Takeaways from the CEA Leafy Crops Event at OSU

Kristin Zeit By Kristin Zeit|March 4, 2025

The Ohio Controlled Environment Agriculture Center (OHCEAC) at the Ohio State University held a full-day “CEA Leafy Crops Event” on Feb. 28 in conjunction with agriculture consultancy Delphy B.V. The educational event took place in Columbus, Ohio, at the university’s Controlled Environment Agriculture Research Complex (CEARC) and was livestreamed for online registrants.

0 of 4
  • 1 of 4

    During the CEARC tours, attendees could touch, taste, and smell the leafy greens growing in two recirculating pond systems.

    During the CEARC tours, attendees could touch, taste, and smell the leafy greens growing in two recirculating pond systems.
  • 2 of 4

    Several varieties of leafy greens were on display during the CEARC tours.

    Several varieties of leafy greens were on display during the CEARC tours.
  • 3 of 4

    Basil was one of the leafy greens varieties growing in the two recirculating ponds.

    Basil was one of the leafy greens varieties growing in the two recirculating ponds.
  • 4 of 4

    Students at the OHCEAC planted and harvested the crops strategically, giving event attendees a full view of leafy greens in their different developmental stages.

    Students at the OHCEAC planted and harvested the crops strategically, giving event attendees a full view of leafy greens in their different developmental stages.
Advertisement

“For the past 20 years, the U.S. has led the industry in leafy crops,” said OHCEAC Director Chieri Kubota, Ph.D., in a conversation with CEAg World’s Dana Shugrue last month. “This is the first event like this in the industry.”

Back-to-back sessions on key topics—lighting, pathogens, food safety, production systems, and more—kept the focus tightly on leafy greens production under cover. The gathering of growers, researchers, consultants, and suppliers to the industry asked targeted questions and shared perspectives freely.

Participants also engaged in small-group, open-ended discussions on substrates, sustainability, cultivars, and challenges in leafy greens production. As the day wound down, those of us on-site were invited to tour different areas of the CEARC, including zones for a strawberry benchmarking study and a deep water culture study for lettuces. One portion of the complex, sponsored by seed company Enza Zaden, featured a wide variety of leafy green cultivars that participants could see, smell, and taste in the moment.

A few of the takeaways from the day included:

Top Articles
  • Research on LED lighting from Delphy demonstrates that extending photoperiods to up to 20 hours (allowing for only four hours of darkness) improved light use efficiency by 15-20%, even during the summer.
  • The pathogen Pythium is relentless in its pursuit of roots and is a pervasive threat to hydroponic crops. Treatment such as biological controls work best in combination and some studies show that lowering pH can keep Pythium from reaching root systems.
  • The barriers to growing spinach in CEA are numerous and frustrating. Workarounds exist, but many growers in our small-group discussion found them to be short-lived and the crop not worth the investment. Others will soldier on!

And for more information from some of the speakers, check out the following resources:

1

Kristin Zeit is the Content Lead for CEAg World. See all author stories here.