Title

3rd Annual North Dakota Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Conference

Date(s)

Sep 17, 2026, 1 - 8 pm Central

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Add to Calendar 2026-09-17 13:00:00 2026-09-17 20:00:00 3rd Annual North Dakota Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Conference Join UsJoin us on September 17–18, 2026, in Fargo, North Dakota, to learn from leading experts shaping the future of controlled environment agriculture, specialty crops, and agricultural technology.We're excited to announce three outstanding invited speakers for the 3rd Annual North Dakota Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Conference!Dr. Neil Mattson, Professor at Cornell University, will present "Precision Climate Management Strategies for Energy-Saving CEA Crop Production" highlighting data-driven approaches to improve crop performance, resource-use efficiency, and profitability.Dr. Joseph Munyaneza, National Program Leader for Specialty Crops at USDA-ARS, will provide a national update on specialty crop research priorities, emerging opportunities, and federal funding programs.Dr. James Altland, Research Leader at USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Wooster, Ohio, will share insights on current USDA research and innovations supporting greenhouse and specialty crop production.Topics includeWater managementAutomation and AIEnergy efficiencyData-driven crop managementControlled irrigation and fertigationLighting and sensorsData center - greenhouse integrationConference highlightsKeynotes from USDA ARS, NDSU and regional CEA leadersTechnical presentations and research postersGreenhouse tourNetworking with researchers, agencies, industry partners and entrepreneursThe conference will start at 1:00 pm on September 17, 2026, with a tour, poster session, and dinner social, and will conclude with a half day of research presentations on September 18, 2026. Cost Tour and Conference Registration - $150Non-attending Sponsor - $250Attending Sponsor - $500 Sept. 17 Peltier Complex and Sept. 18 at NDSU Prairie Rose, NDSU Memorial Union NDSU Agriculture no-reply@ndsu.edu America/Chicago public

Location

Location:

Sept. 17 Peltier Complex and Sept. 18 at NDSU Prairie Rose, NDSU Memorial Union

Registration

Event Registration

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Join Us

Join us on September 17–18, 2026, in Fargo, North Dakota, to learn from leading experts shaping the future of controlled environment agriculture, specialty crops, and agricultural technology.

We're excited to announce three outstanding invited speakers for the 3rd Annual North Dakota Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Conference!

Dr. Neil Mattson, Professor at Cornell University, will present "Precision Climate Management Strategies for Energy-Saving CEA Crop Production" highlighting data-driven approaches to improve crop performance, resource-use efficiency, and profitability.
Dr. Joseph Munyaneza, National Program Leader for Specialty Crops at USDA-ARS, will provide a national update on specialty crop research priorities, emerging opportunities, and federal funding programs.
Dr. James Altland, Research Leader at USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Wooster, Ohio, will share insights on current USDA research and innovations supporting greenhouse and specialty crop production.

Topics include

Water management
Automation and AI
Energy efficiency
Data-driven crop management
Controlled irrigation and fertigation
Lighting and sensors
Data center - greenhouse integration

Conference highlights

Keynotes from USDA ARS, NDSU and regional CEA leaders
Technical presentations and research posters
Greenhouse tour
Networking with researchers, agencies, industry partners and entrepreneurs
The conference will start at 1:00 pm on September 17, 2026, with a tour, poster session, and dinner social, and will conclude with a half day of research presentations on September 18, 2026.

Cost

Tour and Conference Registration - $150
Non-attending Sponsor - $250
Attending Sponsor - $500

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Schedule

September 17, 2026

Peltier Complex, 1300 18 St. N, Fargo, ND

Time	Activity	Location
12:30 - 1:00 pm	Check-in & Registration	Atrium
	Poster Showcase & Networking	Atrium
1:00 - 3:30 pm	Technical Tours Participants will depart for one of the two tours and switch locations at 2:15 p.m., allowing everyone to visit both facilities	NDSU Greenhouse & CEA Facilities Data Center Tour
3:45 pm	Tours Return
4:00 - 6:00 pm	Poster Showcase and Networking with moderator Dr. Julie Garden-Robinson, NDSU Professor and Extension Specialist Student poster presentation: 1.5 min each. Student Research Posters Sponsor Displays	Atrium
6:00	Conference Banquet begins	Peltier Complex Dining Room
6:00 – 6:10 pm	Dr. Xin (Rex) Sun, Associate Professor and Endowed Chair and Director of the Peltier Institute, Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, North Dakota State University Welcome to the Peltier Institute
7:00 – 7:30 pm	Dr. Joe Munyaneza, National Program Leader for Specialty Crops, USDA ARS, Beltsville, MD Update on USDA-ARS CEA Research Program, with Focus on Vertical Indoor Farming
7:30 – 8:00 pm	Dr. Joseph Munyaneza, National Program Leader for Specialty Crops at USDA-ARS, will provide an update on specialty crop research priorities, emerging opportunities, and CEA research partnerships.
8:00 pm	Networking and Discussion

