A discussion of challenges related to the modeling and control of greenhouse crop growth, this book presents state-of-the-art answers to those challenges. The authors model the subsystems involved in successful greenhouse control using different techniques and show how the models obtained can be exploited for simulation or control design; they suggest ideas for the development of physical and/or black-box models for this purpose. Strategies for the control of climate- and irrigation-related variables are brought forward. The uses of PID control and feedforward compensators, both widely used in commercial tools, are summarized. The benefits of advanced control techniques—event-based, robust, and predictive control, for example—are used to improve on the performance of those basic methods. A hierarchical control architecture is developed governed by a high-level multiobjective optimization approach rather than traditional constrained optimization and artificial intelligence techniques. Reference trajectories are found for diurnal and nocturnal temperatures (climate-related setpoints) and electrical conductivity (fertirrigation-related setpoints). The objectives are to maximize profit, fruit quality, and water-use efficiency, these being encouraged by current international rules. Illustrative practical results selected from those obtained in an industrial greenhouse during the last eight years are shown and described. The text of the book is complemented by the use of illustrations, tables and real examples which are helpful in understanding the material. Modeling and Control of Greenhouse Crop Growth will be of interest to industrial engineers, academic researchers and graduates from agricultural, chemical, and process-control backgrounds.

Greenhouse control system manufacturers produce equipment and software with hundreds of settings and, while they hold training courses on how to adjust these settings, there is as yet no integrated instruction on when or why. Despite rapid growth in the greenhouse industry, growers are still faced with a multitude of variables and no unifying frame

Modern greenhouse technology has revolutionized the food supply chain scenario over the past 40 years. Closed-field cultivation by means of agri-cubes, plant factories, vertical farming structures, and roof-top solar greenhouses has become the backbone of sustainable agriculture for producing all-year-round fresh fruits and vegetables. This book is an attempt to explore several profound questions such as how digital technology and simulation models have saved energy in commercial greenhouses, and why growers prefer LPWAN sensors and IoT monitoring devices over the traditional timer-based controllers? How artificial intelligence is capable of performing microclimate prediction and control, and what considerations should be taken into account for implementing desiccant evaporative cooling systems? With case-study examples and field experiments, each chapter highlights some of the most recent solutions and adaptation strategies toward improving the efficiency and sustainability of closed-field crop production systems.

This book deals with different types of greenhouses, materials, structures, advanced control techniques and tendencies that are needed for designing and controlling an advanced greenhouse. The control system is presented as an integral system which covers the explanation of basic and advanced concepts for a real time controller. Also, structural analysis is introduced, whereby mechanical design is regarded as a key factor. The book incorporates simulations and experimental results, and utilizes LabVIEW and ADAMS software. Finally, it provides a perspective on the present state and future of greenhouses globally.

Selected, peer reviewed papers from the 3nd International Conference on Digital Manufacturing & Automation (ICDMA 2012), August 1-2, 2012, Guangxi, China

Presented here is another classic from this series and deals with general aspects of micropropagation of plants for commercial exploitation. It includes chapters on setting up a commercial laboratory, meristem culture, somatic embryogenesis, factors affecting micropropagation, disposable vessels, vitrification, acclimatization, induction of rooting, artificial substrates, cryopreservation and artificial seed. Special emphasis is given on modern approaches and developing technologies such as automation and bioreactors, robots in transplanting, artificial intelligence, information management and computerized greenhouses for en masse commercial production of plants.

This title provides a general overview of recent developments and research into types of systems and their uses in the agricultural and horticultural industry. 64 papers are included, containing both theoretical models and applied examples for greenhouse systems, harvesting technology and plant factory systems.