Controlled Environment Agriculture

The aim of this paper is to describe the development of a conceptual model based on literature and understandings of design, communication, stress and model of care. The model explores potential relationships among a set of key variables that need to be considered by ...

The CCU and Incubator are habitats under development by SSBRP for gravitational biology research on ISS. They will accommodate multiple specimen types and reside in either Habitat Holding Racks, or the Centrifuge Rotor, which provides selectable gravity levels of up to 2 g. The CCU can support multiple Cell Specimen Chambers, CSCs (18, 9 or 6 CSCs; 3, 10 or 30 mL in volume, respectively). CSCs are temperature controlled from 4-39 degrees C, with heat shock to 45 degrees C. CCU provides automated nutrient supply, magnetic stirring, pH/O2 monitoring, gas supply, specimen lighting, and video microscopy. Sixty sample containers holding up to 2 mL each, stored at 4-39 degrees C, are available for automated cell sampling, subculture, and injection of additives and fixatives. CSCs, sample containers, and fresh/spent media bags are crew-replaceable for long-term experiments. The Incubator provides a 4-45 degrees C controlled environment for life science experiments or storage of experimenta...

A pseudo dynamic thermal model has been developed for simulating the heating/cooling energy requirement of conventional greenhouses based on lumped estimation of heat flow parameters in greenhouses. Most of the parameters of greenhouse energy flux have been considered in the model including the sensible heat usage in plant transpiration, and also heat gain from environmental control systems. The developed model can simulate the hourly heating/cooling requirement of greenhouses based on input information about desired indoor environment, dimension and thermal properties of constructional materials, characteristics of selected crop, and local weather data. This model would be beneficial for researchers, engineers and growers to estimate the energy requirement of greenhouses, thereby model would be a useful tool for their decision making about the energy efficient design, and feasibility analysis of greenhouses for a particular locations.

The American Conference of Governmental Industrial hygienists (ACGIH) lowered the threshold limit value (TLV) for respirable crystalline silica (RCS) exposure from 0.05 to 0.025 mg m 23 in 2006. For a working environment with an airborne dust concentration near this lowered TLV, the sample collected with current standard respirable aerosol samplers might not provide enough RCS for quantitative analysis. Adopting high flow rate sampling devices for respirable dust containing silica may provide a sufficient amount of RCS to be above the limit of quantification even for samples collected for less than full shift. The performances of three high flow rate respirable samplers (CIP10-R, GK2.69, and FSP10) have been evaluated in this study. Eleven different sizes of monodisperse aerosols of ammonium fluorescein were generated with a vibrating orifice aerosol generator in a calm air chamber in order to determine the sampling efficiency of each sampler. Aluminum oxide particles generated by a fluidized bed aerosol generator were used to test (i) the uniformity of a modified calm air chamber, (ii) the effect of loading on the sampling efficiency, and (iii) the performance of dust collection compared to lower flow rate cyclones in common use in the USA (10-mm nylon and Higgins-Dewell cyclones). The coefficient of variation for eight simultaneous samples in the modified calm air chamber ranged from 1.9 to 6.1% for triplicate measures of three different aerosols. The 50% cutoff size ( 50 d ae ) of the high flow rate samplers operated at the flow rates recommended by manufacturers were determined as 4.7, 4.1, and 4.8 mm for CIP10-R, GK2.69, and FSP10, respectively. The mass concentration ratio of the high flow rate samplers to the low flow rate cyclones decreased with decreasing mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) and high flow rate samplers collected more dust than low flow rate samplers by a range of 2-11 times based on gravimetric analysis. Dust loading inside the high flow rate samplers does not appear to affect the particle separation in either FSP10 or GK2.69. The high flow rate samplers overestimated compared to the International Standards Organization/ Comité Européen de Normalisation/ACGIH respirable convention [up to 40% at large MMAD (27.5 mm)] and could provide overestimated exposure data with the current flow rates. However, both cyclones appeared to be able to provide relatively unbiased assessments of RCS when their flow rates were adjusted.

