The Third Special Issue of The Horticulture Journal—Plant factory and modern greenhouse—

 

The Japanese Society for Horticultural Science, which publishes Hort. J., has organized this special issue to further increase the attractiveness of this journal.

The theme of the third special issue is “Plant factory and modern greenhouse”, which includes many aspects, from crop physiology under controlled environments, monitoring of plant physiological status, and application of light-emitting diodes to advanced cultivation technology.

Plant factories, sometimes called vertical farms, are a closed plant production system with artificial light that was proposed, developed, and implemented in Japan during the 1980s. During the 1990s and since then, the products from these factories have received high evaluation by the food service industry, to which they primarily cater. Since the late 2000s, plant factory technology has been introduced worldwide. In 2020, plant factories were commercially operated in many countries.

Modern greenhouses are an advanced system equipped with environmental control and hydroponics and supporting year-round production. High-quality vegetables, flowers, ornamental plants, and fruit trees are produced in greenhouses. Mechanization and automation have recently been installed in greenhouses. Modern greenhouses are regarded as advanced production systems in the field of horticulture.

To achieve ideal plant production in these systems, it is important to determine and comprehend plant growth characteristics and responses that are unique to controlled environments and then apply the acquired knowledge to actual cultivation. From these perspectives, related research has become more important for the next generation of horticulture. Therefore, we have planned this special issue of Hort. J.