- and Career-Ready Science Stanards (Biology and Earth & Space Sciences) and (b) the secondary agricultural education Science Standards for alignment to the project objectives. Identified state standards that will be used in the recruitment of teachers for the summer course on topics related to the project, and photographed images of CEA research facilities for the reusuable learning objectives (RLOs). UFlorida: A team of undergraduates received hands-on training in building and calibrating 6-sensor suites, building a robot imager for phenotyping in CEA, and building NFT. A senior design project on automated phenotyping robot was established. [6] Extension: Clemson: Several stakeholder meetings conducted involving growers, smallholder and underrepresented farmer populations, and SAG. CEA Needs Assessment Survey developed. UFlorida: Initated planning for In-Service Training (IST) and workshops on salinity issues and management strategies in CEA. Extension factsheet has been developed on current challenges of salinity measurement-based nutrient management practices in CEA.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Shaik, A.A., Rahul Kumar, Karthikeyan, R. Kousik, C.S., 2024. Assessing brackish water tolerance in watermelon cultivars based on germination and root morphology. Annual meeting of the Southern Region American Society for Horticultural Science. February 2024.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Ling, K.-S., 2024. Overview of controlled environment agriculture research at USDA-ARS. Indoor Ag-Con, Las Vegas, NV, March 11-12, 2024.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Minocha, K., Correll, M., Coon, D., and ONeil. Phenotyping Brassica juncea to identify salt-tolerant genotypes in hydroponics. At the UF-Center for Precollegiate Education and Training, Student Science Training Program (UF-CPET-SSTP) Poster and Oral Symposium. July 27, 2023. Gainesville, FL.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Kalarchian, K. and Correll, M.J. Automating irrigation of mustard greens (Brassica juncea) for use with high salinity water sources. Presented at the Agricultural and Biological Engineering Research Symposium. March 7, 2024.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Pompeo, J., Correll, M., Tomlin, M., Adelberg, J., Karthikeyan, R., and E. Bassil. Pre-design and setup of a greenhouse in Citra, FL for evaluating the salt tolerance of mustard greens grown under saline irrigation. Presented at the Agricultural and Biological Engineering Research Symposium. March 7, 2024, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL.