Colorado State University
IN-26: Innovation C

With the relocation of the greenhouses at the W.D. Holley Plant Environmental Research Center in 2015, Colorado State University constructed a state-of-the-art center for horticulture education and research adjacent to a popular community garden and federal research center. The new center expands opportunities for joint research and programming while improving the learning environment for CSU students. The $7.5 million horticulture center and greenhouses was built near the popular Gardens on Spring Creek, a community botanic garden operated by the City of Fort Collins, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Sugar Beet Research Unit. With modern controlled-environment agricultural facilities, the new center and greenhouses enhance CSU’s capacity to deliver programs that contribute to the beauty, sustainability, health and well-being of the local community, the state of Colorado and the inter-mountain West. In addition to supporting the nearby Gardens on Spring Creek, the world-renowned Annual Flower Trial Garden at Lake and Remington streets, and the green industries across Colorado, the center will strengthen the research, teaching and educational programs within the College of Agricultural Sciences and all of Colorado State University. Colorado State University and Philips Lighting forged a long-term collaborative partnership by signing an agreement to create a state-of-the-art LED-lighted education, research and training horticulture facility at CSU. The partnership allows the two entities to perform collaborative research and focused cultivation studies to validate and innovate around the application of advanced LED lighting for horticultural activity. This research is anticipated to optimize desired plant characteristics, including the nutritional value of city farm produced foods, irrigation strategies, climate impact, soil conditions, thermal effects, year-round production, greenhouse food, hops, floriculture and turf, while dramatically reducing the power consumption of the lighting component to indoor growth facilities. Along with opening opportunities for new research and academic programs, the new facility also houses some of the greenhouse research currently in place at PERC as well as future growing seasons for the Trial Garden and horticulture and floriculture programs.

Story on tie between research, LEDs, and hops: http://source.colostate.edu/csu-professor-of-horticulture-hoppy-to-help-colorado-breweries/ Story on LED Partnership with Philips: http://source.colostate.edu/philips-partnership-lights-the-way-for-new-research-and-innovation-at-csu/