By Scout Nelson
North Dakota State University hosted its third annual North Dakota Controlled Environment Agriculture Conference on September 17-18, 2026, the two-day conference focused on precision agriculture and technology used in controlled environment agriculture, also known as CEA.
CEA used technology to help growers control the conditions in which crops were produced. These systems allow growers to manage factors such as temperature, light, water, and other growing conditions. Common examples included greenhouses, high tunnels, indoor farms, vertical farms, aquaculture, and hydroponics.
CEA was one of the projects supported through NDSU’s Food, Energy and Water Security initiative. Xinhua Jia, an NDSU professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering, led the CEA research and organized the conference.
About 80 people attended the event. The group included researchers, growers, industry professionals, tribal members, graduate students, and undergraduate students. The conference gave participants a chance to share research, discuss new ideas, and learn about technology that could support modern agriculture.
“I was very pleased with this year’s North Dakota CEA Conference,” Jia said. “We brought together researchers, growers, industry professionals, tribal members and graduate and undergraduate students to share ideas and learn from each other. I believe new technologies can help make CEA more efficient, productive, and sustainable. It was especially exciting to see so many students involved and so many good conversations and new connections throughout the conference.”
The conference began with guided tours of NDSU’s greenhouse and CEA facilities. Participants also toured Applied Digital’s Data Center near Harwood. Another tour featured Jia’s CEA research at NDSU’s Jack Dalrymple Agricultural Research Complex.
Several experts served as keynote speakers during the two-day event. Joe Munyaneza, USDA Agricultural Research Service National Program Leader for Specialty Crops, discussed the agency’s CEA research program. His presentation focused on vertical indoor farming and the role of research in improving these production systems.
James Altland, a USDA-ARS research leader from Wooster, Ohio, discussed research conducted by the USDA Application Research Unit. His presentation covered some of the challenges faced by controlled environment agriculture and efforts to find practical solutions.
Neil Mattson, a professor and greenhouse extension specialist from Cornell University, delivered the Friday morning keynote presentation. He discussed precision climate management strategies that could help reduce energy use while supporting crop production in controlled environments.
A student poster showcase was held on September 17, 2026. The event included 24 students from NDSU, the University of Minnesota, South Dakota State University, and the University of Minnesota-Crookston. The students presented their research and shared information about different areas of agriculture and the CEA.
Friday’s program began with remarks from Heidi Grunwald, NDSU interim vice president for research and creative activity, and Frank Casey, NDAES associate director.
The conference also included two morning sessions featuring NDSU and SDSU faculty members and USDA-ARS researchers. Presentations covered a wide range of subjects, including hydroponic production, high tunnels, imaging sensors, and precision irrigation.
These topics showed how technology could be used in different types of controlled and precision agriculture systems. Researchers and industry professionals also shared information that could help growers understand new tools and production methods.
Jia concluded the conference with a presentation about integrating data centers and CEA to support sustainable Food, Energy and Water Security systems in North Dakota.
Photo Credit: north-dakota-state-university
Categories: North Dakota, Sustainable Agriculture