Introduction to Controlled Environment Αgriculture (CEA): principles, techniques and innovations

Course Description

This learning unit (LU) aims to provide the student with an overview of the development of controlled environment agriculture. It covers the principles about how the plant grows in the controlled environment, the techniques that are commonly used for controlled environment agriculture, and the innovations in both technologies and business models.

Learning outcomes

After the completion of the LU you should be able to have the following learning outcomes

Knowledge

• recognize the key factors and how they can affect the plant growing,
• identify the basic elements in a controlled environment farm,
• describe the advantages and disadvantages of controlled environment agriculture
• name the technologies used for controlled environment agriculture,
• describe the market of controlled environment agriculture.

Skills

• develop plant growing procedure,
• analyze the energy balance for controlled environment agriculture
• select the technologies for controlling the environment in controlled environment farms,
• select plants that are appropriate for controlled environment agriculture.

Competences

• evaluate the cost of the environmental control agriculture
• design and operate a controlled environment farm,
• support the related decision process.