by Kent Gruetzmacher
The legalization of cannabis has been a boon for technological advancement in cannabis production . With a wide array of tools and tech available , Kent Gruetzmacher examines the latest automation trends in marijuana cultivation .
Indoor cannabis cultivation has always been intimately bound to the technology supporting it . However , our motivations for using this equipment have changed over time . Originally , indoor garden technology was developed so people could grow cannabis inside their homes without being arrested . Today , as this lineage of innovation has evolved with the times , we see a fruitful field of horticultural tech featuring such sci-fi level gadgetry as trim robotics . In modern cannabis production , our biggest motivator for technological advancement is no longer secrecy : it is profitability . The initial transition of cannabis cultivation from “ underground ” to “ above ground ” brought with it a storehouse of knowledge on cannabis botany . Yet , many commercial producers have struggled to transition this knowledge into profitable business models . In 2020 , innovation in horticultural technology was dedicated almost exclusively to operational efficiency . Looking specifically at automation in cultivation , commercial growers are using computers , robots , machines , and more to increase profitability on several fronts . Without further introduction , here are the latest automation options for cannabis cultivation .
Garden Management Software
Leading cannabis producers use software to organize raw garden data into intelligible information , so garden management software is a noteworthy new automation option for commercial cannabis growers . For indoor and greenhouse cultivators , the use of atmospheric sensors and moisture meters is nothing new . Similarly , the cannabis industry has had smart grow technology — like environmental controllers — for many years . With this marriage of technology , sensors and brains work together in regulating such things as lighting , temperature , humidity , and CO 2 . However , until the advent of garden management software , growers lacked a platform that organizes this raw data in a fashion that is relevant for operational efficiency . Leading garden management software like Grodan ’ s e-gro gives cultivators the ability to understand garden inputs and weigh them against performance . Now producers can make educated decisions on vital operating expenses such as electricity , labor , fertilizer , and materials . They can also track strain performance from harvest-to-harvest and create accurate projections for sales teams .
Inspection Drones
In both industrial and hobbyist applications , drone technology has taken the globe by storm . Whether it be with industrial agriculture or national defense , people utilize the advanced camera systems on drones to monitor critical activity and the cannabis industry is no exception to our newfound fascination with drone technology . Thus far , drone technology has made the biggest splash in commercial hemp production . Commercial hemp farmers are using drones to carefully monitor their crops in an extremely efficient fashion as a drone can monitor acreage exponentially faster than your average cultivation technician working on foot . Today , hemp growers use drone technology to monitor plant counts , fertilizer imbalances , and pathogen activity .
Looking more specifically to cannabis , these applications are quite promising for monitoring powdery mildew and botrytis deep within a tightly packed garden canopy . Forward-thinking drone companies like Precision Hawk are giving farmers the capabilities to efficiently manage hemp farms to the tune of hundreds of acres and beyond . Drone technology can save cannabis growers significant labor costs in monitoring garden health .
Trim Robotics
In an article titled “ Big Cannabis Technologically Ahead of its Time , But Post-Harvest Automation Remains Elusive ,” Forbes identifies trimming as the facet of commercial production lacking most in technological advancement . While growers have seen countless new gadgets to monitor and control cultivation environments , the harvest-side of the operation still leaves ample room for innovation . Hence the introduction of the trim robot . The legalization and commercialization of cannabis has upended the methods growers have traditionally used to trim cannabis flowers . As such , trimmers have become increasingly popular with commercial producers as they greatly reduce labor costs needed to process a harvest . Yet , many people complain these machines are “ tough ” on flowers and miss many of the fine points of hand trimming — specifically excess leaves and stems .
“ In modern cannabis production , our biggest motivator for technological advancement is no longer secrecy : it is profitability .”
Bloom Automation has developed a “ Robotic Trimming Solution ” in hopes of balancing out the need for human craftsmanship and machine affordability in cannabis harvest operations . Proprietary technology as “ Machine Vision Algorithms ” are touted as being able to trim cannabis flowers with both “ human accuracy ” and robotic efficiency . Be sure to keep your eye on the trim robots from Bloom Automation as they continue to refine and perfect this technology .
Summary
Indoor cannabis cultivation and technology enjoy a fruitful exchange of energies that lead to creativity and innovation . This dialogue has led us to the modern legal cannabis space , where operational efficiency is quickly becoming our primary focus . As we come to redefine our methods in the quest for sustained profitability , automation options like garden management software , drone technology , and trim robots will pay increasing dividends .
Looking to the future , it will be exciting to see what innovations come next in the cannabis space .
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