Industrial hemp production is often influenced by seasonal fluctuations, photoperiod sensitivity, and environmental stressors that can affect plant growth and development. As interest in industrial hemp expands across agricultural, industrial, and research sectors, controlled-environment cultivation presents an opportunity to regulate growing conditions, enhance production consistency, and optimize space utilization. This study focuses on developing a controlled-environment plant growth chamber using a modified shipping container, demonstrating the potential of repurposed infrastructure as a flexible and adaptable system for industrial hemp cultivation.
The growth chamber integrates LED lighting designed to deliver appropriate light intensity and photoperiod management for hemp growth and development. Environmental control systems maintain stable temperature and humidity levels, while airflow management helps reduce localized heat buildup and improves plant uniformity. Automated monitoring allows conditions to be adjusted in real time, supporting repeatable production cycles and experimental consistency.
Testing demonstrated that hemp plants could be successfully cultivated throughout their growth stages inside the container system. Plants developed normally and produced uniform canopies under controlled conditions. The enclosed structure also reduced exposure to weather extremes and external pests, while allowing precise scheduling of vegetative and flowering phases.
The container-based design offers several practical advantages. The unit is portable, scalable, and can be installed in locations where traditional greenhouse construction is impractical. Because the structure is standardized, multiple units can be deployed to expand production capacity or to separate research trials requiring different environmental treatments.
Beyond hemp production, the approach may be applicable to other high-value crops and research settings requiring reproducible environmental conditions. By combining off-the-shelf materials with integrated environmental control technology, the system provides a flexible platform for controlled-environment agriculture, crop physiology research, and specialized plant production.
The study highlights the potential of modular indoor growing systems to support consistent crop production while reducing reliance on seasonal outdoor growing conditions.
Authors include Jordan Prats, Master’s Student and Graduate Research Assistant; Daphne Sugino Souffront, PhD and post-doctoral research associate; Dr. Maruthi Sridhar Bataji Bhaskiar, professor in the Department of Earth and Environment at Florida International University; Dr.Krish Jayachandran, Distinguished University Professor and Co-Director of Agroecology Program, Florida International University.
According to Dr. Jayachandran, “As plant scientists focused on phytochemical production and plant stress, we needed a growth chamber spacious enough to accommodate sufficient replication for statistically robust experiments. Many commercially available growth chambers have limited space, making it difficult to study large plants throughout their entire life cycle. To address this challenge, our team retrofitted an insulated shipping container into a walk-in growth chamber.
The project was inspired by urban farmers in Miami who use shipping containers to
cultivate leafy greens and microgreens within the city. Our design offers a relatively low-
cost, adaptable approach to building large growth chambers that could be replicated in
diverse locations around the world, expanding opportunities for farmers and scientists to
grow and study large plants under controlled environmental conditions. A model system
promoting urban production agriculture.
The full article can be read on the ASHS HortTech electronic Journal website at: https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTTECH05767-25
Established in 1903, the American Society for Horticultural Science is recognized around the world as one of the most respected and influential professional societies for horticultural scientists. ASHS is committed to promoting and encouraging national and international interest in scientific research and education in all branches of horticulture.
Comprised of thousands of members worldwide, ASHS represents a broad cross-section of the horticultural community-scientists, educators, students, landscape and turf managers, government, extension agents and industry professionals. ASHS members focus on practices and problems in horticulture: breeding, propagation, production and management, harvesting, handling and storage, processing, marketing and use of horticultural plants and products. To learn more, visit ashs.org.
