Articles
Enhancing plant nursery production with totally controlled environment agriculture systems
Article number
1453_1
Pages
1 – 8
Language
English
Abstract
Traditional nursery production (greenhouses and open fields) and totally controlled environment agriculture (TCEA; vertical farms and plant factories) represent two fundamentally different approaches to seedling cultivation.
This review compares these systems across environmental control, space utilisation, seedling quality, resource efficiency, automation, and economic performance.
Evidence shows that TCEA maintains stable temperature and humidity, with CO2 enrichment up to ~800 µmol mol‑1 enhancing yields, and programmable LED spectra improving uniformity and reducing etiolation.
Vertical systems multiply productivity per surface unit, with reports of 6-20 stacked layers enabling up to 21-fold higher annual yields compared to open fields.
Seedling mortality, in some cases, is lower in TCEA (4.3 vs. 6.5% in greenhouses), while germination rates approach 95% under controlled chambers.
Water savings range from 28 to 95% compared to greenhouses and up to 99% versus open fields, although energy use NDASH where lighting alone accounts for 70-85% of the carbon footprint NDASH remains the critical constraint.
Economically, TCEA requires 5-10 times higher capital expenditure m‑2 than greenhouses, but automation reduces labour costs and supports high-value niche markets.
Case studies demonstrate that graft healing can be accelerated by 2-5 days, with uniformity gains reducing waste from 8 to 12 to 5%. Overall, hybrid systems combining TCEA and greenhouse practices appear the most promising route to balance quality, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness.
This review compares these systems across environmental control, space utilisation, seedling quality, resource efficiency, automation, and economic performance.
Evidence shows that TCEA maintains stable temperature and humidity, with CO2 enrichment up to ~800 µmol mol‑1 enhancing yields, and programmable LED spectra improving uniformity and reducing etiolation.
Vertical systems multiply productivity per surface unit, with reports of 6-20 stacked layers enabling up to 21-fold higher annual yields compared to open fields.
Seedling mortality, in some cases, is lower in TCEA (4.3 vs. 6.5% in greenhouses), while germination rates approach 95% under controlled chambers.
Water savings range from 28 to 95% compared to greenhouses and up to 99% versus open fields, although energy use NDASH where lighting alone accounts for 70-85% of the carbon footprint NDASH remains the critical constraint.
Economically, TCEA requires 5-10 times higher capital expenditure m‑2 than greenhouses, but automation reduces labour costs and supports high-value niche markets.
Case studies demonstrate that graft healing can be accelerated by 2-5 days, with uniformity gains reducing waste from 8 to 12 to 5%. Overall, hybrid systems combining TCEA and greenhouse practices appear the most promising route to balance quality, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness.
Authors
C.M. Profico, S. Nicola
Keywords
nursery production, TCEA, vertical farming, seedling quality, resource efficiency
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