Sustainable Greenhouse Systems and Controlled Environment Agriculture

Dear Colleagues,

Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) has gained prominence in global food systems as a result of increasing global food demand. Additionally, global warming and climate change have necessitated the use of CEA worldwide to meet food demand. The use of CEA encourages the introduction of diverse crops that would otherwise not grow well in their new environments. However, the challenges in many places include technological know-how, production operation, and maintenance skills. For instance, practices such as the use of hydroponics and other soilless media, pests and disease management, and waste management require specialized skills to achieve sustainability and economic benefits. Another critical consideration is the judicious use of biomass and agrochemical inputs, i.e., biostimulants, fertilizers, compost, and pesticides to minimize chemical residues on plants, food and air; and the use of smart structural and climate control technologies that will significantly reduce environmental impact. 

This issue can be related to many other studies (e.g., Mesa-Vazquez et al., 2020; Fatima et al., 2021; Khapte et al., 2021; Rocha et al., 2021). Sustainable greenhouse systems and controlled environment agriculture can be promoted through research and appropriate technology transfer. These will help promote sustainable controlled environment food production, and reduction of chemical residues on food and environment. I would like to invite you to contribute your manuscripts to this field of work for publication in MDPI Sustainability (Special Issue: Greenhouse Systems and Controlled Environment Agriculture).

Dr. Lord Abbey
Chief Guest Editor

Dr. Chijioke Emenike
Dr. Ahmad Al-Mallahi
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2400 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.

• greenhouse sustainable structures
• growing media
• biomass
• biostimulant
• fertilization
• lighting
• hydroponics
• aeroponics
• sensing
• control
• waste management