The conditioned place preference procedure is widely used in rodents for assessing drug effects on motivational processes (Schechter and Calcagnetti, 1993). In this paradigm, the positive reinforcing properties of a test substance are demonstrated by showing that animals prefer environments previously associated with the substance. Animals are conditioned in a two-compartment box in which they are allowed to explore one compartment under the influence of the test substance, while the other compartment is always explored after administration of vehicle. An increase in the time spent in the drug-paired compartment after conditioning suggests the presence of positive reinforcing effects (drug-induced place preference). This procedure is less time consuming than more complex techniques used to detect drug abuse, such as self-administration (UNIT 10.5) or drug-discrimination paradigms, and is sensitive to the reinforcing effects of many substances abused by humans. Other advantages of the test are the absence of any instrumental learning and the possibility of evaluating reinforcing effects in the absence of the test substance. This procedure is used to measure the positive reinforcing properties of test compounds in rats (see Basic Protocol 1) and mice (see Basic Protocol 2) using a two-compartment box place-preference paradigm. During the conditioning period, animals are allowed to repeatedly explore the two compartments of the box (one compartment at a time). Test compounds are always administered before exploration of one of the compartments, while vehicle is administered before exploration of the other compartment. During the test period conducted after conditioning, the animals have free access to both compartments, and the time spent in each is measured. A preference for the drug-paired compartment (drug-induced place preference) is indicated if the animal spends significantly more time in that compartment. The number of crossings from one compartment to the other is also scored to assess general locomotor activity. NOTE: All protocols using live animals must first be reviewed and approved by an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) or must conform to governmental regulations regarding the care and use of laboratory animals. BASIC PROTOCOL 1 PLACE PREFERENCE TEST IN RATS Materials Male Wistar rats (180 to 200 g at the beginning of the experiment) Test compound(s) dissolved in physiological saline or suspended in 0.2% hydroxypropylmethylcellulose in physiological saline (for parenteral administration) Vehicle Transparent plastic (e.g., macrolon) cages (41 × 25 × 25-cm) Video camera and videotape recorder Six two-compartment test apparatuses (Fig. 10.4.1): experimental boxes (35 × 35 × 70-cm) with two compartments of equal size (35 × 35 × 35-cm) separated by a guillotine door (12 × 12-cm); each compartment is tactually and visually distinct (black-and-white striped walls with corrugated floors versus gray walls with smooth floors) 60-W red lights Animal balance with accuracy of 1 g (e.g., Sartorius 1401.001.2

This paper reports the results of the first study of an aquaponic system for Pangasianodon hypophthalmus production that uses Lactuca sativa L. (lettuce) and Cichorium intybus L. rubifolium group (red chicory) intercropping in the hydroponic section. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Wädenswil, Switzerland, using nine small-scale aquaponic systems (each approximately 400 L), with the nutrient film technique (NFT). The intercropping of vegetables did not influence the water temperature, pH, electric conductivity (EC), oxidation-reduction potential, nor O 2 content. Intercropping with red chicory increased the lettuce sugar content (+16.0% and +25.3% for glucose and fructose, respectively) and reduced the lettuce caffeic acid content (−16.8%). In regards to bitter taste compounds (sesquiterpene lactones), intercropping reduced the concentrations of dihydro-lactucopicrin + lactucopicrin (−42.0%) in lettuce, and dihydro-lactucopicrin + lactucopicrin (−22.0%) and 8-deoxy-lactucin + dihydro-lactucopicrin oxalate (−18.7%) in red chicory, whereas dihydro-lactucin content increased (+40.6%) in red chicory in regards to monoculture. A significantly higher organic nitrogen content was found in the lettuce (3.9%) than in the red chicory biomass (3.4%), following the intercropping treatment. Anion and cation contents in vegetables were affected by species (Cl − , NO 3 − , PO 4 3− , SO 4 2− , and Ca 2+), intercropping (K + and Mg 2+), and species × intercropping interactions (NO 2 − and NH 4 +). Experimental treatments (monoculture vs intercropping and distance from NFT inlet) did not exert significant effects on leaf SPAD (index of relative chlorophyll content) values, whereas the red coloration of the plants increased from the inlet to the outlet of the NFT channel. Intercropping of lettuce and red chicory affected the typical taste of these vegetables by increasing the sweetness of lettuce and changing the ratio among bitter taste compounds in red chicory. These results suggest intercropping as a possible solution for improving vegetable quality in aquaponics. Although the results are interesting, they have been obtained in a relatively short period, thus investigations for longer periods are necessary to confirm these findings. Further studies are also needed to corroborate the positive effect of the presence of red chicory in the system on fish production parameters.

