{"id":1169,"date":"2026-08-31T16:38:12","date_gmt":"2026-08-31T14:38:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/greatit.it\/demetra\/?p=1169"},"modified":"2026-08-31T16:46:09","modified_gmt":"2026-08-31T14:46:09","slug":"applied-plant-physiology-in-controlled-environment-agriculture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/greatit.it\/demetra\/en\/applied-plant-physiology-in-controlled-environment-agriculture\/","title":{"rendered":"Applied plant physiology in controlled environment agriculture"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Abstract<\/strong><\/p>\n

This article illustrates how, in hydroponic cultivation under controlled environmental conditions, the integrated management of light, temperature, CO\u2082, water and mineral nutrition makes it possible to precisely influence plant physiology, including photosynthesis, vegetative development, plant architecture and the production of secondary metabolites. It presents the systemic approach that guided the development of DEMETRA, GreatIT\u2019s hydroponic container, created through collaboration between the company\u2019s specialists, universities and research centres to translate plant physiology knowledge into practical, measurable and repeatable engineering solutions.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Years of academic experience in plant physiology have allowed us to follow the fascinating evolution of hydroponic systems over the past 20 years.<\/p>\n

Plants, as living organisms, are complex systems composed of structures in which biochemical and physiological reactions, together with continuous energy exchanges, take place across membranes. By constantly perceiving their environment, plants adjust their metabolism, growth and morphology in response to the stimuli they receive.<\/p>\n

In simplified terms, plants regulate gas exchange with the surrounding atmosphere through their stomata. Fluids move through their tissues, while their roots absorb water and the mineral nutrients dissolved within it. Thanks to light, plants can use CO\u2082 for photosynthesis and incorporate it into organic molecules, producing new plant biomass, enzymes and other useful compounds.<\/p>\n

Water, air and light are therefore closely interconnected through physiological and biochemical processes that must remain in balance.<\/p>\n

However, it is important to emphasise that, as living organisms, plants also modify the environment in which they grow. They transpire, releasing large amounts of water vapour; exchange heat and gases with the atmosphere; selectively absorb water and nutrients from the nutrient solution; and progressively alter its pH, electrical conductivity and ionic composition.<\/p>\n

Key point:<\/strong>\u00a0In a controlled-environment hydroponic system, managing these interactions means being able to direct the crop\u2019s response towards a specific objective:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. We can promote photosynthesis and carbon fixation to increase biomass accumulation and crop yield.<\/li>\n
  2. We can apply controlled environmental stimuli to modify vegetative development and bring forward or induce flowering.<\/li>\n
  3. We can influence plant architecture, promoting either internode elongation or more compact, dwarf growth.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    By adjusting the light spectrum and intensity, photoperiod, temperature, humidity, CO\u2082 concentration, water availability and mineral nutrition, it is also possible to stimulate specific metabolic pathways. Established applications already include the production of secondary metabolites for scientific research, nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals and other fields.<\/p>\n

    To obtain repeatable results, every component must be designed in relation to all the others:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • genetics and phenological stage;<\/li>\n
    • light intensity, spectrum and photoperiod;<\/li>\n
    • temperature, humidity, ventilation and CO\u2082;<\/li>\n
    • water availability and quality;<\/li>\n
    • nutrient solution composition and management;<\/li>\n
    • sensors and automation;<\/li>\n
    • organisation of operations and workflows.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      This systemic approach guides the development of\u00a0DEMETRA<\/strong>, GreatIT\u2019s hydroponic container for controlled-environment cultivation.<\/p>\n

      This short article provides a concise overview of how we work every day with our specialists, collaborate with universities and research centres, and engage with customers to translate a biological objective into a practical engineering solution.<\/p>\n

      Because controlling the growing environment does not simply mean maintaining a set of parameters. It means applying knowledge of plant physiology to obtain a precise, measurable and repeatable response from the plant\u2014and continuing, project after project, to advance cultivation technology.<\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      \"Schema<\/p>\n

      Figure 1: Illustration of leaf transpiration and related processes, sourced from the web.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      \u00a0 Abstract This article illustrates how, in hydroponic cultivation under controlled environmental conditions, the integrated management of light, temperature, CO\u2082, water and mineral nutrition makes it possible to precisely influence plant physiology, including photosynthesis, vegetative development, plant architecture and the production of secondary metabolites. It presents the systemic approach that guided the development of DEMETRA, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1158,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"slim_seo":{"title":"Applied plant physiology in controlled environment agriculture - Greatit | Demetra","description":"\u00a0 Abstract This article illustrates how, in hydroponic cultivation under controlled environmental conditions, the integrated management of light, temperature, C"},"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"_slim_seo_primary_term_category":0,"_slim_seo_primary_term_post_tag":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1169","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog-articles"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/greatit.it\/demetra\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/foto-reale-ok.jpeg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/greatit.it\/demetra\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1169","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/greatit.it\/demetra\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/greatit.it\/demetra\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greatit.it\/demetra\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greatit.it\/demetra\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1169"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/greatit.it\/demetra\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1169\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1171,"href":"https:\/\/greatit.it\/demetra\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1169\/revisions\/1171"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greatit.it\/demetra\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1158"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/greatit.it\/demetra\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1169"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greatit.it\/demetra\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1169"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greatit.it\/demetra\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1169"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}