Editorial: Current and future perspectives for controlled environment agriculture (CEA) in the 21st century

Abstract

<p>Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) is the production of crops under protected environments by optimizing climate and inputs (water, feed, chemicals, energy, labor, etc.). The aim is to maximize crop quality and quantity, extend the growing season and reduce inputs. However, with increasing costs of energy, labour, and consumables, major concerns in the 21st century exist around the sustainability of CEA. Fortunately, decades of innovation made by pioneers in areas such as breeding, greenhouse infrastructure, energy, computer science and more, have created the potential capacity to address these issues directly. In this Research Topic, we delve into the fascinating and dynamic world of CEA research and explore the latest research and innovative approaches that offer promise for improving sustainability features of CEA. Towards that aim, this Research Topic invited manuscripts focusing on multi-disciplinary approaches and novel technologies of CEA, summing up to five original research articles. The papers represent an eclectic mix that demonstrates the range of research aspects on CEA such as optimising environment (light quality, quantity, etc.), optimising crop growth strategies (indoor pest control) and the application of AI and computing technologies along with sensor development.</p>

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