Towards Sustainability of Controlled Environment Agriculture: Vertical Farms vs. Greenhouses—2nd Edition
A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Horticultural and Floricultural Crops".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2026 | Viewed by 6
Special Issue Editors
Interests: greenhouse materials and environment; Chinese solar greenhouse structure; energy-efficient technology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: facility-mechanization equipment engineering; facility-gardening environmental engineering; soilless cultivation technology and equipment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Following the success of our first Special Issue of Agronomy, titled “Towards Sustainability of Controlled Environment Agriculture: Vertical Farms vs. Greenhouses”, the Editorial Office is pleased to launch a second edition.
In the modern day, the escalating demand for food and agricultural products necessitates innovative solutions through controlled environment agriculture. This Special Issue is dedicated to exploring the sustainability aspects of controlled environment agriculture, specifically focusing on the benefits and potential enhancements of vertical farming and greenhouses within sustainable agriculture frameworks. It will examine the role and impact of low-carbon, energy-efficient technologies in crop production systems, including next-generation energy management, waste-heat recovery, and solar-energy applications. Additionally, it will delve into the application of automation systems, robotics and intelligent equipment in planting, harvesting and processing processes, along with advancements in infrastructure design, including materials for covering and shading. Moreover, the Issue will cover the significance of intelligent data capture, environmental management and the refinement of control strategies within these production systems, particularly highlighting the latest developments in LED lighting technology, smart irrigation systems and integrated water and nutrient management.
We invite original research articles addressing these topics, which should illuminate theoretical approaches, technological and equipment innovations, empirical studies and models of the physical and/or biological processes involved, along with interdisciplinary insights. Reviews that delve into the latest technological advancements within this domain are also within the scope of this Issue.
Prof. Dr. Shumei Zhao
Prof. Dr. Weitang Song
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agronomy is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- vertical farms
- greenhouses
- sustainability
- intelligent agriculture
- low-carbon technologies
- facility management
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