Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) for High Quality Medicinal and Aromatic Plants

Dear Colleagues,

Plants of several species can be considered factories of bioactive substances, which can be of interest for application in nutritional supplements, nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics, in addition to their economic relevance. The compounds are produced through the secondary metabolism of plants, and growth conditions can trigger their production, reflecting the ability with which plants can face the constant change of the environment around them. However, the type and concentration of the bioactive compounds produced by a plant are influenced by a multitude of factors during growth. The most relevant are light irradiation, temperature, water, CO₂ and nutrient availability and soil characteristics. All these aspects variably affect the quality and quantity of the secondary metabolites, limiting the extensive exploitation until a high level of process standardization is achieved. Improving the productivity of medicinal and aromatic plants requires innovative solutions that increase yields and quality from greenhouse to indoor farming. Implementing cultivation in controlled conditions is a potential solution for ensuring the best growing conditions, where not only all the variables can be held for the optimal growing conditions, but also the plant metabolism can be forced and stressed to stimulate the biosynthesis of valuable compounds.

Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) is a technology-based approach to farming that protects crops from external conditions and maintains an optimal growth environment. CEA can enhance process standardization and then product quality, satisfying the industry demand for the processing, extraction, and exploitation of byproducts and end-products.

This Special Issue aims to publish articles improving our knowledge of how to enhance the content in bioactive substances through plant cultivation systems with CEA, from greenhouses to indoor farms. Investigations or reviews on soilless culture systems, bioreactors, hydroponics, aeroponics, fogponics and any other advanced and controlled system are welcome, unravelling the influences of light, nutrients, water, relative humidity, air or root temperature, CO₂, eustress, and elicitors on the bioactive compounds. Life cycle assessment (LCA), facility planning, and system efficiency evaluations will also be accepted.

Prof. Dr. Silvana Nicola
Dr. Saeid Hazrati
Guest Editors

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