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Towards an autonomous Greenhouse

Greenhouse horticulture plays an important role in the year-round production of fresh, healthy and high quality products. The production has to be economically viable and sustainable in the use of natural resources, such as water, nutrients and energy. The area for protected cultivation is increasing around the world. The limiting factor is becoming the availability of sufficient highly qualified staff with knowledge of cultivation of a high-quality product, who can oversee all aspects of an efficient production system with minimal use of resources. More automation is therefore required.

In AGROS, we work on the realization of the ‘autonomous greenhouse’ in which cultivation is controlled remotely via intelligent algorithms, based on measurements of climate and crop properties collected by an array of intelligent sensors.

The project is divided into three workpackages:

  1. Understanding crop physiology in response to changing environmental conditions
  2. Translation of data from sensors to crop parameters and crop responses
  3. Autonomous greenhouse control through (climate-plant) sensor-driven-intelligent algorithms

For more information see “Workpackages”

Sensor for crop light interception

PAR (Photosynthetically Active Radiation, 400 – 700 nm) is the driving force for photosynthesis and thereby also for crop growth and production. Light interception by the crop is an important trait. In general, growers aim to maintain such a leaf area that the crop has (nearly) full light interception. In order to estimate this, they [ … ]

Model-driven greenhouse cultivation is getting shape

Being a grower is becoming an increasingly complex task, especially since cultivation areas have increased considerably over the last decade. More and more is at stake and the number of factors to take into account increases. Autonomous cultivation can then be a welcome support. Autonomous cultivation implies that an algorithm takes care of daily cultivation [ … ]

First meeting AGROS – Exchange between the three sectors

On May 31, 2022 representatives of the 3 sectors were invited to share experiences within AGROS. Some 20 participants listened to the visions that are the basis for the activities per sector. Renske Landeweert (IMEC-One Planet) kicked off with their vision on the developments in data use. IMEC-One Planet works at the forefront of chip [ … ]

Lettuce for the third international Greenhouse Challenge

Third edition of the Autonomous Greenhouse Challenge

In 2021/2022, the third edition of the Autonomous Greenhouse Challenge was organised, in which lettuce had to be grown fully automated. On July 1, the results will be presented at the International Autonomous Greenhouse Event at the business unit Greenhouse Horticulture of Wageningen University & Research in Bleiswijk, The Netherlands.  Since years Wageningen University & [ … ]

video over de autonome kas

Watch the new video on the development of an autonomous greenhouse in AGROS

In the AGROS project ‘Towards an autonomous greenhouse’, WUR Greenhouse Horticulture researchers are working together with business partners to realise fully automated cultivation in greenhouses. The project team explains: “We have taken steps from data collection with sensors, to data-driven support of cultivation, and the development of intelligent algorithms. Soon we hope to be able [ … ]

The AGROS program

The AGROS programme is a collaboration between Wageningen University & Research (WUR) and 29 private partners, with funding provided by two of the Top Sectors programmes: Agri & Food and Horticulture & Starting Materials. AGROS stands for ‘Evolution to sustainable AGRicultural Operation Systems’. The main goal is to develop tools that can support production that is based on natural, biological and ecological processes and thereby steer production towards sustainable use of inputs like energy, water, plant protection, products and labour. The knowledge obtained from the research and experiments, and the professional guidance provided will benefit the participating arable and dairy farmers, greenhouse growers and technology companies. Over the next four years, the business community and the government will invest more than €6.5 million in this programme.