The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is holding the fifth annual Controlled Environment Horticulture Conference on Dec. 7 -8 in Dallas.

Plants in a controlled environment agriculture setting. Participants will be able learn about the latest on growing crops in controlled environments during the Controlled Environment Horticulture Conference.
Participants will be able learn about the latest on growing crops in controlled environments, such as in greenhouses, during the Dec. 7-8 Controlled Environment Horticulture Conference in Dallas. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Sam Craft)

The event will be held from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. on Dec. 7 at the Water Education Building at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Dallas, 17360 Coit Road.

On Dec. 8, Eden Green Technologies in Cleburne will host a tour of their vertical greenhouses. A bus will take participants to Cleburne and back to the center from 8 a.m. to noon. The bus cost is included in the registration fee.

Bus seating is limited to 40 and seats are on first-come, first-served basis. In-person registration includes donuts and coffee, lunch and a dinner reception at 6 p.m. on Dec. 7. Registrants can also drive their personal vehicles to attend the tour.

The conference will feature in-person and virtual participation options. Registration cost is $150 for in-person and $100 for the virtual option. To register, visit https://tx.ag/ControlledEnvironmentConference.

Conference geared toward new, experienced growers

The conference is geared toward both new and prospective growers interested in specialty crop production under a controlled environment and for experienced growers who want to learn more about the basics of crop production in a controlled environment.

“We have assembled a great lineup of controlled environment horticulture experts from Texas A&M and around the country,” said Joe Masabni, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension small-acreage horticulture specialist and associate professor in the Department of  Horticultural Sciences, Dallas. “We will also present our latest research from the Texas A&M AgriLife centers in Dallas and Uvalde, introduce our newest faculty additions and discuss their new programs in controlled environment horticulture.”

Speakers and topics

Topics will include the following:

  • Solving food safety in controlled environment horticulture with super hydrophobic coatings — Masabni.
  • Light and temperature control strategies to increase yield and quality for indoor farming — Sangjun Jeong, doctoral student, Dallas.
  • Automation and AI in controlled environment — Azlan Zahid, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Research assistant professor of controlled environment agriculture engineering and assistant professor in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Dallas.
  • Planning production efficiency — Simone Valle de Souza, Ph.D., assistant professor, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan.
  • Controlled environment agriculture labor requirements — Valle de Souza
  • Advancement of plant-sensing technology for sustainable crop production under controlled environment — Murat Kacira, Ph.D., professor, Arizona State University, Tucson, Arizona.
  • Light and nutrient management for indoor strawberries — Yujin Park, Ph.D., assistant professor, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona.
  • Supplemental silicon for hydroponic lettuce production: An underutilized nutrient – Seunghyun Choi, Ph.D., AgriLife Research postdoctoral research associate, Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Uvalde, Uvalde.
  • Lettuce cultivar evaluation for sustainable hydroponic production in greenhouse and indoor farming — Desire Djidonou, Ph.D., assistant professor, urban and sustainable agriculture, Texas A&M University-Commerce, Commerce.
  • Controlled environment horticulture: entomology’s new program — Arash Kheirodin, Ph.D., AgriLife Research controlled environments entomologist and assistant professor in the Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Dallas
  • Intelligent algorithms for controlled environment horticulture: A leap towards sustainable agriculture — Oscar Morales, service manager, Hoogendoorn USA.
  • Controlled environment horticulture: breeding’s new program — Krishna Bhattarai, Ph.D., AgriLife Research controlled environment plant breeder and assistant professor in the Department of Horticultural Sciences, Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Dallas.

The conference will also include a panel discussion and a tour of the center’s controlled horticulture environment facilities.

For a complete agenda, visit https://tx.ag/ControlledEnvironmentHortConference.

For questions or more information, contact Masabni at [email protected].

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