Controlled Environment Engineering (CEE) Lab

CEE Lab at UC Davis, has received funding to advance precision nutrient management in hydroponic cultivation, aiming to improve water and nutrient use efficiency while reducing environmental impacts. This project will assess hydroponic discharge, develop an autonomous ion-based nutrient management system, and conduct a techno-economic and life-cycle analysis. The research outcomes will contribute to sustainable controlled environment agriculture by enhancing profitability and mitigating nutrient-related environmental challenges.

Here is the link for funding announcement:

Our project activities are featured in the colleague of engineering annual magazine “Engineering Progress”.

Here is the link for details about the report 

https://engineering.ucdavis.edu/engineering-progress/rooted-in-change

This project aims to address the humidity and temperature regulation challenges in enclosed indoor farming facilities, known for high energy consumption, by utilizing a high-efficiency heat pump-powered solid desiccant dehumidification system and an indirect evaporative cooling system. The system’s performance will be evaluated in the Controlled Environment Engineering Lab at UC Davis, and a model will be developed to project system performance under different operating and climate conditions.

https://apnews.com/article/climate-greenhouse-heat-effects-research-ad6ea22b9b74dcc42f7e96107b400820 

In this project, the organization will provide technical assistance for on-farm support to evaluate the irrigation or fertigation system efficiency and provide the recommended measure to increase the water and nutrient use efficiency, including techniques for water recycling systems with precision monitoring and management of water and nutrient. The organization will also provide in-person and virtual training about efficient water and nutrient management for controlled environment agricultural producers.

We are delighted to announce that our laboratory has been awarded a grant by the California Department of Food and Agriculture. This grant is aimed at bolstering the nursery greenhouse industry's efforts to mitigate its environmental footprint during production. Our collaborative initiative involves partnering with nursery greenhouse growers to explore and implement sustainable, climate-smart practices.

https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/planning/

Greenhouse crop production has attracted more people recently as a climate-smart solution for growing year-round. In this project, Assistant Professor Md Shamim Ahamed from the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering and the team will investigate the proof-of-concept for designing a novel climate-smart PV screen for greenhouse integration to replace conventional shade screens. The proposed project will analyze the synergies with climate-smart PV screens to reduce energy and water demand and maximize power conversion efficiency without impacting yield.

Our project focuses on agricultural decarbonization through smart PV integration in greenhouses. I can't wait to explore how we can reduce the carbon footprint of greenhouse crop production. I will collaborate with @Yi Liu from Berkeley Lab and other collaborators for this project.

https://research.ucdavis.edu/uc-davis-and-lawrence-berkeley-national-la…

Dr. Ahamed is selected as one of the Hellman Fellows for 2023! This program supports our concept to develop an innovative approach to energy harvesting in indoor vertical farming, which will greatly boost the sustainability of this agricultural method.

https://www.ucdavis.edu/news/ag-animals-art-new-hellman-fellows-study-b…

We are happy to share the funding announcement from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for our project approval under US-Egypt Collaborative Research Grants. We will work on a Novel Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem Mini-complex with a Renewable Energy Aquaponic- Desalination System.

Our team will work with the Egyptian Collaborator for a renewable power aquaponic greenhouse integrated with a desalination system.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772375522000454

https://www.mdpi.com/books/book/5912

https://ece.ucdavis.edu/news/improving-agricultural-production-slowing-…

https://bae.ucdavis.edu/news/md-shamim-ahamed-engineering-farming-indoo…