Nebraska Innovation Campus Greenhouse Innovation Center

The Greenhouse Innovation Center can be found on the 250-acre, public-private research and technology park which is to eventually consist of more than 2 million square feet of research, meeting and office space. Located on Nebraska Innovation Campus, the project consisted of two 7,500 SF adjacent four-season greenhouses, a headhouse with 20,000 SF of research labs, offices and support spaces and 8,200 SF of mechanical space. The single story building is comprised of CMU and steel structure with brick veneer and fiber cement siding on the exterior. The greenhouses have a 22 ft. eave height with a 27 ft. high ridge. 

The greenhouses are equipped with a LemnaTec phenotyping system – one of only a few such systems in the world. This particular system was tailored specifically for Greenhouse Innovation Center and will enable UNL researchers to follow plant growth in varied climates and conditions. Conveyors move plants through various chambers outfitted with scales, pumps and imaging equipment, measuring temperature, chlorophyll content and physical characteristics such as growth rates. The cameras and software allow researchers to advance plant and food science by assessing complex traits and characteristics as the plants endure drought and high-salinity environments. Air handler units provide heating and cooling to the greenhouse chambers, allowing studies to be conducted year-round. Additional building features include LED grow lights, acid/fertilizer injection systems, a humidification system and a controls system which operates lighting, light levels, HVAC and humidification throughout.