What Does Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Mean?
Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) is the process of growing plants inside a greenhouse or growroom. The controlled environment allows the grower to maintain the proper light, carbon dioxide, temperature, humidity, water, pH levels, and nutrients to produce crops year-round.
In many cases, hydroponic growing systems are used for controlled environment agriculture to ensure that the plants receive optimal nutrients and water needed to produce an ample crop.
The entire process of controlled environment agriculture focuses on making the most of space, labor, water, energy, nutrients, and capital to operate while still producing a bountiful harvest.
Maximum Yield Explains Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA)
Controlled environment agriculture allows a grower to reduce the incidences of pests or disease, increase overall efficiency, save resources, and even recycle things such as water or nutrients.
Using artificial lighting also increases crop production and allows many plants to be grown and produce year round by creating an optimum 12-month growing season.
Researchers frequently use controlled environment agriculture facilities to isolate specific plants and study their production in a maintained setting. In such an area all aspects, that affect the growth of a plant can be monitored so that precise data may be collected for scientific study.
There are universities around the world that offer courses in CEA best practices.
Sometimes CEA is referred to as indoor gardening, indoor farming, vertical farming, and so on.
