A greenhouse is the go-to option for farmers these days. That’s because it’s easy to control the greenhouse environment with the help of automated greenhouse monitoring systems to increase crop yields. Greenhouse systems help maintain control over light levels, humidity levels, soil moisture, etc., to see excellent plant growth.
You must remember that external conditions can affect crop health inside the greenhouse. But advanced greenhouse technology can help growers maintain control over the environmental factors that affect plant health. With the help of new automation systems for the greenhouse, you can use the internet connection to manage the entire greenhouse operation remotely.
Let’s learn about automated greenhouse monitoring systems equipped with a wireless sensor network!
Advantages of Automated Greenhouse Monitoring Systems
Finding the perfect balance of environmental conditions to keep your plants healthy can often be a challenge. But automatic greenhouse control systems & technology take all the guesswork out of the equation and helps you stay alert all the time about the greenhouse conditions. You can remotely monitor it if there is a problem and take care of them instantly.
a) Custom Greenhouse Control
With the automation of greenhouse, you can access the analysis of greenhouse data and tailor the environment. It will help prevent external conditions from affecting the plants.
b) Scheduled Irrigation & Feed Formulas
With the help of the irrigation scheduling option of automatic greenhouse control systems, there’s no chance of over-watering or under-watering your crops and prevent inconsistencies.
c) Real-Time Control over the Internal Environment
Modern automation systems give you central greenhouse environment climate control. You can manage vents, retractable roofs, temperature, humidity, light, irrigation, CO2, etc.
d) Decreased Labor Costs
Thanks to the automation in the greenhouse equipped with a climate control greenhouse computer, you can have complete greenhouse control in your own hands.
How do you choose the right monitoring system and sensors you need?
Farmers can grow crops in efficient greenhouses, all thanks to advanced greenhouse control systems & technology. There are different types of greenhouse systems and sensors. What you should implement in your greenhouse depends on the plants you grow, the greenhouse environment they need, conditions you wish to monitor, and the weather conditions in your location.
They can be used for monitoring:
- Temperature
- Humidity and moisture
- Irrigation and misting equipment
- CO2 levels
- Air circulation
- Soil condition
It also gives you control over the access into the greenhouse, its supply room, or equipment shed through doors and windows. You will be notified if there’s unauthorized entry into the greenhouse. You can also control the power supply and inform you immediately about a power outage or power failure. From plumbing to water pH level, It can keep you notified about every part of your greenhouse.
Can one greenhouse system monitor multiple sensor inputs 24×7?
After you install a monitoring system, you need to program it. Once you do that, it can monitor the sensors and read information round the clock and report on historical data. If you have an advanced cloud-based system, it will be able to store the data information safely online. All you have to do is connect the Opto22 Epic controller to an internet connection to go public.
The total number of sensors that your central unit can monitor depends on the type of system you install. Based on your greenhouse and your crops, you should choose a system that can accommodate your farming needs and boost your plants’ future growth. If the system finds readings that are not pre-set, you will receive the details using an alarm.
The monitoring system’s job is to alert you whenever it sees any alterations in the status. This notification can be sent to all the people you add to the contact list. You can, of course, customize this list of contacts and decide who will and will not receive the notifications. Some devices can also be programmed to sent alarms in different levels or schedules.
You can receive the alerts by smartphone, text, and email. This will ensure that you get the message on time, no matter what. You should also keep a close eye on the list of people who will receive the notifications. You can program the system to keep cycling through the list until it receives a response. You can even choose a system that allows the flexibility to prevent off-duty people from receiving alerts.
What is required to use a remote monitoring system?
Modern greenhouse monitoring systems can be used on-premise or in the cloud. So, its your choice if you want to read your greenhouse data online. With the Climate Manager, you can read and collect data and give you access to all your important growing data. All the monitoring is performed using either a website or a centralized computer, which will allow you to make the initial setup and use the grow automation software.
If an internet connection is not available to you, you can still use the automation computer to control your greenhouse. Even without an internet connection, you can still receive greenhouse alerts or alarms via smartphone SMS text messages. However, you have to make sure that the cellular signal in your area is strong enough to support the necessary functions of receiving important greenhouse messages, inside the facility.
Greenhouse Farm Automation with Nebula Climate Control Systems
Nebula offers a wide range of products from greenhouse monitoring and automation. These include the Fertigation Manager, the Climate Manager, and the Ozone Pro. In addition, it offers a range of sensors and equipment. To find the perfect automation system required for your greenhouse, contact us today, and we will help you pick the right product for you.