b"regional supply chains, Puri says.new powdery mildew resistant variety And greenhouse systems offer com- specifically for greenhouses when we can plete control of the growing environment,manage that effectively with climate con-something that cant be replicated out- trol and sanitation, Giacomelli says. side but could inspire innovation. Giacomelli is most excited about the Puri believes that achieving sustaina- potential for plant advances in flavor and bility in traditional agriculture is a complexnutrition.challenge that involves numerous eco- Those traits are a challenge for breed-nomic, social and environmental factors,ers to focus on for outdoor varieties, but that focusing on soil health, waterbecause of plant health and transporta-management, and biodiversity are key,tion concerns. But with greenhouse pro-while working to minimize air and waterduction, taste and nutrient improvements pollution. are where the value is, Giacomelli says, adding with a laugh that figuring out how Sustainable Success to get strawberry varieties that produce As we look to increase food production10 times as much fruit per plant would be in the face of climate change, indoora nice benefit, too.agriculture is here to stay. Its up to ourGene Giacomelli serves as biosystems education systems, investments, andengineering professor at the University ofEducation Efforts imaginations to determine what role it willArizona. The future of sustainable agriculture lies play in the coming decades.in encouraging the next generation. Giacomelli says the majority of newIf we can achieve effectively thatWe need the next generation of greenhouse growers are coming fromas we look to the future, and can co- graduates to understand both the biology outside the agriculture industry, and hedproduce food as well as the power in theand engineering of growing in controlled like to see multi-generational open-fieldsame footprint, there are great opportuni- environments, Kacira says. farming families begin to invest in green- ties there for innovative, integrated andThe average age of a U.S. farmer is house training as well. sustainable food production systems,58, Barto says. It's obvious that we have They can start with a small green- Kacira says.to get more students involved with grow-house and begin to produce in the off- ing food.season, and pretty soon, they may see 10Seeds are the Start There is a lot of ground to cover to fill times the production in that greenhouseBreeding research could be a next stepthe needs of an expanding industry in the as in the field, and thats when they canin the greenhouse industry as currentface of the growing need for sustainable begin to think about transitioning theirefforts are largely geared toward fieldfood production, but Giacomelli is hope-field crops, he says.agriculture since most crops are primarilyful. When thinking outside the box, thegrown outdoors. Many of our universities did away with possibilities truly begin to open up. However, Jenn Frymark, chief green- their greenhouse and hydroponics pro-Researchers have been working tohouse officer for Gotham Greens, saysgrams when biotechnology really started improve the energy-efficiency of green- seed companies are starting to focusto expand in the 70s, and were just now houses by integrating photovoltaicsbreeding efforts on controlled environ- seeing those programs come back, he technology to greenhouses, specificallyment agriculture as indoor agriculturesays. semi-transparent panels or films that stillbecomes a larger purchaser of seeds.Of course, some crops just dont allow optimal light levels to pass throughIndoor producers, both greenhousebelong indoors, no matter how far out-to the plants below. and vertical farms, use field lettuce seedside of the box a grower is willing to go.There is a promising future withvarieties. Breeders have been askingWe will never grow corn or soybeans semitransparent and wavelength selectiveproducers to try popular field varieties ason the earth in a vertical farm, Giacomelli photovoltaics integrated to greenhouseswell as older varieties that may have beensays. Theres just no need to, but in a as covering materials, that can provideruled out by field growers but that couldfew generations, maybe we could stop the light levels and spectrum that will nothave appealing traits for indoor growers,growing lettuce on the best farmland significantly affect yields while still beingFrymark says.because weve moved that production able to produce the energy to be used byCommon varietal concerns such asinside. Then we could maybe use that the production system in the greenhouse,powdery mildew, blossom end rot, edemaland for something even more valuable, something that we have been researchingand other issues are not as much of aor perhaps something protein-rich. I think at the UA-CEAC Kacira says. focus in choosing seeds to use in high- thats where well see sustainable change Theres a balance between the amounttech greenhouse production. over time.SWof electricity the cells generate and theI wouldnt want to see a breeder light they allow to pass through. spend the money to develop a brand-62/ SEEDWORLD.COMSEPTEMBER 2020"