The integrated electronic control system will provide a new method for the day-today management of environmental control of animal production systems. No standards are currently accepted for transient overvoltage protection of these controllers. To assess the adequacy of existing designs, a test circuit was designed and used for a transient open circuit over-voltage waveform (ANSI/IEEE C62.41-1980) of 16 environmental control units: a maximum spike of 770 V was applied to the power supplies, and a spike up to 100 V was applied to temperature sensor lines. For these relatively mild tests, no failures were noted due to power supply transients, but three units failed when subjected to transients on their temperature sensor lines. From this research it is suggested that an industry standard be adopted to define the minimum transient overvoltage design conditions by which environmental controllers should be tested.

Divergence in the acceptability to people in different regions of naturally ventilated thermal environments raises a concern over the extent to which the ASHRAE Standard 55 may be applied as a universal criterion of thermal comfort. In this study, the ASHRAE 55 adaptive model of thermal comfort was investigated for its applicability to a hot and humid climate through a long-term field survey performed in central Taiwan among local students attending 14 elementary and high schools during September to January. Adaptive behaviors, thermal neutrality, and thermal comfort zones are explored. A probit analysis of thermal acceptability responses from students was performed in place of the conventional linear regression of thermal sensation votes against operative temperature to investigate the limits of comfort zones for 90% and 80% acceptability; the corresponding comfort zones were found to occur at 20.1-28.4°C and 17.6-30.0°C, respectively. In comparison with the yearly comfort zones recommended by the adaptive model for naturally ventilated spaces in the ASHRAE Standard 55, those observed in this study differ in the lower limit for 80% acceptability, with the observed level being 1.7°C lower than the ASHRAE-recommended value. These findings can be generalized to the population of school children, thus providing information that can supplement ASHRAE Standard 55 in evaluating the thermal performance of naturally ventilated school buildings, particularly in hot-humid areas such as Taiwan.

In wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plants, deficiency of an essential element may drastically affect growth, appearance, and most importantly yield. Wheat, the focus of this study, is one of the crops studied in the CELSS program. Information about nutrient deficiencies in crops grown in controlled environment is essential to optimize food productivity. The main objective of this study was to determine whether deficiency of Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K), Calcium (Ca) and Magnesium (M) alters spectral reflectance properties of wheat leaves. Plants were grown in the greenhouse and growth chamber, in a modified HoaglandÕs nutrient solution. Spectral reflectance of fully expanded wheat leaves from 280 to 1100 nm, nutrient concentrations (N, P, K, and Ca) and chlorophyll (Chl) were determined when deficiency symptoms were first evident (%6-7 weeks). Chlorophyll content and fresh and dry weight, were used to assess the severity of the nutrient stress. All nutrient deficiencies affected chlorophyll content and generally increased reflectance in the visible (VIS) 400-700 nm and infrared (IR) 700-1100 nm ranges. Magnesium and nitrogen deficiencies had the most pronounced effect on chlorophyll concentration height, and reflectance. All macronutrient deficiencies tested reduced chlorophyll concentration, increase reflectance in the visible range and caused a shift in the position of the red edge (the point of maximum slope on the reflectance spectrum of vegetation between red and near-infrared wavelengths) toward shorter or longer wavelengths; depending upon the element.

was found at the four points in the operating theatre between samplings performed with, and without, the LAF unit. Use of a mobile LAF unit with turbulent air ventilation can reduce bacterial contamination at the surgical area in high-risk operations (e.g. prosthesis implant).

This paper presents a new approach, in applying the Pierce two-node model, to predict local skin temperatures of individual body parts with good accuracy. In this study, local skin temperature measurements at 24 sites on the bodies of 11 human subjects were carried out in a controlled environment under three different indoor conditions (i.e. neutral, warm and cold). The neutral condition measurements were used to adjust the local skin set-points in the model for each body part. Additional modifications to the calculation algorithm were introduced corresponding to different body parts. The local core set-points were then calculated, using a line search method, as the input values that allow the model to predict the skin temperatures with maximum deviation of ±0.1°C for the neutral condition. The model predictability was verified for the other two indoor conditions, and the results show that the modified model predicts local skin temperatures with average deviation of ±0.3°C.

