1st Place Sweet basil is sensitive to chilling temperatures, posing challenges in transportation logistics and supermarket display arrangements. While most fresh vegetables require low temperatures during transportation and storage, basil cannot withstand such conditions and has to be handled separately. To address this global concern, this poster presents recommendations for enhancing chilling injury tolerance based on findings from the experiments we conducted involving various preharvest treatments. |
2nd Place The majority of the heating and electricity requirements for greenhouses at present are satisfied by boilers and CHP systems, which utilize an extensive amount of natural gas. Although renewable energy sources like wind and solar provide alternatives, they frequently fall short of completely addressing Greenhouse requirements. By significantly reducing dependency on carbon-intensive fuels, Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), with their dependable and scalable design, not only facilitate the shift to carbon-negative greenhouse operations but also consistently provide carbon-free energy. |
3rd Place In this study, we investigated the effects of various soil pathogen (nematode and fungi)treatments on apricot growth and physiological parameters in a greenhouse setting over a 2 years of period (2022-2023). Results showed that control plants consistently had greater plant health condition compared to those treated with nematodes and/or fungi. The combination of both pathogens resulted in the greatest reduction in height, indicating a synergistic negative effect. |
4th Place Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) can provide a solution to disease and drought experienced in open-field mint (Mentha spp.) cultivation. Lighting is essential and can be manipulated in CEA to optimize mint growth and production of its highly valued essential oil. This poster presents our research results and recommendations on how to use light intensity in biomass and essential oil production of the economically important species, spearmint (Mentha spicata), in CEA. |