U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
                    Here's how you know **Official websites use .gov**
                            
                            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                            
                            A **lock** (                            
                              A locked padlock                                                      
                            
                            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Menu Agricultural Research Service
						
                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 Application Technology Research: Wooster, OH
 close



    Research

                    Research Projects
                                    Publications
                                    Collaborations
                                    News
                                    Software
                People

                    Staff Listing
                                    Careers


        


                    Departments
                        Agricultural Engineering
                                    Entomology
                                    Horticulture
                                    Plant Pathology
                                    IR-4 programSearch small
                    Search
            
            ARS Home
                                About ARS
                                Contact Us




ARS Home Midwest Area Wooster, Ohio Application Technology Research Research





- Altland, James
- Crop Protection & Quarantine (304)
- Crop Production (305)

Research Project: **Location:
                            Application Technology Research** Project Number: 5082-21000-001-078-S
                        
                        Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement Start Date: Sep 1, 2023
                        
                        End Date: Aug 31, 2028 **Objective:**
                        
                        (1)	To optimize conditions and facilitate grower adoption of vertical indoor propagation (VIP) for propagating cuttings and seedlings under sole-source LED lighting in controlled growth rooms.
(2)	To quantify evapotranspiration (ET) of transplants in order to facilitate grower adoption of climate-based mist irrigation and climate sensors to match irrigation with plant needs and thereby conserve water and improve plant rooting performance. **Approach:**
                        
                        (1)	Vertical Indoor Propagation:
•	Design prototypes for irrigation mist application and humidification for tightly-spaced shelves in VIP rooms, and test prototype mist and humidification equipment and controls in a commercial setting.
•	Run experiments under a range of set conditions [varying light intensity, air movement, and vapor-pressure deficit (VPD)] to quantify their effect on ET and plant growth, in order to refine control algorithms for mist and humidification.
•	Compare ET and plant performance in VIP versus greenhouse conditions.
•	Assist growers with design and implementation of commercial-scale VIP rooms.
(2)	Greenhouse evapotranspiration:
•	Test infrared temperature sensors for quantifying soil/leaf temperature in research and commercial greenhouses, and benchmark leaf VPD and other climate parameters.
•	Identify a process to summarize climate based on key performance indicators and benchmarks.
•	Use load cells to quantify ET in propagation trays.
•	Model ET in response to climate and identify the minimum reliable set of sensors for commercial application to accurately predict ET.
•	Develop control algorithms for misting, and a process for auto-calibration of these algorithms in different greenhouse locations.


Return to top


Connect with ARS Sign up


ARS Home
                            USDA.gov
                            Plain Writing
                            Policies & Links
                            Civil Rights Statements
                            FOIA
                            Accessibility Statement
                            Privacy Policy
                            Non-Discrimination Statement
                            Quality of Information
                            USA.gov
                            WhiteHouse.gov