101: Controlled Agriculture Demo

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Change the Colors 

Interactive Laboratory  
  • Blue: 400-500 nm  
  • Red: 600-700 nm  
  • Far-red: 735 nm  
  • White (5700K)  

Growing with Light  

Controlled Environment Horticulture (CEH)  

Turn the dials to change the different colors (wavelengths) of light.  

This area is an indoor space that uses technology, like light, to help plants grow. This is called Controlled Environment Horticulture (CEH). The light used in this space is from light-emitting diodes (LEDs). These lights are bright and use very little energy. 

The different colors we see depends on the wavelength of light. The human eye can see wavelengths between 380-770 nanometers (nm) and plants use light in this range (400-700 nm) to grow! See the color ranges in Figure 1. Plants use blue and red light to make energy, and far-red light helps many plants flower. Turn the white LED dial and you’ll see that the plants appear green; this is because the leaves reflect green wavelengths of light.  

Visit the CEH Lab on the 2nd floor to learn more about lighting research at CSU.

Figure 1. LED colors (wavelengths) of light. Find BLUE at 400-500 nm, GREEN at 500-600 nm, RED at 600-700 nm, and FAR-RED at 700-800 nm.  

TONY FRANK

Chancellor, CSU System

Dr. Tony Frank is the Chancellor of the CSU System. He previously served for 11 years as the 14th president of CSU in Fort Collins. Dr. Frank earned his undergraduate degree in biology from Wartburg College, followed by a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Illinois, and a Ph.D. and residencies in pathology and toxicology at Purdue. Prior to his appointment as CSU’s president in 2008, he served as the University’s provost and executive vice president, vice president for research, chairman of the Pathology Department, and Associate Dean for Research in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. He was appointed to a dual role as Chancellor in 2015 and became full-time System chancellor in July 2019.

Dr. Frank serves on a number of state and national boards, has authored and co-authored numerous scientific publications, and has been honored with state and national awards for his leadership in higher education.

Dr. Frank and his wife, Dr. Patti Helper, have three daughters.

Wave art
CSU Spur is turning 2! Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025.

It’s our anniversary!

It’s our anniversary! CSU Spur has been fully open to the public, sharing hands-on, family-friendly activities around food, water, and health for two years. Join us on Saturday, Jan. 11, for 2nd Saturday activities, including desserts, a mariachi performance, face painters, horses on treadmills, veterinarians in surgery, scientists in labs, and more. The celebration is from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and CSU Spur will be open 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; no registration required, all public activities are free.

2nd Saturday at CSU Spur is presented by Canvas Credit Union.

JOCELYN HITTLE

Associate Vice President for CSU Spur, Colorado State University

Jocelyn Hittle is primarily focused on the CSU Spur campus at the National Western Center, and on supporting sustainability goals across CSU’s campuses. She sits on the Denver Mayor’s Sustainability Advisory Council, on the Advisory Committee for the Coors Western Art Show, and is a technical advisor for the AASHE STARS program.

Prior to joining CSU, Jocelyn was the Associate Director of PlaceMatters, a national urban planning think tank, and worked for the Orton Family Foundation. She has a degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Princeton, and a Masters in Environmental Management from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.

Jocelyn grew up in Colorado and spends her free time in the mountains or exploring Denver.

Wave art

We’ll see you Saturday!

2nd Saturday at CSU Spur is 10 a.m.-2 p.m. this Saturday (May 10), and we’re celebrating Mother’s Day with all kinds of spring activities, including mariachi performances, songwriting labs, a Temple Grandin Equine Center equine-assisted therapy demonstration, a visit from the Sci on the Fly truck, and more!