This episode is part of our “What Plants Crave” series, where Dr. Sabeh speaks with growers, researchers, engineers, and manufacturers who work in controlled environment agriculture, to get their insights about the direction of the industry, and of course, what exactly it is that plants crave.

In this episode, Dr. Nadia Sabeh interviews Dr. Fatemeh Sheibani, a Post-doctoral Research Associate at Purdue University, about her research on using close canopy lighting to enhance yields and increase energy efficiency in controlled environment agriculture. Dr. Sheibani discusses the benefits of close canopy lighting, including improved light distribution, increased photosynthetic efficiency, and reduced energy consumption. She also shares insights into the challenges and considerations when implementing this lighting strategy, such as managing heat load and selecting appropriate light spectra. The conversation highlights the potential of close canopy lighting to optimize plant growth and resource use in controlled environments.