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2011: Developing a Sustainable Specialty Crop Greenhouse Industry in the Northeast
Most experts consider year-round, soil-based greenhouse production of specialty crops in the northeastern United States impractical, due to high energy and labor costs. Researchers will develop optimization models for a year-round greenhouse operation growing more than 50 high-value specialty vegetables, identifying production and commercialization systems that maximize profits and minimize greenhouse gas emissions and energy use. The research will challenge accepted wisdom on agriculture in our region, potentially leading to a new sustainable greenhouse industry for the Northeast.
Investigators: Miguel Gomez, Huaizhu Gao, David de Villiers