A state-space averaging method was employed in the design of a switching control system for a conventional single-phase, two-speed ventilation fan with time-averaged temperature feedback. The unique state-space averaging method allows the switched, i.e., discontinuous, system to be approximated as a continuous system; thus direct digital control design techniques can be applied for designing the switching controller. Dynamic simulation of the controller action and greenhouse air temperature indicated that the root-mean-square temperature could closely match the set point temperature, and that the switching period affected fluctuations about the set point. The validity of the designed switching controller was confirmed through field tests and compared to a conventional staging control strategy in research greenhouses. The proposed design method shows promise as an alternative to conventional PID systems and stage controllers, and is applicable to any discontinuous switched system. Detailed design development is provided.

Objective: This report surveys and evaluates the scientific research on evidence-based healthcare design and extracts its implications for designing better and safer hospitals. Background: It builds on a literature review conducted by researchers in 2004. Methods: Research teams conducted a new and more exhaustive search for rigorous empirical studies that link the design of hospital physical environments with healthcare outcomes. The review followed a two-step process, including an extensive search for existing literature and a screening of each identified study for the relevance and quality of evidence. Results: This review found a growing body of rigorous studies to guide healthcare design, especially with respect to reducing the frequency of hospital-acquired infections. Results are organized according to three general types of outcomes: patient safety, other patient outcomes, and staff outcomes. The findings further support the importance of improving outcomes for a range of design characteristics or interven-tions, including single-bed rooms rather than multibed rooms, effective ventilation systems, a good acoustic environment, nature distractions and daylight, appropriate lighting, better ergonomic design, acuity-adaptable rooms, and improved floor layouts and work settings. Directions for future research are also identified. Conclusions: The state of knowledge of evidence-based healthcare design has grown rapidly in recent years. The evidence indicates that well-designed physical settings play an important role in making hospitals safer and more healing for patients, and better places for staff to work.

Aquaponics' potential to transform urban food production has been documented in a rapid increase of academic research and public interest in the field. To translate this publicity into real-world impact, the creation of commercial farms and their relationship to the urban environment have to be further examined. This research has to bridge the gap between existing literature on growing system performance and urban metabolic flows by considering the built form of aquaponic farms. To assess the potential for urban integration of aquaponics, existing case studies are classified by the typology of their building enclosure, with the two main categories being greenhouses and indoor environments. This classification allows for some assumptions about the farms' performance in their context, but a more in-depth life cycle assessment (LCA) is necessary to evaluate different configurations. The LCA approach is presented as a way to inventory design criteria and respective strategies which can influence the environmental impact of aquaponic systems in the context of urban built environments.

An exposure chamber was designed to study the effects of electric and magnetic fields (EMF) on oestrous cycles, hormonal profile during gestation, pineal function, quantity and quality of milk production, feed intake, and central nervous system of dairy cattle. The chamber was 15 × 10 × 3 m; and the control system was fully computerized so that the field intensities can be varied and monitored continuously, on site or remotely. During exposure to EMF, milk production, feed consumption, and health were monitored closely and blood and cerebral spinal fluid were continuously sampled. The chamber characteristics allow use of a wide range of exposure such as electric fields (0–30 kV/m) and magnetic fields (0–100 μT) at frequencies ranging from 45 to 3000 Hz. Bioelectromagnetics 26:138–144, 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

"Imparting Skill in Indian Greenhouse Horticulture"
Intensive 5- Day Workshop in Controlled Environment Horticulture - with emphasis on Hydroponics is being conducted at Dharwad, Karnataka, India. Workshop 16th July to 20th July 2018. The workshop will be conducted by Mr Tony Bundock from Australia, who has decades of experience in Controlled Environment Horticulture among other subjects. He is also a Director on the panel of the famous institution Protected Cropping Australia and reigning Secretary of the Hydroponics Farmers Federation of .. continue reading
Highlights
Training conducted by Tony Bundock, Genesis Horticulture, Melbourne, Australia
Training Venue is an Indo-Israeli Centre of Excellence
Soilless Cultivation with Climate Control Techniques

