Looking Back on the Exclusive Pre-Event Tour of N.C. State’s Plant Science Initiative and Phytotron
September 4, 2024 On August 26, 2024, the day before the inaugural CEAg World Conference and Expo began, more than 60 registrants attended a pre-event tour of the N.C. State Plant Science Initiative (PSI) building and Phytotron, a facility made for growing plants under precise environmental conditions. During the tour, they got to see how North Carolina State University will prepare the next generation of CEA professionals first-hand.
Dr. Ricardo Hernandez leading a tour of the N.C. State PSI building.
Setting the Scene
Once tour attendees arrived on N.C. State’s campus, they heard from professors and faculty members about the university’s CEA courses. They also learned about the CEA Coalition, a research group based out of N.C. State that aims to make the industry more sustainable. Executive Director Adrian Percy, Associate Professor Ricardo Hernandez, Ph.D., and Dean of Agriculture and Life Sciences Garey Fox said a few words before the tour started.
During his speech, Dr. Hernandez explained how having access to the Phytotron, PSI facility, the Horticultural Science Greenhouses, and 18 research stations across the state will help the CEA Coalition solve major problems in the industry. Both N.C. State’s academic courses in CEA and the CEA Coalition have made the university a valuable partner for CEAg World.
“N.C. State is advancing CEA with their innovative PSI platform, bringing together experts from all disciplines at the university to solve complex problems in the industry,” said Lauren Lewis, corporate director of events at Meister Media Worldwide. “The CEA coalition is doing great work to make controlled environment production more profitable and feasible for growers. We’re proud to call them our collaborators and look forward to strengthening our partnership.”
After getting a bit of background about N.C. State’s CEA programs and the CEA Coalition, attendees were split into two groups to tour the PSI building and Phytotron.
Plants growing in one of the Phytotron greenhouses.
Touring the Old and the New
N.C. State recently renovated the PSI building in 2022, and it holds state-of-the art equipment for plant science research. Centered around bringing industry professionals and academics together, the building has partner labs, walk-in growth chambers, and a 10,000-square-foot rooftop greenhouse.
The rooftop greenhouse is painted white to reflect light and reduce internal temperature. But even so, it is extremely bright on sunny days. Considering the tour took place in August during peak daylight hours, Dr. Hernandez encouraged attendees to wear sunglasses, which were provided at the greenhouse entrance.
While half the attendees toured the PSI, the other half toured the Phytotron, which has been on campus since 1968. “First you got to see the new, and now you get to see the old,” Carole Saravitz, Ph.D., director of the Phytotron, said to the second group touring the Phytotron.
While the Phytotron has been on campus for decades, the technology inside has advanced significantly since. In fact, it houses more than 70 growth chambers, four greenhouses (with air conditioning), and a biocontainment lab. All environmental factors are controlled in the Phytotron, including temperature, day length, CO₂, water, and nutrients.
Both tour guides, Dr. Saravitz and Phytotron Research Coordinator Deepti Pradhan, Ph.D., gave a thorough walkthrough of the facility and showed attendees the research being done there. They got to see peach trees growing in a growth chamber, flowers, leafy greens, and more. There was even a cocao tree growing in one of the greenhouses.
Attendees mingling at the welcome Happy Hour.
Kicking Off the Conference in Style
Once the tour ended, attendees headed back to the Raleigh Convention Center, where the CEAg World Conference and Expo would commence the following day. But the pre-event festivities didn’t end there. CEAg World invited all speakers, exhibitors and registrants to attend a networking Happy Hour from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Industry professionals that attended were able to meet, connect, and toast to an exciting two days of learning and networking ahead.