In the Workshop precision horticulture/Precision crop protection, H.M. Hoff presented a presentation on the project INNOSETA to about 40 audiences: gardeners (50%), scientists, government staff and service providers. Conclusion from the discussion: all have a lot of interest in the innovative technological developments that combine and automate the detection, monitoring and control of diseases and pests in the greenhouse. Technical innovation most desired by growers today is a camera on the sprayer-nozzle, for precision horticulture.
Important investment requirements: the ppp need to touch exactly what they need to touch, and save the biology in the greenhouse. Gardeners want to apply ppp specifically and locally. A technical improvement is combining vertical and top spraying, and spraying on the spot (m2). Technically this is easily applicable. The working instruction of ppp however proves to be the biggest obstacle: legislation lags behind the technical developments.
Prediction for 2030: the reduction of ppp can never be 100%, but scouting with drones leads to ever more accurate precision spraying. Automation will replace a lot of (administrative) tasks from the gardeners. Drones will fly in the greenhouse for scouting and monitoring the crop. A spraying robot will move in the greenhouse autonomously, and handle and register automatically. Climate control is inherited by computers; the Greenhouse Challenge proved in 2018 this is possible. In 2030 crops are residue free, healthy plants in a healthy greenhouse environment will be realized.
Situation 2019: growers want to use smart equipment to effectively, optimally and sustainably deploy biological and chemical crop protection. Plant Health begins for growers with biological protection, the additional necessary ppp must give as little nuisance as possible. Main motivation for investments in innovative equipment is to professionalize the precision spraying. In the Netherlands, few ppp are allowed, investing in traditional equipment therefore has no added value.