The increase in papaya production requires new strategies to extend the storage life of the fruit. Edible coatings act as physical barriers when applied on the surface of fruits and effectively change their internal atmosphere and delay the ripening process. In the present study, two different coatings were developed from the mucilage of Opuntia cactus and their effects were investigated on the quality and storability of papaya fruits. The two experimental coatings were pure mucilage extracts (ME) and mucilage extract mixed with 5 mL glycerol (MEG) which served as plasticizer. The parameters measured were weight loss, ascorbic acid content, pH, firmness, total soluble solid and the microbial qualities of papaya fruits. Papaya fruits were stored for six weeks at an average temperature of 27 ± 2 °C and relative humidity of 55-60% under an Evaporative Coolant System (ECS). Prior to storage, the papaya fruits were surface sterilized using 100 mg/L sodium hypochlorite and randomly arranged into three treatments, the control (untreated) and the two coating treatments. After six week of storage the concentration of yeast and mold was found to decrease in the control from 8.89 log CFU/g to 3.87 log CFU/g (MEG) and 4.78 log CFU/g (ME); also the concentration of aerobic psychrotrophic bacteria decreased from 11.22 log CFU/g in the control to 4.21 log CFU/g (MEG) and 6.02 log CFU/g (ME) mucilage treated fruits while the concentration of aerobic mesophilic bacteria was decreased from 9.78 log CFU/g in the control to 4.98 log CFU/g (MEG) and 6.32 log CFU/g (ME) mucilage treated fruits. The above parameters which are related to post-harvest quality loss were however significantly controlled in the coated papaya. The overall result showed that cactus mucilage was effective in extending the shelf-life of papaya fruits when compared to the control. MEG was more effective than ME. 50/

A novel Gram-staining-positive, rod-shaped, motile, strictly aerobic, endospore-forming bacterium, designated WCC 4585 T , was isolated from a pharmaceutical production line. The organism grew optimally at 30 6C, at pH 8 and in the presence of 0.5 % (w/v) NaCl. Oval endospores were formed subterminally and terminally in swollen sporangia. The cell-wall diamino acid was meso-diaminopimelic acid (type A1c) and the genomic DNA G+C content was 38.7 mol%. The major menaquinone was MK-7. The cellular fatty acid profile contained major amounts of iso-C 15 : 0 , anteiso-C 15 : 0 and anteiso-C 17 : 0 , and the cellular phospholipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and aminophospholipid. The isolate was most closely related to Bacillus oceanisediminis H2 T , Bacillus infantis SMC 4352-1 T , Bacillus firmus NCIMB 9366 T , Bacillus circulans ATCC 4513 T and Bacillus horneckiae DSM 23495 T with which it shared less than 98.0 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity. DNA-DNA relatedness values between strain WCC 4585 T and five type strains of related species were ¡27 % and sequence similarity values based on groEL sequences were ¡88.7 %. On the basis of the characteristics presented, strain WCC 4585 T is proposed to represent a novel species, Bacillus gottheilii sp. nov. The type strain is WCC 4585 T (5DSM 23668 T 5CCUG 59876 T 5LMG 25856 T ).

Rett syndrome (RS) is a neurological disorder resulting from an X-linked dominant mutation. It is characterized by a variety of physical and perceptual disabilities, resulting in a need for continuous intervention programs to be administered on a regular basis throughout life. Many of these individuals with RS show fear of movement and, therefore, find it hard to accept external facilitation (so common in physical therapy intervention). In a search for novel intervention techniques that might improve their ability to cope with difficulties in daily situations, while also reducing their difficulty in handling motion inflicted by an external physical facilitator, we examined the use of the Snoezelen room. The Snoezelen, also known as the controlled multisensory environment, can provide a soothing atmosphere that appeals to the individual with RS, while at the same time it can improve physical, sensorial, and functional abilities. This article suggests various intervention goals that a...

