Objective(s):
The Lecturer is Dr. Raymond Wheeler, lead, NASA Advanced Life Support Biomass Production Element, Kennedy Space Center. Dr. Wheeler is the foremost expert on the history of space horticulture and because of him significant strides have been made in controlled-environment horticulture. He has done extensive research on lighting, specifically looking at LED lights and increasing the efficiency of crop production. He has also looked at how space-based horticultural research can be applied to Earth-based agriculture. His title and abstract: Horticulture for Space: A Classic Exercise in Controlled Environment Research Studies of crop responses to environmental factors have often used greenhouses or controlled environment chambers. This approach goes back more than a century, with testing in plant growth chambers expanding following development of electric lamps. Yet getting meaningful data from controlled environments requires a disciplined and careful approach to avoid spurious results. Some universities have developed specific courses in controlled environment research to teach students proper approaches for this type of research. This needs to continue, particularly as opportunities for controlled environment agriculture continue to expand.