“The implementation of
sensor matrices throughout
growrooms are giving modern
cultivators a real-time understanding
of garden environments.”
Also, many indoor gardens have drastically different
environmental conditions throughout a room, as well as
“dead spots” in air circulation. To alleviate many of these
challenges, tech companies have devised both soil meters
and atmospheric sensors that can detect anomalies in the
growroom before they start to express themselves negatively
in plant health. Concerning moisture meters in grow
mediums, they give cultivators a real-time understanding of
watering needs in their gardens, helping avoid issues with
overwatering. Individual atmospheric sensors give a reading
on environmental conditions throughout a growroom and
various parts of a garden canopy, which can be proactively
rectified to avoid issues with mold and pathogens.
Software
One of the largest tech crazes in commercial CEA growing
today has to do with software programs, as computers
can utilize data metrics to help streamline production. For
example, according to the website Fortune, the vertical
farming company Bowery “has developed what it says
is a proprietary software system with a robust network
of sensors that takes in data in real time to determine
outcomes like the quality, texture, color, and yield of
its plants.” While it is evident that the sort of software
being developed by Bowery is beyond the scope of the
hobbyist grower, its efficacy for commercial applications
is noteworthy. Because, when used in conjunction with
sensors, this software can track and catalogue many fine
nuances of CEA growing — a practice that is literally
beyond the scope of human capabilities. As such,
software programs can provide information on almost
every aspect of a garden, providing the most efficient
troubleshooting platforms horticulture has ever known.
Shelving
While many people don’t necessarily consider shelving
to be high-tech, the use of shelving units engineered
specifically for cultivation have literally revolutionized
indoor gardening methods in the past decade. Currently,
the practice of vertical farming would be non-existent
without these forward-looking infrastructures. It’s
important to note vertical farming shelf units are
engineered to do far more than hold plants; the most
advanced units have electrical and irrigation components
built into the shelves. Similarly, and in tune with vertical
farming’s themes of sustainability and efficiency, these
shelves integrate with macro-hydroponics systems and
are easily reorganized and moved. Finally, certain brands
of shelving units are motorized and can shift different
parts of the garden canopy throughout the day to ensure
maximized usage of available light.
Robotics
Commercial agriculture businesses have begun imple-
menting robotics to handle some of the more tedious
and laborious facets of cultivation, like plant pruning.
However, there is an increasing upsurge in robotics
designs for the home-based, hobbyist gardener. To illus-
trate, the company FarmBot has devised a robot that
handles most gardening chores for small, raised bed
gardens. The design team at FarmBot put together a robot
that is mounted onto a frame which is compatible with
square or rectangular garden beds. The hardware of the
FarmBot is integrated with data analytics software which
can program the robot to accomplish most garden tasks,
including tilling, weeding, planting, watering, and spray-
ing. While this robot gardening technology is still far from
the mainstream and retails for a hefty $4,000, it presents
an interesting tech tool for those gardeners interested in
experimenting with the cutting-edge of home cultivation.
Sensors (top), robotics (center), and software (bottom), are all advancing
in technology and implemetation throughout the growing industry.
36
Maximum Yield
Gardening technology has grown exponentially in
its breadth and sophistication. However, it’s also
evident that no technology presents a cure-all for all
horticultural processes and operations. That being said,
a majority of new advancements in equipment and
software are more applicable in commercial operations,
with a potential trickle-down into home-based tech such
as the FarmBot. Looking forward, it will be interesting
to see how technological innovations will influence
gardening practices in the future.