Key Takeaways
- AI Integration in Horticulture: More horticultural companies globally are turning to AI to manage labor shortages and enhance crop management efficiency.
- Blue Radix’s Crop Controller: This Autonomous Growing system is increasingly adopted for managing crops autonomously in greenhouses, offering a solution to ongoing labor challenges.
- Enhanced Work Efficiency: AI systems like Crop Controller optimize crop yields and alleviate daily pressures on growers, enabling better management of larger areas.
- Support from Industry Leaders: CEOs of pioneering horticultural companies highlight the importance of AI in modern agricultural practices.
- Continuous Improvement and Feedback: Ongoing developments in AI systems are geared towards better usability and functionality, with input from end users shaping future enhancements.
Embracing AI in Global Horticulture
Artificial intelligence (AI) integration in horticulture is gaining momentum as companies worldwide address critical labor shortages and strive for enhanced operational efficiency. Blue Radix, with its Autonomous Growing system known as Crop Controller, is at the forefront of this transformation. The system utilizes complex data and AI to manage crop cultivation within greenhouses autonomously.
Strategic Adoption and Implementation
Village Farms, a significant operator in cultivating tomatoes and cannabis over 92 hectares, illustrates the AI system’s impact. Mike DeGiglio, CEO of Village Farms, explained the strategic importance of AI in agriculture. “Finding world-class growers is an almost impossible task. Autonomous Growing solves that problem, provided you get everyone within the organization on board,” DeGiglio said. He emphasized that for AI integration to succeed, it must be embraced across the company: “Because the company’s CEO should not impose it. It can be a success if it is widely embraced and seen as an important tool for the future.”
Personal Service and Partnership
Blue Radix’s personal approach to implementing Crop Controller is also a crucial factor in its adoption. DeGiglio appreciates the support provided by Blue Radix, noting, “At Blue Radix, they know how it works, and they can give the users of Crop Controller that bit of extra confidence and support.”
Boosting Productivity and Well-being
Theo van Noord, CEO of Noordhuys Tomatoes, which operates 38.5 hectares of tomatoes across four locations, also testified to the benefits of AI. “AI solutions can store and process more information and data than a human. With this data, AI can make the best possible decision for the crop,” van Noord said. He highlighted the practical impact: “The system helps our growers to manage more area than before. This is possible because AI ensures that the climate is controlled at least as well as a specialist can do this.”
Supporting Growth and Employee Satisfaction
Marion van Gog, CEO at Van Gog Kwekerijen, further underscored the importance of AI for scaling up operations sustainably. “Growers are becoming increasingly scarce and the people we employ are coming under increasing pressure,” she stated. Van Gog views Autonomous Growing as essential for supporting growers and sustaining production growth.
Future Directions and Innovations
As these technologies evolve, feedback from users like van Noord and Van Gog is invaluable. Van Gog elaborated on the participatory development process: “With Blue Radix, companies can also actively think and work on this relatively young development. Collecting data and perfecting the system takes time. But in the meantime, we as users can express our wishes and propose improvements.”
Conclusion
A strategic embrace of technology marks the shift towards AI in horticulture to solve practical challenges such as labor shortages and the need for efficient crop management. As AI technologies like Blue Radix’s Crop Controller continue to evolve, they promise to enhance agricultural productivity and sustainability further, shaping the future of farming in greenhouses worldwide.
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