Jump to navigation

The University of Arizona Wordmark Line Logo White
Home
  • BE Facebook
  • BE Twitter
  • College of Agriculture & Life Sciences
  • College of Engineering
  • Undergraduate
    • Biosystems Engineering, BS
    • Biosystems Analytics & Technology, BS
    • Pre-Health Track
    • Admissions
    • Academic Program Assessment
    • Course Descriptions
    • Funding Opportunities
    • Graduation Requirements
    • Student Organizations
    • Job Opportunities
    • Transfer Credit
    • Resources For Students
  • Graduate
    • Biosystems Engineering, MS & PhD
    • Biosystems Analytics & Technology, MS & PhD
    • Course Descriptions
    • Admissions
    • Job Opportunities
    • Grad Research Features
    • Funding Opportunities
    • Student Organizations
    • Resources for Students
  • People
  • Research
    • Biometry & Biosystems Informatics
    • Controlled Environment Agriculture
    • Food, Bioproducts, & Renewable Energy
    • Precision Agriculture
    • Water Resources
  • Extension
    • Controlled Environment Agriculture
    • Precision & Mechanized Ag
    • Water Resources
  • Department
    • About
    • History of BE
    • Facilities
    • Shantz 440
    • Business Center
    • Employees
    • Origins and Destinations
    • New Faculty Resources
    • Faculty Teaching Resources
  • Support BE
  1. Home
  2. Research
  3. Controlled Environment Agriculture

Controlled Environment Agriculture

By 2050, it is estimated that there will be nine billion people on Earth. New technologies will be needed to feed the world’s population, and to grow food in outer space. Climate change adds to the pressure of food scarcity. Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) uses technology to enable growers to manipulate a crop’s environment to desired conditions. Greenhouses, aquaculture, hydroponics, and aquaculture are all examples of controlled environment agriculture. The Controlled Environment Agriculture Center (CEAC) within the BE department has the potential, with the support of CALS and UA mechanisms, for developing self-support to expand to meet the demands.
See an online booklet of what we do at the CEAC here or watch the interactive video below.

For a full list of CEAC faculty, staff and collaborators, visit CEAC's directory

. Click to Enlarge        Click to EnlargeBreak.png

Faculty with CEA Research components:

Person Joel Cuello.jpg Person Giacomelli.jpg Person  Kacira.jpg  
Dr. Joel Cuello Dr. Gene Giacomelli Dr. Murat Kacira  

Break.png

Plants will speak to you once you embrace technology and listen to the data.  The mission of the Advanced Sensing & Climate Control Lab for Sustainable CEA Systems develops resource use efficient CEA systems with computer vision guided real time crop growth monitoring systems.  Harnessing this technology makes for timely identification of crop health and status, to improve resource use efficiency. 

read more.png

Centered on using plants to sustain a diet for astronauts, the Mar's Lunar Greenhouse employs plants and crop production for food, air revitalization, water recycling, and waste recycling for the crew.   Fulfilling the requirements for of space colonization, the M-LGH aims to deliver a sustained human presence in space and aspires to bring practical commerical-ready technology to Earth's CEA forefront.

read more.png

This student-designed, and mostly student-run, controlled-environment facility is the first rooftop campus greenhouse in the nation that can produce food year-round, with 10 times the productivity of an outdoor garden. Twice a week on the roof of the student union, UA students and future commercial growers harvest cucumbers, tomatoes and bell peppers from the Rooftop Greenhouse and send the vegetables down to the Campus Pantry.

read more.png

Nav Uag Farm.png

The UAgFarm facility was developed for engineering and science based research to address challenges and help advancing technology and crop production applications with indoor growing under artificial lighting, to provide experiential educational opportunities for students, and to educate and inform growers and public on indoor growing systems.

 

read more.png

Our Vertical Green Box solution, aka the minimally structured, modular and prefabricated Vertical Farm, is specifically designed to usher in the transformative paradigm of the Vertical Farm that is sustainable -- economically, environmentally and socially. 

read more.png


 

Research

  • Biometry & Biosystems Informatics
  • Controlled Environment Agriculture
    • Advanced Sensing & Climate Control Lab
    • Prototype Mars-Lunar Greenhouse (LGH)
    • UAg Vertical Farm
    • Vertical Green Box
  • Food, Bioproducts, & Renewable Energy
  • Precision Agriculture
  • Water Resources

1177 E. 4th Street, Shantz Building, Room 403, Tucson, AZ, USA 85721-0038 be-info@arizona.edu (520) 621-3691



We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples. Today, Arizona is home to 22 federally recognized tribes, with Tucson being home to the O’odham and the Yaqui. Committed to diversity and inclusion, the University strives to build sustainable relationships with sovereign Native Nations and Indigenous communities through education offerings, partnerships, and community service.

User login

  • Request new password

University Privacy Statement

© 2023 The Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of The University of Arizona.