Although many people in Canada and elsewhere may not have heard of the International Autonomous Greenhouse Challenge, Cameron Newbigging of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada believes it is one of the most exciting developments in the Ontario produce scene, and it revolves around artificial intelligence or AI.
Dr. Xiuming Hao worked with researchers from Microsoft Corporation and its AI for Earth initiative to compete against teams from Intel, Tencent, and a control group of human greenhouse growers from Wageningen University in the Netherlands.
The inaugural challenge ran from September to December 2018.
In this timeframe, Dr. Hao and the “Sonoma” team built an efficient, autonomous system to remotely operate a greenhouse. Temperature and moisture data along with plant images were put into an artificial intelligence system, which then determined the appropriate distribution and intensity of artificial light, water, carbon dioxide, and nutrients for each plant, as well as controlling roof ventilation and other variables to maximize biomass.
The biomass was cucumbers: 55 kilograms per square meter to be exact, with a net profit of 25 euros or about $28 USD per square meter, which beat out the other artificial intelligence teams—and the control group of humans.
Dr. Hao and the Sonoma team integrated current knowledge and best practices to create a successful and cost-effective AI greenhouse control system—all of which could have a profound impact on the fresh fruit and vegetable industry.
This prompts several future-themed questions:
-How long will it be before Ontario produce buyers are shopping at AI greenhouses?
-Will terminal markets someday integrate with IT systems at greenhouses?
-Or will products from these greenhouses come through the Ontario Food Terminal the old-fashioned way?
