Sustainability is the password not of the future, but of the present. Every field related to production must come to terms with this new "commandment" both from the point of view of preserving the environment and for a new productivity that increasingly combines profit with the economy of resources.
Sustainability is also at the centre of every argument in the field of agriculture and in particular horticulture and floriculture. That’s why Idromeccanica Lucchini has already put in place experiments, studies and projects in this way.
Vertical farming as the first answer
In floriculture and horticulture, vertical farming represents the natural technological evolution to combine productivity and sustainability. It is a soilless type of cultivation in greenhouses that allows considerable savings. Energy, soil, water, pesticides and fertilizers are minimized and are dosed and controlled to ensure maximum production both qualitatively and quantitatively. Inside the greenhouse it is in fact possible to create the perfect climate for plants, scientifically dose water and nutrients and block all those external agents that can affect the development of the product.
The sensors and data analysis
In order to achieve best practices capable of massifying production by reducing waste, it was necessary to develop hardware and software technology to identify crop needs and prevent any need. Idromeccanica Lucchini answers customers' questions through the latest generation of sensors that work on production processes. Sensors record the well-being of plants and any changes or environmental parameters. Through data analysis it is possible to develop predictive models which recommend the best type of plant and crop for each crop, the optimal water and fertilizer consumption, the type of ventilation (passive or active), the amount of light needed and any other parameters necessary for the well-being of the plant. Through the study of models, specific protocols are developed to minimize the waste of resources and are also useful for the staff training. Sensors can also be powered by plug and play solar panels to further reduce energy consumption. Data monitoring takes place in the cloud so that they can also be shared remotely. Idromeccanica Lucchini works on each product package in the greenhouse portfolio and performs specific tests for the optimization of procedures. For each type of greenhouse or production the ideal climatic conditions are studied to obtain the best yield/weather.
But which "weapons" can we have for savings? And how to achieve an effective circular economy?
These are the questions that we will answer in the next editorial, which are then the challenges that we daily pose as a company and as people.
