Mexican fruit and vegetable producers may have the chance to acquire high-tech greenhouses for a considerably lower price than that of imported technology, as experts from the Autonomous University of Zacatecas (UAZ) have developed a computer system for the control of greenhouse climatic variables.
According to Dr. Luis Octavio Solís Sánchez, researcher at the Department of Electrical Engineering, UAZ, some factors that may increase the cost of acquiring imported greenhouses are the sophistication of their automation technologies, as well as the type of materials used.
For this reason, experts of the aforementioned university have developed an automation technology of climatic variables, whose cost amounts to nearly half a million pesos; merely 10% of the maximum purchase price of imported greenhouses.
Solís Sánchez explained that the technology consists of a motherboard, integrated computer systems (for specific functions), a graphical interface for monitoring variables such as humidity, temperature, wind speed and radiation, as well as elements that enable wireless connectivity between the greenhouse and mobile devices, like mobile phones.
This breakthrough will also reduce costs in maintenance, as it does not need to be shipped overseas for repairs. Training for its operation is included at the time of purchase and no foreign specialists are required.
The gradual implementation of greenhouses to various horticultural sub-sectors would entail multiple benefits for domestic producers. "Automatic microclimate control has the potential to reduce the use of water for agriculture, which in Mexico amounts to almost 70% of the total. It also makes it possible to obtain similar harvest volumes as those of a 10 hectare plantation in just 500 square metres," stated the UAZ researcher.
Solís Sánchez stressed that the project has passed the testing stage and that the technology has already started being transferred to any companies interested. A second stage in the development of automation technologies of climatic variables will involve creating neural networks to provide greenhouses with some degree of artificial intelligence.
Source: Agencia ID