Adding Tech Hardware and Software To Your Grow
Greenhouse computers and equipment have transformed how we grow. The IoT is pushing the future of farming to the next level, and smart agriculture is becoming more commonplace among growers. High tech cultivation is quickly becoming the standard thanks to agricultural automation, all operating on your greenhouse computer.
Why Smart Farming?
Smart farming addresses several critical environmental and social issues, including growing populations, climate change, pesticide use, resource waste, and labor costs that can benefit from technological advances. Farmers and growers are responsible for 70% of freshwater use today. Access to smart motor controllers, sensors, heat mapping, automated fertigation systems, data management, and machine learning via the Internet of Things technologies can address these growing concerns about sustainability. Greenhouses and indoor grow operations have an incredible amount of technological tools available to help them create an environmentally friendly and profitable smart farm.
How Smart Is Your Grow Operation?
Are you using the latest technology to drive larger yields, save money on resources, and automate the majority of your labor-intensive tasks? If not, it's time to upgrade your greenhouse or cultivation room into a smart farm. Here's what you need:
- Software. This is the brains of your smart farm operation. Automation requires data collection so you can convert that knowledge into actionable insights that will enhance your operation.
- Hardware. Building an IoT system to convert your greenhouse into a smart farm requires installing sensors to provide real-time feedback on the processes you want to monitor and automate.
- Mobile App. Smart grow systems typically have a mobile app to remotely access data, change rules, or be alerted to changing conditions that may require your additional attention.
- Maintenance. Most equipment in your grow room or greenhouse requires some maintenance, and your smart farm technology is no different. Sensors, fertigation pumps, and other hardware will require maintenance to ensure you're getting accurate data and dosing.
There are many options for finding the right solution for your greenhouse or indoor cultivation operation. Do your research and make sure that you can source your automation tools from a reputable company that offers customer support. These are complicated systems to install, and working with a team who can assist during that process will provide peace of mind as you take on that project.
Farming has witnessed several technological upgrades in the last decades, becoming more technology-driven. By using various ag-tech devices, growers have gained better control over growing crops, making it more predictable, profitable, environmentally friendly, and efficient.