BACKGROUND: The quality of vegetables for fresh consumption is a complex issue. In this study the yield and quality of cherry tomato fruits were assessed under different environmental control conditions, namely in a screenhouse (S), in a screenhouse equipped with a fogging system (SF) and in a screenhouse with complements such as plastic sheeting to maintain the microclimate created by the fogging system (SFS), as well as under open field (OF) cultivation. Levels of vitamin C, carotenoids (lycopene, β-carotene and lutein), phenolic compounds (flavonoids and phenolic acids), sugars (fructose, glucose and sucrose), organic acids (citric acid and malic acid) and flavour indices were measured. The aim of the study was to determine how different environmental control technologies could influence production and quality traits in tomato cherry fruits cultivated in a Mediterranean area.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording, or otherwise without written permission from the Publisher. Methods in Molecular Biology TM is a trademark of The Preface Agrobacterium tumefaciens is a soil bacterium that for more than a century has been known as a pathogen causing the plant crown gall disease. Unlike many other pathogens, Agrobacterium has the ability to deliver DNA to plant cells and permanently alter the plant genome. The discovery of this unique feature 30 years ago has provided plant scientists with a powerful tool to genetically transform plants for both basic research purposes and for agricultural development. Compared to physical transformation methods such as particle bombardment or electroporation, Agrobacterium-mediated DNA delivery has a number of advantages. One of the features is its propensity to generate single or a low copy number of integrated transgenes with defined ends. Integration of a single transgene copy into the plant genome is less likely to trigger "gene silencing" often associated with multiple gene insertions. When the first edition of Agrobacterium Protocols was published in 1995, only a handful of plants could be routinely transformed using Agrobacterium. Agrobacterium-mediated transformation is now commonly used to introduce DNA into many plant species, including monocotyledon crop species that were previously considered non-hosts for Agrobacterium. Most remarkable are recent developments indicating that Agrobacterium can also be used to deliver DNA to non-plant species including bacteria, fungi, and even mammalian cells. While the list of organisms that can be infected by Agrobacterium has increased significantly over the past decade, the success in transformation also relies on culture responsiveness of the target cells/tissues subsequent to the cocultivation with Agrobacterium. Essentially, the dynamic interactions between the two living organisms are critical for development of transformation methods. The second edition of Agrobacterium Protocols contains 80 chapters (two volumes) divided into 14 parts. In addition to basic Agrobacterium handing techniques and model plant transformation methods (Parts I and II in Volume 1), this edition collects 61 chapters covering protocols for 59 plant species. Volume 2 contains 35 of 59 plant protocols (Parts I to VII). The plants are grouped according to their practical utilization rather than their botanical classification. The significant expansion of this section reflects the remarkable advancements in plant transformation technology during the past decade. Part vii viii Preface VIII (Non-Plants) contains six chapters with protocols for introducing DNA into non-plant species such as bacteria, fungi, algae, and mammalian cells. The description of this unique capacity of Agrobacterium is a new addition to this edition. Agrobacterium Protocols provides a bench-top manual for tested protocols involving Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. All chapters are written in the same format as that used in the Methods in Molecular Biology series. Each chapter is contributed by authors who are leaders or veterans in the respective areas. The Abstract and Introduction sections provide outlines of protocols, the rationale for selection of particular target tissues, and overall transformation efficiency. The Materials section lists the host materials, Agrobacterium strains and vectors, stock solutions, media, and other supplies necessary for carrying out these transformation experiments. The Methods section is the core of each chapter. It provides a detailed step-by-step description of the entire transformation procedure from the preparation of starting materials to the harvest of transgenic plants. To ensure the reproducibility of each protocol, the Notes section supplies additional information on possible pitfalls in the protocol and alternative materials or methods for generating transgenic plants. Typically, most laboratories only work on one or a few plant species. Of course, each laboratory or individual researcher has his/her own favorite variation or modification of any given plant transformation protocol. The protocols presented in this edition represent the most efficient methods used in the laboratories of these contributors. They are by no means the only methods for successful transformation of your plant of interest. The broad range of target tissue selection and in vitro culture procedures indicate the complexity in plant transformation. It is the intention of this book to facilitate the transfer of this rapidly developing technology to all researchers for use in both fundamental and applied biology. I take this opportunity to thank all my colleagues whose time and effort made this edition possible. Special thanks go to my family for their unconditional love and support during the process of editing this book.

