Attendees at the NCR 101 2005 Annual Meeting Tucson, Arizona;
Adamson George Ontario Scientific Inc. adamson@ontarioscientific.ca
ON/Canada;
Albright Lou Cornell University ldai@cornell.edu
NY;
Berry Wade UCLA wberry@biology.ucla.edu
CA;
Berry Betsy wberry@biology.ucla.edu
CA;
Bonsi Conrad Tuskegee University cobonsi@tuskegee.edu
AL;
Both A.J. Rutgers both@AESOP.rutgers.edu
NJ;
Brault Caroline Agritechnove Inc. r.denis@agritechnove.com
QC/Canada;
Broome Amanda Texas Tech University amanda.broome@ttu.edu
TX;
Bugbee Bruce Utah State University bruce.bugbee@usu.edu
UT;
Cohn Roger Environmental Growth Chambers RCohn@egc.com
OH;
Cuello Joel University of Arizona cuello@ag.arizona.edu
AZ;
Deitzer Gerald University of Maryland gfd@umd.edu
MC;
Denis Richard Agritechnove Inc. r.denis@agritechnove.com
QC/Canada;
Dixon Mike University of Guelph mdixon@uoguelph.ca
ON/Canada;
Dougher Tracy Montana State University tracyaod@montana.edu
MT;
Faulkner Shaun University of Maryland ssfaulkn@umd.edu
MD;
Files Priscilla University of Arizona pfiles@ag.arzona.edu
AZ;
Fleisher David USDA dfleishe@asrr.arsusda.gov
MD;
Frantz Jonathan USDA-ARS jonathan.frantz@utoledo.edu
OH;
Gardner Gary University of Minnesota ggardner@umn.edu
MN ;
Giacomelli Gene University of Arizona giacomel@ag.arizona.edu
AZ;
Giroux Richard Canadian Space Agency richard.giroux@space.gc.ca
QC/Canada;
Gladon Richard Iowa State University gladon@iostate.edu
IA;
Grodzinski Bernie University of Guelph bgrodzin@uoguelph.ca
ON/Canada;
Hay Alec Utah State University alec.hay@usu.edu
UT;
Imberti Henry Percival Scientific Inc. himberti@percival-scientific.com
IA;
Jensen Merle University of Arizona mjensen@ag.arizona.edu
AZ;
Kanwar Ramesh Iowa State University rskanwar@iastate.edu
IA;
Karlsson Meriam University of Alaska ffmgk@uaf.edu
AK;
Kettner Fern Enconair brucek@enconair.com
Manitoba/Canada;
Kettner Bruce Enconair brucek@enconair.com
Manitoba/Canada;
Kim Hyeon-Hye Nasa Biological Sciences Office hyeonhye.kim-1@ksc.nasa.gov
FL;
Krizek Donald USDA, ARS, ANRI, Sustainable Agr. Systems Lab krizekd@ba.ars.usda.gov
MD;
Krizek Betty dtk35@hotmail.com
MD;
Kroggel Mark University of Arizona kroggel@ag.arizona.edu
AZ;
Kubota Chieri University of Arizona ckubota@ag.arizona.edu
AZ;
Ling Peter The Ohio State University ling.23@osu.edu
OH;
Mackenzie Marlene Argus Control Systems Ltd. mmackenzie@arguscontrols.com
BC/Canada;
Mackenzie Alec Argus Control Systems Ltd. alec@arguscontrols.com
BC/Canada;
Massa Gioia Purdue University gmassa@purdue.edu
IN;
McAvoy Richard University of Connecticut richard.mcavoy@uconn.edu
CT;
Mitchell Cary Purdue University cmitchel@purdue.edu
IN;
Morrow Robert C. Orbital Technologies Corp. morrow@orbitel.com
WI;
Mortley Desmond Tuskegee University mortleyd@tuskegee.edu
AL;
Mukanik Bill Conviron bill@conviron.com
NC;
Norikane Joey University of Kentucky jnorikane@bae.uky.edu
KY;
Ono Eiichi University of Arizona eiichi@email.arizona.edu
AZ;
Pollock Robert Southern Sun BioSystems robert@sosun.com
NC;
Prenger Jessica Dynamac Corporation prengjj@kscems.ksc.nasa.gov
FL;
Reid Sharon Conviron sharon@conviron.com
NC;
Rink Westin Controlled Pharming Ventures, LLC w.rink@insightbb.com
IN;
Romer Mark McGill University Phytotron mark.romer@mcgill.ca
QC/Canada;
Rule A.O. Environmental Growth Chambers aorule@egc.com
OH;
Sadler Phil Sadler Machine Co. sadlermachineco@aol.com AZ;
Sager John Kennedy Space Center john.c.sager@nasa.gov
FL;
Saravitz Carole North Carolina State University carole@ncsu.edu
NC;
Schuch Ursula University of Arizona ukschuch@ag.arzona.edu
AZ;
Snider Melissa U.S. Space & Rocket Center melissas@spacecamp.com
AL;
Soutar Bonnie mark.romer@mcgill.ca
QC/Canada;
Starr Stan Dynamac Corporation starrso@kscems.ksc.nasa.gov
FL;
Stutte Gary Kennedy Space Center stuttgw@kscems.ksc.nasa.gov
FL;
Theroux Marc Enconair mtheroux@enconair.com
Manitoba/Canada;
Turkewitsch Alex Greenhouse Engineering alex@greenhouseengineering.com
ON/Canada;
van der Walle Tom Rutgers NJ;
van Iersel Marc University of Georgia mvanier@uga.edu
GA;
Warner Ryan Michigan State University warnerry@msu.edu
MI;
Werner Jeff University of Alaska fnjww@uaf.edu
AK;
Wheeler Ray Kennedy Space Center raymond.m.wheeler@nasa.gov
FL;
Yang Yang Purdue University yang71@purdue.edu
IN;
Yorio Neil Dynamac Corporation yorionc@kscems.ksc.nasa.gov
FL
Project/Activity Number: NCR-101
Project/Activity Title: Annual Committee Meeting
Period Covered: 10/2004 9/2005
Date of This Report: February 6, 2006
Annual Meeting Date(s): March 12 15, 2005
Participants:
See the attached list on pages 5-7.
