The Data Driven roadmap towards accurate yield predictions

Niels Roijakkers | Crop Manager | Greenco

In recent years, the Data-Driven Growing strategy has become increasingly important in the horticultural sector. This strategy combines plant physiology with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and algorithms based on greenhouse data. This helps growers analyze harvest forecasts and balance the plant balances. With this growers can optimize the quantity and quality of their production.

The roadmap to Data-Driven Growing is not a blueprint; every grower chooses their own strategic direction and can implement the strategy at their own pace.

Some growers apply proven growing strategies, while others try to find undiscovered growing strategies. An example of this last group is Greenco, the international grower of snack vegetables. Hidden in a mass of data, they constantly find new insights with regard to plant conditions and plant health. By applying the Data-Driven Growing principles Greenco developed an innovative strategy with which they continuously move forward. This strategy allows Geenco to anticipate potential problems and change weather conditions faster. This way the climate conditions in the greenhouse can be optimized, which leads to maximized yields.

Eight years ago Greenco entered the road toward Data-Driven Growing. This was a gradual process of small steps. First, they started to compare the manually entered data with automatic sensor-generated data. The added value of the data platform became increasingly clear and eventually essential for Greenco. For example, by using data the harvest forecasts became more accurate and Greenco can now anticipate varying growing conditions and market demand. By combining data with plant physiology they learn to better understand plant behavior.

Learning is an active process; Greenco is constantly challenging itself to produce more with less. By applying the Harvest Forecast module Greenco can calculate a harvest forecast one week in advance for the coming four weeks. This module is customized to the growing conditions of snack tomatoes. With the Harvest Forecast module Greenco can align the production with the market demand and at the same time anticipate changing weather conditions. Thanks to this module Greenco is always in control.

In the Greenco “Control Room” all cultivation data is analyzed to ensure the product meets the market demand and the sustainability and quality of the products are maintained. Green always wants to stay ahead and will continue to use new technologies. By applying a Data-Driven Growing strategy Greenco can offer every consumer the opportunity to eat healthy food the easy way.

Insight through data analysis

Next to Greenco, many other growers use the Harvest Forecast module to improve decision-making and optimize production. By combining technology with plant physiology, accurate harvest forecasts are obtained. With these new analytical insights, growers can enhance their business performance.