Production of high-value crops is often performed under protected cultivation. In recent years various spectral modifications have been made in greenhouse covers. Two of the main reasons to modify the spectral characteristics of greenhouse covers have been to suppress the proliferation of several foliar diseases and to protect crops from insects and insect-borne virus diseases of greenhouse-grown crops. These goals were achieved by complete or partial absorption of solar UV radiation, which interrupts the life cycle of several fungal pathogens and alters the visual behavior of many insects. Examples of these management strategies are described in this article.

Effects of relative humidity, light intensity and photoperiod on growth of 'Ga Jet' and 'TI-155' sweetpotato eultivars, using the nutrient film technique (NFT), have been reported. In this study, the effect of ambient temperature regimes (constant 28°C and diurnal 28:22"C day:night) and different CO2 levels (ambient, 400,1000, and 10 000 I.tL~-400,1000 and 10 000 ppm) on growth of one or both of these cultivars in NFT are reported. For a 24-h photoperiod, no storage roots were produced for either cultivar in NFTwhen sweetpotato plants were grown at a constant temperature of 28"C. For the same photoperiod, when a 28:220C diurnal temperature variation was used, there were still no storage roots for 'TI-155' but the ev. 'Ga Jet' produced 537 g/plant of storage roots. For both a 12-h and 24-h photoperiod, 'Ga Jet' storage root fresh and dry weight tended to be higher with a 28:22"C diurnal temperature variation than with a constant 28"C temperature regime. Preliminary results with both 'Ga Jet' and 'TI-155' cultivars indicate a distinctive diurnal stomatal response for sweetpotato grown in NFT under an ambient CO2 level. The stomatal conductance values observed for 'Ga Jet' at elevated CO2 levels indicated that the difference between the light-and dark-period conductance rates persisted at 400, 1 000, and 10 000 lxl_/L.

We describe the application and evaluation of a widely available commercial jar as an anaerobic container suitable for the growth of a wide variety of anaerobes. A system for generating stable anaerobiosis was developed by combining standard anaerobic environment generators with Click-Clack jars produced by Click-Clack Ltd. (http://www.clickclack.com). This system was simple, reliable, and reduced capital outlay on anaerobic jars by at least an order of magnitude. r

Greenhouse cultivation has evolved from simple covered rows of open-fields crops to highly sophisticated controlled environment agriculture (CEA) facilities that projected the image of plant factories for urban agriculture. The advances and improvements in CEA have promoted the scientific solutions for the efficient production of plants in populated cities and multi-story buildings. Successful deployment of CEA for urban agriculture requires many components and subsystems, as well as the understanding of the external influencing factors that should be systematically considered and integrated. This review is an attempt to highlight some of the most recent advances in greenhouse technology and CEA in order to raise the awareness for technology transfer and adaptation, which is necessary for a successful transition to urban agriculture. This study reviewed several aspects of a high-tech CEA system including improvements in the frame and covering materials, environment perception and data sharing, and advanced microclimate control and energy optimization models. This research highlighted urban agriculture and its derivatives, including vertical farming, rooftop greenhouses and plant factories which are the extensions of CEA and have emerged as a response to the growing population, environmental degradation, and urbanization that are threatening food security. Finally, several opportunities and challenges have been identified in implementing the integrated CEA and vertical farming for urban agriculture.

In recent years, new forms of high-tech controlled environment agriculture (CEA) have received increased attention and investment. These systems integrate a suite of technologies-including automation, LED lighting, vertical plant stacking, and hydroponic fertilization-to allow for greater control of temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide, oxygen, and light in an enclosed growing environment. Proponents insist that CEA can produce sustainable, nutritious, and tasty local food, particularly for the cities of the future. At the same time, a variety of critics raise concerns about its environmental impacts and energy use, high startup costs, and consumer accessibility challenges, among other issues. At this stage, however, relatively little research has explored actual consumer knowledge and attitudes related to CEA processes and products. Guided by theories of sense-making, this article draws from structured interviews with local food consumers in New York City to examine what people know and think about high-tech CEA. From there, it explores the extent to which CEA fits into consumer conceptualizations of what makes for "good food." Key findings emphasize that significant gaps in public understanding of CEA remain, that CEA products' success will depend on the ability of the industry to deliver on its environmental promises, and that concerns about "unnatural" aspects of CEA will need to be allayed. Given the price premium at which high-tech CEA products are currently sold, the industry's expansion will depend in large part on its ability to convince value-oriented food consumers that the products meet the triple-bottom-line of economic, social, and environmental sustainability goals.

