Temperature control is now an app away for greenhouse farms

A UK company has developed an app stored on a smartphone that can assist farmers monitor and protect their greenhouse crops from changing weather conditions, in a technology addition that looks set to aid many of Kenya’s horticulturalists.

Greenhouses have become dominant in Kenya because they protect crops against pests and unfavourable climatic conditions.

In addition, temperatures are usually higher inside greenhouses, leading to increased growth and earlier harvests than out-door crops.

A greenhouse can overheat very easily in the hot sun and condensation must also be checked, or crops will be destroyed.

This means that ventilation is essential and must be easy to adjust.

This is especially important in hot regions, where temperatures inside a greenhouse may quickly rise to levels that will damage crops.

“I am literally tied to the greenhouse to ensure the temperatures are right all the time”, said one greenhouse farmer in Ruai near Nairobi.

However, the new app from Telit Wireless Solutions allows farmers to remotely control and monitor plants in their greenhouses, an innovation that can potentially improve yields and reduce labour costs.

Telit initiated the smart farm project in partnership with Disys, a South Korean designer of mobile applications.

According to a report appearing in Telcom News, farmers in South Korea have already started using the new smartphone innovation. South Korea cultivates fruits and vegetables in thousands of greenhouses spread across the country, which the new technology is aimed at.

Its urban-based farmers drive to their farms at least twice a day to cover or uncover plants with woollen blanket sheets by switching a motor on or off.

However, with the new application stored in a smartphone, farmers are now able to maintain consistent crop temperatures.

Additional smart farm features are planned, including temperature and humidity sensors that can enhance the growth and health of crops while reducing the amount of water and energy required. Surveillance cameras will also be installed to prevent theft of crops and provide a visual check of the greenhouses for farmers.

The aim is to facilitate mobile and long-distance greenhouse control.

“The system can be used for various other farm applications as well, such as a security and tracking system for livestock barns in case of foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks,” Dominikus Hierl, chief marketing officer at Telit Wireless Solutions said. “We are currently assessing the global market potential for this system.”