Brief summary of minutes of annual meeting:
Meeting Synopsis
The 2005 NCR-101 committee meeting was held at the University of Arizona in Tuscon, AZ. This year was the 30th anniversary of the committees founding. The meeting was well attended by over 50 academic, industry, and government scientists and engineers. Information and ideas were exchanged among attendees pertaining to results of research activities and technological developments in controlled environment facilities.
Administrative Advisor Report
Ramesh Kanwar provided a handout on NCRA regional updates and described new changes in annual reporting. The importance of the committees work should be stressed in the annual report. The NCR committee, which is a multi-state committee, may receive a new name in the future, beginning with the prefix NCCC-xxxx or NCERA-xxxx.
Mailing List and Membership Report
Mark Romer reported on the current NCR-101 membership (130 members). There were 94 institutions from 10 countries that comprised the membership. Approximately 95% of all members attended the committee meetings every 3 to 5 years. New institutions from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States were added to the list.
Instrumentation Package Report
Bruce Bugbee reported information on the instrument package from the past year. Different packages were available for on-site calibration of quantum sensors and UV meters. Older instruments, such as net radiometers, will be made available upon request. The importance of calibrating sensors in the same environments in which they are used was discussed. This discussion highlighted the significance of providing the NCR101 instrumentation package to members at a reasonable cost.
USDA Impact Statement
The requirement to renew the committees mandate every 5 years was discussed. Dave Fleisher, Dick Gladden, Ray Wheeler, Chieri Kubota, and Desmond Mortley agreed to write the statement.
Minimum Reporting Guidelines Report
A.J. Both described the progress in developing minimum measurement and reporting guidelines for research work in controlled environments. Guideline brochures were distributed to different member institutions and a large poster of the guidelines was to be presented at the 2005 ASHS meetings. Information was also posted on the NCR-101 website. A.J. Both agreed to wait for additional feedback on the guidelines and develop future revisions as necessary. Chieri Kubota indicated that the NCR-101 guidelines may be adaptable for use in tissue culture operations.
Travel Grant Status
Chieri Kubota announced that approximately $250 was left from travel funds that supported members for the 2004 meeting in Brisbane, Australia. It was suggested that these funds should be used to hire students to scan the pages of the Plant Growth Chambers Handbook.
Station Reports
Oral station reports were presented by the various members.
New Business
Incoming Secretary
Erik Runkles nomination as the incoming secretary was approved collectively by the entire committee.
2006 Meeting
Peter Ling and A.O. Rule agreed that the 2006 meeting would be hosted by Ohio State University jointly with EGC, Inc.
2007 Meeting
Discussion was held on whether to make the 2007 meeting an international venue. It was agreed to keep this meeting in the United States with a future meeting place to be decided upon at a later time.
International Meeting
It was suggested that the group consider an international meeting in either 2008 or 2009. Kennedy Space Center, a location in the U.K., or McGill University (Canada) were suggested as potential locations.
Accomplishments:
The overall goal of the committee is to develop or improve the theory and practice of controlled environment technology with particular reference to problems important to the North Central Region. As a non-funded committee, the objectives of NCR-101 are based on communication and coordination. Accomplishments are listed for the 05 meeting as follows:
1. Technical Advancement: Scientific discussion of topics including (but not limited to) sensor development, limitations, and possible new applications were held during the business meeting and station reports portion of the conference. The technical information exchanged during these sessions helped to identify areas of growth chamber technology that could be improved for research and commercial practice.
2. Technology Transfer: The growth chamber industry was well represented by the major United States and Canadian based manufacturers and sensor companies (greater than 20% of attendees). Discussions during the oral presentations portion of the meeting helped to disseminate new ideas and developments between industry and scientists (and vice versa).