Graduate Students Poster Schedule

#	Author(s)	Institution	Title
1	Mahmud Alam Pranto, Xinhua Jia & Sulaymon Eshkabilov	North Dakota State University	Region-Based Assessment of Lettuce Leaf Quality Using Hyperspectral Imaging and Machine Learning
2	Farhin Neha, Xinhua Jia & Sulaymon Eshkabilov	North Dakota State University	Integrated Hyperspectral Imaging and Sensor-Based Machine Learning for Nutrient Uptake Prediction in Hydroponic Lettuce
3	Shafi Md. Istiak, Bakht Alam Khan, Chiwon Lee & Sulaymon Eshkabilov	North Dakota State University	Edge AI based Smart Monitoring System for Hydroponic Lettuce Growth
4	Shraboni Sarker, Raj Hazra & Long Jiang	North Dakota State University	Toward a Fully Bio-Based Hydroponic Substrate using Locally Abundant Agricultural Byproducts
5	Puja Subedi, & Teng Yang	South Dakota State University	Optimizing EC and pH Adjustment Frequency to Improve Yield and Labor Efficiency in Hydroponic Leafy Green Production
6	Janice N. A. Tagoe, Bidye Ojha, Gisele M. Irankunda, Shelley Horne, Xinhua Jia & Birgit M. Pruess	North Dakota State University	Comparative Effects of Azospirillum brasilense on Hydroponic Lettuce Grown Using Tap Water and Process Water
7	Madison Zercher, Keigo Imai, Cody Molnar & Madalyn Shires	South Dakota State University	Developing a Treatment Plan for Alternaria Internal Rot
8	Mason Hill & Iris Feng	North Dakota State University	Light Intensity and CO₂Concentration: Effects on Biomass Production in Hydroponic Basil
9	Mohamed Abdallah Salem, Mason Hill, Xiaoyu Feng & Ahmed Harb Rabia	North Dakota State University	Matching Light with Carbon: A Real-Time CO₂-PAR Control System for Energy-Efficient Lettuce Production
10	Brooklyn Jensen, & Oybek Turayev	University of Minnesota-Crookston	From Classroom to Community: Building Low-Cost Hydroponic Models for Education and Regional Food Access
11	Christopher Nieters & Nathan J. Eylands	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities	An Electric Inquiry: Is Electrophysiology a Reliable Proxy for Photosynthetic Performance?
12	Jordan Bergstrom & Nathan J. Eylands	North Dakota State University	Optimizing the Temporal Shift of Horticultural Lighting Spectra to Maximize Yield and Carotenoid Synthesis in Hydroponic Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.)
13	Navya Teiaswini Lokavarapu, Khizar Razzaq, Xin Sun & Luis Del Rio Mendoza	North Dakota State University	Multimodal Transformer-Based Phenotyping of Blackleg Disease in Canola Seedlings Under Controlled Environments
14	Prakash Chapagain, Mohamed Abdallah Salem & Ahmed Harb Rabia	North Dakota State University	A Smart Micro-Greenhouse Prototype for Autonomous Humidity and Light Control
15	Samriddha Das, Jino Joy, Evans K. Wiafe & Xin Sun	North Dakota State University	A Vision-Guided Robotic System with Coordinated 2D Motion for Intelligent Target Spraying in Controlled Agricultural Environments
16	Md Najmol Hoque, Clair Keene & Shahidul Islam	North Dakota State University	Post-Anthesis Nitrogen Management Alters Starch and Protein Development in Hard Red Spring Wheat
17	Theodore Carlson, Andrew Engel & Ryan Lefers	South Dakota State University	Multimodal Spectral and Volatile Sensing for Near-Real-Time Plant Health Diagnostics in Hydroponics Systems
18	Casenge Lili Tarjanyi, Puja Subedi & Teng Yang	South Dakota State University	Effects of LED Spectral Composition on Growth and Nutritional Quality of Microgreens
19	Risha Setty	Newark Charter School, Delaware	Predicting Hydroponic Lettuce Growth Using Machine Learning and Water Quality Sensor Data
20	Rita Bhandari	North Dakota State University	Structural Traits and Genomic Loci Associated with Stem Bending Strength in Wheat
21	Prashanth Deva Yenika	North Dakota State University	Digital Physiological Phenotyping of Spring Wheat Responses to Drought Progression and Recovery under Controlled Environments
22	Fahad Hasan	North Dakota State University	Distinct Temporal Responses to Xanthomonas translucens Strains Shape Bacterial Leaf Streak Development in Triticale
23	Amin Khan	North Dakota State University	Cold Resilience and Productivity of Wine Grapes Under Tunnel and Open-Field Conditions
24	Gisele Mignone Irankunda	North Dakota State University	Cultivar and Water Source Effects on Growth Performance and Nutrient Solution Dynamics of Hydroponic Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.)

