Gene A Giacomelli

Abstract:

The porous tube is a nutrient delivery system that was developed to grow plants in microgravity. Most of the research studies with the porous tubes have been completed with lettuce, radish, wheat and sweet potato. The NJ-NSCORT at Rutgers University has focused on root crops and fruiting plants which can be grown on the porous tube. Carrots were grown to maturity on the porous tube with support methods tested to increase yields. Strawberry plants and fruit were also grown on the porous tube from the successful establishment of transplanted runners, but with marginally successful seed germination.

Abstract:

A procedure for studying the profitability of greenhouse potted plant production systems subject to resource constraints was developed. The constrained condition and resources were the crop production schedule, greenhouse space, labor, and budget. A database containing the information for determining the required resources and operating costs for growing various crops was established. The database also provides the estimated revenue from sales of the crops, on a per pot basis. An algorithm was developed to determine first the feasibility of a given production plan and then determine the quantities of crops to be grown in order to yield an optimum profit. The result of this algorithm may serve to optimize allocation of resources for year-round production. The algorithm along with the crop database was incorporated into a user-friendly micro-computer program.

PMID: 11541581;Abstract:

A plant growth chamber equipped with a machine vision (MV) system was developed for the continuous, non-contact sampling and near-real-time evaluation of the top projected leaf area (TPLA) of lettuce (Lactuca sativa, cv. Ostinata) seedlings. A rotary table enabled automatic, individual presentation of the lettuce plants to the imaging system. Hourly measurements were continuously made for 16 plants from the first true leaf stage through 30 days from seeding. A near-infrared radiation source illuminated the plants during the dark period, permitting measurements without interrupting the 12 hour photoperiod. Daily minimum hourly change of TPLA for the plants occurred from 3 to 4 hours after the start of the light period. Most rapid increase in TPLA occurred from 4 to 5 hours after the onset of the dark period. The machine vision system was capable of determining a plant physiological response to the nutrient stress within 24 hours of the change of the nutrient regime.

Abstract:

Microcomputer software was developed to provide decision support information for design and operation of a rhizofiltration system, a phytoremediation based technology utilizing plant roots to remove heavy metals and radionuclides from contaminated waters. A Michaelis-Menton based model was developed and incorporated into a series of algorithms which process information relevant to the system design of the rhizofiltration process. Physical components of the phytoremediation system - plant production, rhizofiltration, pre and post treatment of water, and post treatment of spent plant materials are coupled with engineering and biological aspects of systems design. An engineering economic analysis tool within the software allowed for analysis of the impact of critical design variables on system efficiency.

Abstract:

In the single truss tomato production system (STTPS), plants are grown hydroponically in a greenhouse with a single cluster of fruit per plant. One major advantage of STTPS is the ability to achieve uniform fruit quality on a planned schedule with predictable yield. To achieve high levels of greenhouse space utilization and a consistent harvest, several generations of plants are grown simultaneously with the plants being spaced periodically to maintain maximum plant canopy cover of the growing area, thereby maximizing utilization of space and supplemental lighting. As the production period varies with the light received by the crop it is essential to control the amount of supplemental light provided the crops so that each will have a predictable harvest date. Simulation of the cropping cycle has been programmed in Visual Basic to provide a management tool for the scheduling of lighting and the design of the lighting system. This program is based on a previously determined relationship between light received by the crop between germination and first flower development and the time to harvest. It accepts location specific solar radiation data as a variable input and has been used to optimize scheduling for the New Brunswick, New Jersey location.