CEA DEFINITIONS AND BIOLOGY

Understanding the Language of CEA

Glossary for CEA Terms

Explore Greenhub’s cross-disciplinary glossary of Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) — a growing knowledge base for greenhouse growers, indoor farm managers, researchers, breeders, and agtech innovators. Here you’ll find concise definitions of key vertical farming and plant science terms that help create a shared language across the CEA industry.

A

Abiotic Stress

Stress from non-living factors (heat, salinity, drought). 

Actuator Duty Cycle

% of time an actuator is active. (Digital Control &Software Metric)

Aeroponic Tower

Vertical system where roots are suspended in air and misted with nutrients.

Aeroponics

Roots suspended in air, misted with nutrient solution.

AI & Machine Learning

Predictive models for yield and stress. 

Air Distribution Systems

Polyethylene tubes or ducts distributing conditioned air uniformly through the crop canopy. 

Air Handling Unit (AHU)

Centralized unit for controlling temperature, humidity, and CO₂ of incoming air. 

Air Temperature

Climate variable, measured at canopy and reference levels. 

Air Temperature Setpoint

Target air temperature value. 

Alarm / Event Logs

Records of deviations, failures, or warnings. (Digital Control & Software Metric)

B

Backcrossing

Breeding method to recover parent traits. 

Batch

A group of plants treated as a unit for production and traceability (=Lot).

Benchmarking

Comparing performance to industry peers. 

Biocontrol Agent

Natural predator, parasite, or microorganism used to control pests or diseases. 

Biological Replicate

Independent samples of the same treatment, grown under similar conditions, to account for natural biological...

Biotic Stress

Stress from pests/pathogens. 

Blocking

Grouping experimental units with similar characteristics to reduce environmental variability inanalysis. 

Boiler Output / CHP Output

Heat energy supplied by boilers or cogeneration. (Actuator Control Point)

Bolting

Premature flowering (e.g., in lettuce or spinach). 

Broker

Entity that buys crops from growers and sells them to retailers, restaurants, or other buyers....

C

CapEx

Capital expenditure (infrastructure, equipment). 

Capillary Mat Irrigation

Plants absorb water from a moist mat placed under pots or trays. 

Carbon Footprint

Greenhouse gas emissions per product unit. 

Chiller

Machine that removes heat from water or air for cooling applications. 

Chlorophyll Fluorescence

Measure of photosynthesis efficiency. 

Circular Agriculture

Closing loops by recycling inputs/wastes.

Cisgenic Plant

Plant modified with same-species DNA. 

Climate Computer

Centralized digital system that controls and monitors greenhouse or indoor farm climate, including temperature, humidity,...

Climate Control

Automated control of temperature, humidity, light, CO₂. 

Climate Screens

Retractable screens/apertures that manage light, energy loss, and humidity (e.g., Ridder screen systems). 

D

Daily Light Integral (DLI)

Total light received per day (mol·m⁻²·day⁻¹). Also computed value from PAR sensor integration over 24h....

Dashboard

Visual interface displaying real-time data, KPIs, and alerts from sensors, climate computers, or other farm...

Data Normalization

Adjusting measurements to a common scale for comparison across batches or treatments. 

Daylight Integration Mode

Lights dimmed when solar radiation is sufficient. 

Days to Harvest

Expected number of days from planting or transplant to harvest. Guides cropping cycle scheduling. 

Decision Support System (DSS)

Software guiding management. 

Dehumidification System

Condensation-based or desiccant systems to remove excess humidity from greenhouse air. 

Dehumidifier Duty Cycle

Time fraction a dehumidifier is active. 

Deviation / Overshoot

Difference between measured and setpoint value. (Digital Control &Software Metric)

Digital Twin

Virtual representation of the physical farm, integrating embedded systems, sensors,actuators, and software to simulate crop...

E

Ebb and Flood Table

Hydroponic benchtop system where trays are periodically flooded with nutrient solution and then drained. (=Flood...

EC (Electrical Conductivity)

Nutrient concentration in irrigation/drain water. 

Edge Computing

Local data processing. 

Electrical Conductivity (EC)

Concentration of dissolved salts in solution. 

Elite Line

Advanced breeding line with desirable traits. 

Embedded System

A dedicated computer or microcontroller built into CEA equipment (e.g., sensor nodes, actuator controllers, dosing...

Energy Balance

Calculation of heat inputs vs. losses in greenhouse. (Digital Control &Software Metric)

Energy Meter

Device measuring electricity, gas, or thermal energy consumption in the farm. 

Energy Use Efficiency (EUE)

Ratio of biomass or yield produced per unit of energy input. 

Environmental Sensors

Measure temp, humidity, CO₂, PAR, VPD. 

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