September 18, 2026

Memorial Union, Prairie Rose Room, 1401 Administration Avenue, Fargo, ND 58102

Time	Activity
7:30 - 8:00 am	Check-in & Continental Breakfast
8:00 - 8:15 am	Welcome and Opening Remarks Dr. Heidi Grunwald, Interim VP, NDSU Research and Creative Activity Dr. Frank Casey, Associate Director, NDSU Agricultural Experiment Station Recognition of Conference Sponsors and Partners
8:15 - 9:00 am	Keynote Presentation Dr. Neil Mattson, Professor and Greenhouse Extension Specialist, Cornell University Precision Climate Management Strategies for Energy-Saving CEA Crop Production Moderator: Dr. Iris Feng, Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, North Dakota State University
9:00 - 9:15 am	Dr. Ryan Lefers, Griffith Endowed Chair in Agriculture and Water Resources, South Dakota Water Resources Institute Director, SDSU State Water Extension Specialist, Ag & Biosystems Engineering, SDSU Aquaponics: Business, Research and Education Opportunities in the Dakotas
9:15 – 9:30 am	Dr. Teng Yang, Assistant Professor of Controlled Environment Agriculture, Agronomy, Horticulture, & Plant Science, SDSU Crop-Specific Electrical Conductivity Setpoints for Leafy Greens and Herbs in Recirculating Vertical Hydroponics
9:30 – 9:45 am	Dr. Chiwon Lee, Professor, Department of Plant Sciences, NDSU Handling Plant Nutrients during Hydroponic Culture of Vegetables
9:45 – 10:00 am	Dr. Anna Testen, USDA ARS, Wooster, OH Does Organic Hydroponic Production Reduce Vegetable Disease Risks?
10:00 – 10:15 am	Dr. Birgit Pruess, Professor, Department of Plant Pathology, Microbiology, and Biotechnology, NDSU Azospirillum brasilense modulates microbial communities in hydroponic water from lettuce
10:10 – 10:30 am	Break
	Dr. Laxmi Prasad, Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist, Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, North Dakota State University will moderate the following sessions 10:25 am to 12:05 pm
10:30 – 10:45 am	Mr. Quinn Renfandt, high tunnel producer, Sawyer, ND Buying More Growing Season: The Role of High Tunnels in North Dakota
10:45 – 11:00 am	Dr. Harlene Hatterman-Valenti, Professor, Department of Plant Sciences, North Dakota State University Are There Advantages to Grafting Tomatoes in a High Tunnel in North Dakota?
11:00 – 11:15 am	Dr. Jin Jian, Professor, Agricultural & Biological Engineering, Purdue University High-Resolution In-Situ Imaging Sensors for Precise Plant Nutrient and Disease Assessment
11:15 – 11:30 am	Dr. James Kim & Gabriel Zhang, USDA ARS, Fargo, ND Low-Cost Wireless Precision Irrigation for Controlled Environment Agriculture
11:30 – 11:45 am	Dr. Oybek Turayev, Assistant Professor of Agribusiness at the Department of Agriculture, University of Minnesota Crookston Pipes, Pixels, and Green Produce: Feasibility of Utilizing AI Data Center Thermal Waste for Cold-Climate Hydroponics (Agribusiness Perspective & Economic Feasibiity)
11:45 – 12:00 pm	Drs. Xinhua Jia & Leon Schumacher, Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, NDSU, Mr. Derek Smith and Rob Eddy, Resource Innovation Institute Legendary Harvest: Integrating Data Centers and Controlled Environment Agriculture for Sustainable Food, Energy, and Water Systems in North Dakota
12:00 - 12:05 pm	Remarks
12:05 pm	Lunch
1:00 p.m	Conference Wrap-Up and Adjournment

Hotel Information

Candlewood Suites Fargo @ NDSU
1831 NDSU Research Park Drive, Fargo, ND 58102
Phone: 701-499-7381 Fax: 701-235-8201

Booking link: NDSU CEA Conference 2026

Conference Room Rates: Single Occupancy: $99/night and Double Occupancy: $119/night

To receive the conference rate, please make your reservation before August 17, 2026. After this date, room availability and rates cannot be guaranteed.

We encourage attendees to book early, as room availability may be limited.