Big data, machine learning, and robots could soon run greenhouses.

Ever-increasing populations, less and less arable land, and climatic changes make it increasingly difficult for the planet’s food producers to keep up with demand. Fresh, sustainable food needs to be put on millions of tables and there is a great need to develop new methods for cultivation. Greenhouses and indoor cultivation will become commonplace. AI and machine learning can be deployed with great results in these spaces. (Grodan)

Five reasons why greenhouses will benefit from AI

“I think greenhouses and other indoor growing facilities will play an increasingly important role in meeting the demands for food in the future. Therefore, support of intelligent technology and AI is necessary now more than ever,” says Gursel Karacor, Senior Data Scientist at Grodan.

Grodan invented hydroponic stone wool growing in 1969 as a means of sustainable cultivation. Grodan’s growing media enables its customers to produce more while using less water, nutrients, and space. The technology creates optimal growing conditions for a whole season and allows roots to make better use of the entire substrate.

In the view of Karacor, AI will transform greenhouses and indoor cultivation for the following reasons:

• AI and other automation technologies will be essential to meet the growing demand for food
• Technologies such as machine learning, image recognition, robotics, and edge-AI have come of age and can be deployed in food growing
• Food growers are willing to adopt new technologies
• Big data can provide predictions of yield and intelligent solutions customized for each greenhouse
• Automation of drudge-work such as planting, crop registration, and harvesting by robotic machines.

According to Karacor, Grodan’s latest innovation e-Gro, for example, enables yield prediction for up to four weeks.

He adds that robots could be especially useful in the COVID-triggered emphasis on contactless food growing, and as well improve the efficiency of the process.

In Karacor’s view, big data along with state-of-the-art machine learning and AI methodologies will make fully autonomous greenhouses a reality within five years.

Related Story:  The U.K. Arms Itself With AI to Combat Invasive Plant Species