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Laboratory of Agricultural Constructions and Environmental Control

Government gazzette
38 22/02/1995
E-mail
nkatsoul@uth.gr
Webpage
http://lacec.agr.uth.gr
Department
Department of Agriculture Crop Production and Rural Environment
Tel.
+30 24210 93012
Research Categories
Agricultural Constructions

The Laboratory is required to meet the teaching and research needs in the following domains: Construction, Environment, Energy and Equipment of Agricultural Buildings, Agricultural and aquaculture facilities, Environmental Engineering Topography, Photogrammetry - Remote Sensing Rural roads, Soil Mechanics, Applied Mechanics. LACEC has studied various covering materials of greenhouses for crops with low inputs and greenhouses friendlier to the environment. Research has been done in bioclimatology and equipment of agricultural structures (physical environment, heating, ventilation, cooling, shading, dehumidification, microclimate and water management systems, irrigation of greenhouse crops, hydroponic systems) the use of new technologies and techniques in greenhouses and screenhouses, renewable energy and energy saving in greenhouses, bioclimatic design of buildings and urban areas and suburban green.

Research Activities

Design, construction, equipment and operation of greenhouses and screenhouses (cover materials and construction, heating, ventilation, cooling, shading, irrigation, automation, fogging, CO2 enrichment, internal structures etc.)

Use of computational fluid dynamics in the design of rural buildings.

Hydroponic systems (equipment, design, management).

Energy in Agriculture with an emphasis on energy conservation and renewable energy use in agricultural buildings.

Heat transport phenomena in buildings, bioclimatic design of buildings and urban spaces.

Research Projects

«CLOsed SYStem for water and nutrient management in horticulture». Research project funded by the European Union, 01/01/2002-31/12/2003, Contract number QLK-2000-01301. https://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/54722/factsheet/en

Sustainable orchard irrigation for improving fruit quality and safety, IRRIQUAL, Research project funded by the European Union, 01/06/2006-31/05/2009. https://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/79861/factsheet/en

Sustainable use of irrigation water in the Mediterranean region, Sirrimed, (funded by the European Union), 2009-2013. http://www.sirrimed.org/

Smart Controlled Environment Agriculture Systems, Smart-CEA, (funded by the European Union), 2011-2014. https://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/100831/factsheet/en

Online Professional Irrigation Scheduling Expert System, OpIRIS. Research project funded by the European Union, 01/12/2013-301/11/2015. http://www.opiris.eu

Adapt agricultural production to climate change and limited water supply, Adapt2Change (LIFE09 ENV/GR/000296). Research project funded by the European Union, 01/08/2014-31/08/2016. https://www.adapt2change.eu

Raising public awareness of development issues and promoting development education in the European Union. RURAL DEAR AGENDA - EYD 2015. Research project funded by the European Union, 01/09/2015-31/12/2017. https://www.ruraldearagenda.eu

Pathways to phase-out contentious inputs from organic agriculture in Europe, Organic Plus. H2020 (SFS-08-2017, RIA project, grant agreement No 774340), 01/05/2018-30/04/2022. https://organic-plus.net/

Green Growth through the capitalization of innovative Greenhouses, MED Greenhouses. Interreg-MED project, (PA no: 3082) 01/02/2018-31/07/2019. Coordinator for UTH. https://medgreenhouses.interreg-med.eu/

«Pesticides Monitoring Systems using Nanosensors for Safe Food Production». Research project funded by the General Secretariat for Research and Technology of Greece, under the framework of the Bilateral Greek-China agreement, 1/3/2013-30/9/2015.

Cascade Hydroponics: an integrated approach to increase productivity, resource use efficiency and sustainability of protected horticulture, CasH. Greece-Germany bilateral project. 06/2018-05/2021. http://cascade-hydroponics.eu/

Development of a textile with Silica coating for environmental friendly control of insects in agricultural production, AgriTexSil. Greece-Germany bilateral project. 05/2018-05/2021. https://www.AgriTexSil.eu

«Development and study of new anti-drip greenhouse cover materials appropriate for environmental friendly greenhouses». Research project funded by the General Secretariat for Research and Technology of Greece, under the framework of PAVET projects, 01/05/2006-30/10/2007.

«Development and optimisation of an environmental friendly, hybrid system for passive solar heating in greenhouses with hydroponic crops». Research project funded by the General Secretariat for Research and Technology of Greece, under the framework of PAVET projects, 01/05/2006-30/10/2007.

«Human networks for Research and Technological training: New Technologies for environmental friendly Greenhouses». Research project funded by the General Secretariat for Research and Technology of Greece, 16/4/2007-15/10/2008.

Innovation Pole of Thessaly: «Ensuring total quality in production, packaging, handling, storage and distribution of food in Thessaly - Thessaly food». Research project funded by the General Secretariat for Research and Technology of Greece, 1/10/2007-30/9/2008.

Theoretical and experimental investigation of screenhouse microclimate. Research project funded by the Ministry of Education, Lifelong Learning and Religious Affairs of Greece under the frame of Heraclitus projects. 2010-2013.

Innovative polymer greenhouse films via application of functional coating, INGRECO. 2018-2021. Co‐financed by the European Union and Greek national funds through the Operational Program Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, under the call RESEARCH – CREATE – INNOVATE (project code: T1EDK-01499).

Development and optimization of an aquaponic system to increase sustainability in food production, FoodOASIS. 2018-2021. Co‐financed by the European Union and Greek national funds through the Operational Program Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, under the call RESEARCH – CREATE – INNOVATE (project code: T1EDK-01153). www.foodoasis.eu

Exploitation of liquid wastes for microalgae cultivation and use for biodiesel and aquafeed production, Algae4Fuel&Aqua. 2018-2021. Co‐financed by the European Union and Greek national funds through the Operational Program Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, under the call RESEARCH – CREATE – INNOVATE (project code: T1EDK-01580).

Semitransparent organic and printed photovoltaics for energy efficient Mediterranean greenhouses, Fotokipia. 2018-2021. Co‐financed by the European Union and Greek national funds through the Operational Program Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, under the call RESEARCH – CREATE – INNOVATE (project code: T1EDK-01701).

Laboratory Infrastructure

Three independent, fully equipped experimental greenhouses of 160 sq.m. each.

Four independed and fully automated compartments of a polyethylene covered greenhouse 250 m2 each, equipped with the latest technological systems for greenhouses.

Six independed and fully controlled open bioreactors for microalge production in greenhouses

A plant growth chamber with controlled temperature, relative humidity and CO2 air and light intensity.

Control systems for irrigation and fertilization of hydroponic crops.

Four weather stations measuring and recording microclimate parameters.

Laboratory equipment for measuring physiological parameters of plants and spectrometric properties of covering materials.

Laboratory equipment for sample and analysis of hydroponic nutrient solutions.

Research Results / Products

Development tools to  assist decision making for climate management of greenhouse crops.

Development of a passive solar system for greenhouse heating incorporated in the gutter of hydroponic crops.

Development of a DSS for the management of nutrient solution in closed hydroponic systems.

Development of a DSS for irrigation scheduling of greenhouse soilless crops.

Development of computational tools for the design optimization of Agricultural Structures.

Tracing of pesticides in the greenhouse environment.

Development of a telemetry system to monitor meteorological parameters.

Personnel
Surname Name Profession-Position Email Phone Number Web-link
Κατσούλας
Νικόλαος
Αναπληρωτής Καθηγητής
nkatsoul@uth.gr
+30 24210 93249