Long-term effects of a single application of imidacloprid on ladybird beetle, Coccinella septempunctata L., were studied in indoor laboratory microcosms, starting with the 2nd instar larvae of C. septempunctata but covering the full life cycle. The microcosms comprised enclosures containing a pot with soil planted with broad bean plants and black bean aphid, Aphis craccivora Koch, as food. Exposure doses (0.85-13.66 g a.i. ha À 1 ) in the long-term microcosm experiment were based on a preliminary short-term (72 h) toxicity test with 2nd instar larvae. The measurement endpoints used to calculate NOERs (No Observed Effect application Rates) included development time, hatching, pupation, adult emergence, survival and number of eggs produced. Furthermore, for these endpoints ER 50 (application rate causing 50 percent effect) and LR 50 (application rate causing 50 percent mortality) values were calculated when possible. The single imidacloprid application affected survival (lowest LR 50 4.07 g a.i. ha À 1 ; NOER 3.42 g a.i. ha À 1 ), egg production (ER 50 26.63 g a.i. ha À 1 ) and egg hatching (NOER 6.83 g a.i. ha À 1 ). Statistically significant treatment-related effects on the whole development duration, pupation and adult emergence could not be demonstrated (NOER Z 13.66 g a.i. ha À 1 ). The lowest L(E)R 50 values and NOERs derived from the laboratory microcosm test with C. septempunctata are lower than the reported field application rates of imidacloprid (15-60 g a.i. ha À 1 ) in cotton cultivation in China, suggesting potential risks to beneficial arthropods.

Resumen. Se realizó un experimento para examinar los efectos de la calidad de luz sobre la calidad de la fruta en fresa (Fragaria sp cv. Chandler), establecida en invernadero. Se probaron cinco filtros de polipropileno de colores diferentes (rojo, amarillo, azul, verde, y transparente), con plantas sin cobertura como control. En los frutos se determinó el peso fresco y seco, longitud y ancho, sólidos solubles totales (SST), pH, acidez titulable (AT) e índice de madurez (IM). Todas las variables evaluadas fueron afectadas significativamente por los filtros espectrales, con excepción del pH del jugo. El crecimiento del fruto fue fuertemente influenciado por la cobertura verde. Bajo la cobertura amarilla las plantas incrementaron el peso fresco de los frutos y el IM. La cobertura azul redujo el contenido de SST en los frutos, así como el IM. La longitud y ancho de los frutos aumentaron con la cobertura roja. La cobertura transparente incrementó los SST y la AT. Para ciertas variables los resultados no fueron suficientemente concluyentes como para proponer este nuevo sistema de producción en el cultivo de fresa en los altiplanos tropicales; sin embargo, sería importante evaluar esta técnica de producción en regiones con mayor iluminación que la región donde se desarrolló este estudio.

For much of the twentieth century, plant physiologists considered themselves in an ideal position to study and explain the functions and processes of plants. Much of that authority stemmed from plant physiologists' long-standing commitment to experimental control and the integration of the physical sciences into biological practice. This article places plant physiology back in the center of the story of the recent life sciences. It shows the development of parallel experimental research programs into environmental as well as genetic effects on growth and development in plant physiology and genetics, and notes that the pursuit of an experimental environment was celebrated as much as (and occasionally more than) a molecular vision of life throughout most of the twentieth century by much of the plant science community. Thus, this article concludes that the history of the recent life sciences needs new complementary narratives of plant physiology with genetics, new concepts with technological tools, and plant-sized scales with the molecular. The history of the 'Age of Biology,' as the plant scientists saw it, helps confront the issue first posed by Evelyn Fox Keller, namely that the history of genetics has overshadowed a larger history of experimental life science. My answer here is through a larger narrative of the rise of the complementary experimental sciences of genes and environments in the life sciences.