Controlled Environment Agriculture

Controlled environment agriculture (CEA)/greenhouse vegetable production is one of the most exacting and intense forms of all agricultural enterprises. In combination with greenhouses, hydroponics or soilless cultivation is becoming increasingly popular. It is high technology and can be capital intensive. CEA is highly productive, conservative of water and land and protective of the environment. There are many types of CEA systems. Not every system is cost effective in each location. While the techniques of hydroponic culture in the tropics may be quite similar to those used in deserts and temperate regions of the world, the greenhouse structures and methods of environmental control can differ greatly. Computers today operate hundreds of devices within a greenhouse by utilizing dozens of input parameters to maintain the most desired growing environment. The technology of controlled environment agriculture is changing rapidly with systems today producing yields never before realized.