UConn Professor Makes A Breakthrough In 'Urban Agriculture'

STORRS, CT — University of Connecticut Professor Xiusheng (Harrison) Yang of the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources has invented a technology that can grow high-quality food in existing indoor urban spaces.

It's been dubbed Greenbox.

Yang said he first had the idea to develop Greenbox five years ago after observing the "unmet need to grow food locally in urban environments."

Current Greenbox models are about the size of a standard commercial pallet – 48 inches-by-40 inches. Yang said the height can be variable, depending on the crops, and they can reach upwards of 84 inches high.

The insulated boxes contain programmable LED lights that Yang and his team can adjust to fit the light needs of a specific crop and a hydroponic growing system. Hydroponic systems grow plants without soil, using water-based mineral nutrient solutions instead.

Yang's team can control the temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide levels in the Greenbox and monitor the plants’ progress remotely using the video systems with which each Greenbox unit is equipped.

See more about the project at UConn Today.