Research Brief: Developing New Crops for CEA Systems
July 17, 2025 
Photo: Dr. Mike Evans
At Virginia Tech, graduate students are researching how growers can expand their crop offerings without making major renovations, in a study led by CEA Professor Mike Evans, Ph.D.
Growers want to ensure that any new crops will have long-term profitability, and minimizing additional operating costs and capital expenses will support that goal.
“Systems are a big economic thing for growers,” he says. “So, we’re thinking about ways growers can use the systems they already have to grow other crops. This could help CEA operations widen their product range and allow them to become more economically sustainable.”
Students are currently researching the adaptability of micro-tomatoes, mini cucumbers, micro-peppers, and watercress lettuce in various growing systems. Dr. Evans feels especially confident in the results he’s seen with nutrient film technique (NFT) gutter systems that are typically used for strawberry crops. “These are the four most successful new crops we’ve tried in this system,” he says. “We’ve tried others but have thrown them out pretty quickly because they wouldn’t adapt to the system fast enough.”
For growers using NFT gutter systems for strawberry production, this is good news if the market for strawberries wanes for any reason. “Diversification protects us in markets,” Dr. Evans says.
Of all the crops he’s worked with so far, Dr. Evans feels especially confident in the future of watercress lettuce. Since leafy greens are a popular crop among CEA growers already, he foresees watercress lettuce becoming a staple crop in industry–and not just in NFT systems.
“Watercress is an exciting new green for us and it’s getting a lot of attention,” he says. “It’s a highly valued crop, we know how to grow it, and we can easily adapt it to different CEA systems.”
This article is a part of CEAg World’s Industry Report: Greenhouse Produce. Download the full report here: https://www.ceagworld.com/industry-reports/.