To meet current multiple challenges, growers of greenhouse plants and container-grown nursery plants require innovative production technology. An innovative closed, insulated pallet system (CIPS) has been designed to meet these challenges, including: 1) elimination of production related pollution (i.e. wastewater discharge and aerial drift); 2) reduction and conservation of energy, chemical, soil and water; 3) elimination of marked, seasonal fluctuation in labor requirement and total labor requirement through palletization and mechanization; 4) effective integration of biological controls, beneficial microorganisms and improvement of plant production environment thereby enhancing plant's ability to withstand pathogens and insects; S) plant root protection from temperature extremes and fluctuations; and 6) more efficient plant handling and shipping. Ability of CIPS to address these challenges will be studied by an interdisciplinary research team from Oregon State University, Oregon Graduate Center and USDA Horticultural Crops Research Laboratory cooperating with Briggs Nursery staff to: evaluate alternative construction materials; evaluate effect of volume heat capacity and insulation characteristics on uniform, viable rootzone temperature maintenance; establish stable, rootzone chemical and moisture gradients and beneficial microorganisms in unique rootzone niches; evaluate plant pathogen epidemiology.Applications:If, through research, hypothesized physical, chemical and biological advantages of CIPS can be realized, industry adoption of CIPS would drastically reduce water, chemical, energy inputs into greenhouse and nursery crop production and would eliminate production related pollution. CIPS would reduce water and fertilizer up to 8096; eliminate nursery overwintering costs (structures and plant movement); decrease greenhouse heating costs/energy 6096 or more; increase reliability of establishment and maintenance of beneficial biological organisms in root zone and expedite integration of biological controls; facilitate mycorrhizae and other beneficial microorganisms in production system to increase transplant survival.
