"I read in an article a few months back that, similar to Formula 1, you can have the best engine, the best pit crew, but nothing matters without a good driver. Monumental greenhouses are being built all over the world by the minute, and I keep wondering: where do we find good drivers for them?"
With roots in Brazil, Kassius Rosa has hands-on experience across Ethiopia, Canada, Portugal, and his home country. He brings a refreshingly honest, humorous, and deeply practical voice to the world of protected horticulture. Specializing in high-tech greenhouse production, particularly in vegetables and young plants, he sees the greenhouse not just as a workplace but as a natural habitat.
He describes growing as a deeply rewarding yet incredibly demanding career, one that requires a unique mindset. "You can't run from the consequences of your choices; plants are always honest. That's especially tough for young growers. I mean, have you ever talked to someone who's fully honest all the time? It can be unbearable."
There's also the emotional payoff. "Man, the thrill of seeing those first tomatoes on the vine clusters, that you watched every morning since it was a flower, and now they're colouring through to a nice 2+ kg/m²... that pays for everything."
When asked the questions, he mentions that what separates good growers from average ones is action time. "Certain things need to be done right now, not tomorrow."
He tells a personal story about one of his first managers. "He used to meet me on Sundays on call. I hated him for it. He said, 'Sundays I can see the plants clearly, and no one's in the greenhouse so I can think better.' And in my young grower mind I thought, 'What a nerd, I just want to go home.'" Years later, the sentiment came full circle. "I caught myself saying to my wife (on a Sunday, after coming back from my weekend on call), 'Sundays I feel like I can talk to the plants… and they respond.' Truth is, maybe all good growers are nerds."
Trial, error, and clothespins
In a series of greenhouse moments captured on camera, Kassius shares some of his favorite stories, ranging from devastating to amusing.
"One photo shows plants dying from Rugose a few years back. The uncertainty of how to proceed in a situation where millions of dollars are dying in front of you is overwhelming," he recalls. "The solution was to make the most out of it and replant."
Another shot revealed a clogged filter, causing fertilizer issues. "I remember making 'filter rounds' in a 90-acre facility, ranting like an old man to the growers when they were dirty," he laughs.
And then, there's the now-legendary clothespin. "It was used to 'level' the growth scale. The grower gets a 10 for ingenuity but a 0 for problem solving, so it actually made things worse. Still, I genuinely value the initiative. Since then, we used to say 'let's fix it with a clothespin' every time we had a problem."
The art of growing: simplicity over complexity
Despite increasing technological sophistication, Kassius insists that the grower remains the most essential part of the equation.
"My true passion is growing - both plants and growers. I'm especially interested in bridging field-level experience with technology, not just collecting data in the cloud, but using it to make real decisions."
While he is no stranger to the latest technological solutions, he is a firm believer in the power of fundamentals. "I come from a family of growers, so I learned early on that growing plants is a multifaceted art. To my surprise, I've found that horticultural technique often plays a smaller role than people imagine," he reflects. "The best technique I know is consistency."
He breaks this down to a few non-negotiables: well-calibrated systems, a clear growing strategy, proper readings and checks, and most importantly, regular "quality time" with the plants. "And a team of growers with hands-on deck to make everything happen."
Automation: friend or foe?
When it comes to technology, Kassius urges caution and clarity. "At this moment, I tell automation and AI companies to remove the noise from the growers' ears. Make it possible for them to spend more time inside the greenhouse talking to the plants, instead of adjusting thousands of settings to make the system do what they already know it should."
He sees the greatest value not in more sensors or dashboards, but in simplifying existing systems, especially climate software and irrigation optimization platforms. "We spend months training growers on them, and they're still far from intuitive. Most growers are barely able to keep up with what they currently have, so it becomes just more noise." He humorously adds, "I have nightmares about new dashboards."
Ultimately, Kassius' vision of a balanced future is one where technology supports, not stifles. "In my mind, I can already picture it: a grower walking through the greenhouse, talking to their AI assistant.
'Open the vents a bit more, it feels muggy.'
'It's very cold outside, are you sure?'
'Yes, just 2% more. Let me see how it feels."
"That's the future I want to see, where tech empowers growers, not overwhelms them."
For more information:
Kassius Rosa
www.linkedin.com/in/kassiusar
[email protected]