Project > Macqu-D > General

MAnagement and Control for QUality of greenhouse - Demonstration

    (MACQU-D)    

An EU project has successfully finished with significant research results on the management of greenhouse climate and nutrition (hydroponics). The same project has developed a management and control system, with modern and powerful characteristics, capable to easily implement research results. It is the aim of this proposed work to facilitate the transition of this advanced management system, together with the research results, to the production sector.

The research results relate to today’s problems such as humidity, nutrients and water management with respect to environmental impact and quality of produce. The developed advanced complete (software and hardware) system, which allows the in-field implementation of intelligent management approaches, is very flexible and functional to meet the requirements from a low_end to a high_end greenhouse business.

The research results can affect the:

l        management of irrigation and nutrients supply to minimize effluents, water use and cost

l        economical control of humidity to minimize infection risk and associated control chemicals

l        management of energy inputs according to plant physiological heat demand to reduce unnecessary heating

The demonstration aims to verify and disseminate quality relations to climate and nutrients concentrations and to demonstrate the ability of the system to incorporate grower’s quality targets into the management.

Current technological developments (Virtual Private Networks, Intranets, and Intelligent Agents) shall enable soon the development of a Virtual Agricultural Network (VAN) which can give a cost effective solution to better management.

Dissemination of research results and other commercial information (weather, market) in a comprehensive way, will revolutionalize the way we manage agricultural businesses. The signs of this change are expected to show before the turn of the century and agricultural management systems must be designed as internet co-operatives , as it is done today in other industries but also on a personal level. Technological advances must defuse to agriculture for both social but also economic reasons. The problem is more significant with the businesses of south European countries and a special orientation was designed into this project.