Files
Abstract
Climate change is projected to increase the frequency of extreme weather events in the coming decades, posing a serious threat to current agricultural practices. Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) provides one solution to this pressing issue. The use of hydroponics in CEA tends to be costly, therefore, minimizing inputs while preserving yields is essential for successfully implementing this technology. This document describes the results of three experiments that explored strategies to reduce water, energy, and growing area use while preserving yields for three commonly grown hydroponic crops: arugula (Eruca sativa), lettuce (Lactuca sativa), and strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa). We found that strawberries are grown most optimally in substrate systems, arugula in aeroponics, and lettuce in deep water culture. We also found that using sensors to automate fertigation in hydroponic strawberry production produces yields and uses resources similarly to the commonly used leaching fraction fertigation strategy.