OSU Lettuce Transplant: Prepping for the Inaugural CEA Leafy Crops Event
February 3, 2025 In the far back greenhouse of Ohio State University’s (OSU) Controlled Environment Agriculture and Research Complex (CEARC), graduate students are growing 10 leafy green varieties for the inaugural CEA Leafy Crops Event on Feb. 28. Originally seeded the second week of January, students will harvest the crops at different times to give attendees a full view of their developmental stages.
“We’re off-setting the planting dates by a week for each different cultivar,” says Katie Fulcher, horticulture and crop science graduate student at OSU. “So when it comes time for the tours, we’ll have a good visual of mature plants all the way from seedling to their full growth stage.”
The leafy crops are growing in two pond recirculating systems. Students planted the first round of seedlings in one pond on Jan. 31. Once each crop variety reaches a certain growth stage for the tour, students will transport them to the second pond.
A perforated Styrofoam tray sits on the surface of the pond, with leafy green crops filling each hole. The plants’ roots grow through the hole and into the water solution while getting air through vertical airflow fans (VAFs) overhead.
To prepare for the inaugural CEA Leafy Crops Event at OSU, graduate student started planting leafy crops in two recirculating pond systems. | Photo: CFAES
Recognizing the Need for Leafy Greens
The Ohio Controlled Environment Agriculture Center (OHCEAC) Director Chieri Kubota, Ph.D., hopes this event will bring leafy greens growers together.
“For the past 20 years, the U.S. has led the industry in leafy crops,” Dr. Kubota says. “This is the first event like this in the industry, and I hope all experts will join the discussion to support new companies in leafy greens.”
Carly Becker, program coordinator for OHCEAC, adds, “Since leafy greens make up such a significant part of the industry, hosting an event like this in the U.S. is essential. It provides a valuable opportunity for people to connect, ask questions, and learn—especially those currently growing or looking to start. The CEARC greenhouse offers insight into what CEA leafy green production looks like at an industrial level, albeit on a much smaller scale, which makes for a uniquely valuable learning experience at OSU.”