3. Guidelines and Standard: Minimum guidelines for measuring and reporting environmental parameters for experiments on plants in growth rooms and chambers were developed. Work continues on soliciting feedback and revising / improving the guidelines. In addition, avenues for distributing the guidelines to other colleagues outside the NCR-101 committees area of expertise (such as tissue culture research) were discussed.
4. Communication: Current research activities and industry developments were discussed in detail among conference participants. The meeting was also well-attended by post-doctoral committee members and graduate students. All participants had an opportunity to see the controlled environment research facilities of the University of Arizona. The committee also recognized the effort of academic, government, and industrial partners in the NCR 101 committee who provided long-term (> 20 years) service and leadership to the committee.
Future potential accomplishments
Planning for the annual meeting in 2006 is already underway. A historical strength of the committee has been its fostering of partnerships between manufacturers, researchers, and growth chamber operators. The committee expects that these partnerships will continue to fuel the development of new technologies and benefit all parties involved. The committee will also continue to strongly support the standardization of approved research practices and instrumentation.
Accomplishments:
The overall goal of the committee is to develop or improve the theory and practice of controlled environment technology with particular reference to problems important to the North Central Region. As a non-funded committee, the objectives of NCR-101 are based on communication and coordination. Accomplishments are listed for the 05 meeting as follows:
1. Technical Advancement: Scientific discussion of topics including (but not limited to) sensor development, limitations, and possible new applications were held during the business meeting and station reports portion of the conference. The technical information exchanged during these sessions helped to identify areas of growth chamber technology that could be improved for research and commercial practice.
2. Technology Transfer: The growth chamber industry was well represented by the major United States and Canadian based manufacturers and sensor companies (greater than 20% of attendees). Discussions during the oral presentations portion of the meeting helped to disseminate new ideas and developments between industry and scientists (and vice versa).
3. Guidelines and Standard: Minimum guidelines for measuring and reporting environmental parameters for experiments on plants in growth rooms and chambers were developed. Work continues on soliciting feedback and revising / improving the guidelines. In addition, avenues for distributing the guidelines to other colleagues outside the NCR-101 committees area of expertise (such as tissue culture research) were discussed.
4. Communication: Current research activities and industry developments were discussed in detail among conference participants. The meeting was also well-attended by post-doctoral committee members and graduate students. All participants had an opportunity to see the controlled environment research facilities of the University of Arizona. The committee also recognized the effort of academic, government, and industrial partners in the NCR 101 committee who provided long-term (> 20 years) service and leadership to the committee.
Future potential accomplishments
Planning for the annual meeting in 2006 is already underway. A historical strength of the committee has been its fostering of partnerships between manufacturers, researchers, and growth chamber operators. The committee expects that these partnerships will continue to fuel the development of new technologies and benefit all parties involved. The committee will also continue to strongly support the standardization of approved research practices and instrumentation.
- -Minimum reporting and measurement guidelines for environmental parameters in controlled environments were developed and are being disseminated to scientific colleagues through printed media and presentations at professional conferences. Such guidelines help to standardize and improve the quality of research being conducted in controlled environments.
- -The NCR-101 instrumentation package is available for rent to all growth chamber practitioners and operators for a small maintenance fee. The instruments in the package can be used to characterize environmental parameters in the growth chamber and for on-site calibration of existing sensors. On-site calibration is important because sensor performance can vary depending on the environmental conditions for which they are operated in.
- The annual committee meeting was well-represented by industry, government, and academic members. Out of 70 attendees, over 20% were from the growth chamber / sensor manufacturing industry. Thus, for 2005, the meetings were an excellent forum for information exchange and technology transfer.
- In an effort to improve communication and technology transfer among controlled environment practitioners, an updated website (http://ncr101.montana.edu/default.htm) contains downloadable files of NCR-101 activities including member station reports, minutes, meeting highlights, and membership information.
- Future Potential Impacts:
For 2006, the minimum guidelines for reporting environmental conditions in growth environments will continue to be revised. Opportunities for dissemination and / or developing related guidelines for other research areas (such as tissue culture) will be evaluated. The committee will continue to encourage participation from the next generation of growth chamber users, manufacturers, and scientists, promoting technological advancement and transfer. The committee intends on maintaining its international connections with groups in the U.K., Australia, and New Zealand by developing an international meeting targeted for 2008 (a similar meeting was held in 2004).
Publications:
International Committee for Controlled Environment Guidelines. March 2004. Brochure: Minimum Guidelines for Measuring and Reporting Environmental Parameters for Experiments on Plants in Growth Chambers and Rooms.
International Committee for Controlled Environment Guidelines. December 2004. Poster: Do You Accurately Measure and Report the Growing Conditions of Your Controlled Environment Experiments?
Sager, J.C., J.H. Norikane, A.J. Both, and T.W. Tibbitts. July 2005. Quality Assurance for Environment of Plant Growth Facilities. ASAE paper No. 05-4137. ASAE, 2950 Niles Road, St. Joseph, MI 49085-9659, USA. 11 pp.