US: Shafter Research Station equips state-of-the-art greenhouse with networked LED lights
Established in 1922 as the USDA Shafter Cotton Research Station, the site faced closure in 2012 when federal funds were withdrawn. A community of growers and elected officials rallied to save the site as a non-profit research facility. Today, Shafter Research remains a world-leading centre for cotton research. Scientists in residence investigate critical challenges facing cotton growers including long-term drought and the soil-borne pathogen FOV4. Now found only in California’s San Joaquin Valley, FOV4 poses a threat to the $25 billion US cotton industry should it spread.
Since the change in leadership from the US government to a public-private partnership, a broader scope of research is underway at the 80-acre Shafter facility. This reflects the diversification of crops grown in the region, including carrots, cucumbers, grapes, squash, tomatoes and zucchini. Shafter Research is also the site of studies on honeybee health, of tremendous significance to the region’s almond growers as well as cross-pollinating crop producers around the globe.
Leading agricultural institutions and agribusinesses lease space at the Shafter Research, attracted by technologies like the LumiGrow LED light system. The LumiGrow solution enables the customization of greenhouse lighting based on factors including region, climate, crop type and desired crop characteristics. By tuning light levels and spectra in accordance with plant needs, greenhouse operators boost crop yield and quality while they gain electrical cost savings of up to 70 percent compared to conventional greenhouse lighting.
Reflecting on his family’s 100-year legacy of farming in the valley, Greg Palla, executive vice president and general manager of the San Joaquin Valley Quality Cotton Growers Association, said, “My father’s generation understood that if you are efficient with your resources they will sustain you. Technologies and practices must evolve along with our understanding of natural systems. Our decision to replace energy-wasting greenhouse lights with the energy-efficient LumiGrow LED system demonstrates our ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship.”
“We’re pleased that LumiGrow technology has been selected by Shafter Research to further the efforts of scientists working on sustainable agricultural research and production methods,” said Dr. Melanie Yelton, director of research, LumiGrow.
For more information
Shafter Research Station
T: (661) 237-0900
www.shafter-research.com
LumiGrow, Inc.
Caroline Nordahl Wells
T: (800) 514-0487 ext. 102
caroline@lumigrow.com
www.lumigrow.com