Dutch smart greenhouse technology builds a global agricultural power

The Netherlands has a limited land area and relatively poor agricultural natural conditions. However, since the 1950s and 1960s, the Netherlands has gradually become a global agricultural power, known for its high quality and high yield. According to data from the Central Bureau of Statistics of the Netherlands, in 2018, Dutch agricultural exports reached 90.3 billion euros, accounting for 18% of total merchandise exports, ranking second in the world after the United States. Precision farming greenhouse technology based on high technology and innovation is one of the distinctive features of the development of agriculture in the Netherlands.

"The key to precision farming is to adopt the correct cultivation method for specific crops at the correct time and under the correct environmental conditions"

According to statistics, the current Dutch glass greenhouse construction area is about 10,000 hectares, accounting for 1/4 of the world's total greenhouse construction area. The Westerland region is located in the western part of South Holland Province. It is one of the core agricultural areas of the Netherlands and the largest greenhouse agricultural area in the world. In the range of nearly 9,000 hectares, the total area of ​​the glass greenhouse is 2,385 hectares. The size of each greenhouse varies from a few hectares to hundreds of hectares. The secret of precision farming in the Netherlands lies in the endless rows of glass houses.

"The key to precision farming is to adopt the correct cultivation method for specific crops at the correct time and under the correct environmental conditions." said Schack Bakar, a professor of agriculture at Wageningen University in the Netherlands: "Each greenhouse is an independent The ecological system of the country uses internal sensors to obtain important data such as temperature, humidity, brightness, and carbon dioxide concentration in real time, and through automatic regulation to create the best growth environment for crops, so as to achieve the effect of energy saving, consumption reduction, and production."

Under the leadership of Professor Bakar, the reporter came to the experimental greenhouse of Wageningen University and Research Center. The area of ​​the greenhouse is roughly equivalent to two football fields and the height is more than 10 meters. The glass outside the greenhouse has been specially frosted. Outdoor sunlight is diffused to every corner of the room through diffuse reflection, which not only expands the range of light, but also avoids direct exposure to high local temperatures, which can increase crop yields by about 8%.

The greenhouse is divided into different growing areas. All kinds of vegetables and fruits are cultivated without soil, using rock wool with good air permeability and water retention as the main substrate, combined with modern technologies such as drip irrigation.

Walking into the tomato-producing area, rows of six or seven-meter-high tomato vines form a huge green screen, which bears bunches of red, yellow, and green fruits. A thin tube is connected to the root of each plant to accurately deliver the required water and nutrients to the crop. Between every two rows of crops, three rows of high, medium and low LED growth lights are set up to meet the lighting needs of the crops at night. "LED light not only increases yield, but also affects the growth process of crops by adjusting the spectrum to optimize the color, freshness, and nutrients." Professor Bakar introduced.

According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality of the Netherlands, the overall energy saving effect of precision farming greenhouse technology can reach about 35%-50%. The greenhouse adopts a constant temperature system, and the energy is mainly derived from geothermal energy, and the carbon dioxide from the nearby industrial area is collected through the circulation system to supply the greenhouse. In response to pests and diseases, biological control methods are mainly adopted, and the food chain relationship between species is used to treat pests with insects, almost avoiding the use of pesticides.

The precise supply of nutrients also reduces the use of resources. "Take tomatoes as an example. The ordinary method of planting tomatoes requires about 60 liters of water per kilogram of tomatoes. Here, the average is less than 12 liters. The latest greenhouse technology has further reduced to about 5 liters. At the same time, the yield has increased by 3-4 times. "Professor Bakar explained.

"Many of the innovations and solutions of the enterprise come directly from the farmers' ideas"

The market demand for agricultural products is changing rapidly. How to achieve precise production and improve production efficiency is extremely important to farmers and agricultural enterprises. In order to make precision farming more suitable for market demand, the Netherlands has formed a unique "Golden Triangle" agricultural innovation mechanism and a development model of the entire industry chain.

This mechanism starts from the actual needs of farmers and enterprises, through the government's policy coordination and encouragement, and professional research institutions carry out targeted technological development. A stable and unobstructed triangular cooperation relationship has been formed between the government, enterprises and research institutions, which has greatly shortened the time for technology to transform from research and development to actual productivity. For example, Wageningen University holds several information exchange meetings with enterprises, farmers and government officials every year to ensure that they understand the needs of farmers as soon as possible, and provide the best solutions with the support of the government.

Martin Ostenblick, head of Svensson, a greenhouse screen manufacturer with a history of more than 130 years, said: “Many of the company’s innovations and solutions come directly from the farmers’ ideas. Through communication, we can understand the farmers the first time. In the current fierce and complex technological competition, this kind of collaboration is essential."

Based on this mechanism, in 2004, led by the South Holland Provincial Government and centered on Wageningen University, the Netherlands established the agricultural technology version of "Silicon Valley"-"Food Valley". At present, "Shigu" has become the largest agricultural technology start-up and experimental farm cluster in the Netherlands, bringing together about 1,400 agricultural-related private enterprises, 21 research institutions and more than 15,000 agricultural scientific research personnel, forming a scientific research and market Dual-drive development model.

In addition, the Netherlands is also committed to creating a green port model for the development of the entire industry chain, bringing together companies that are closely related to various aspects of agriculture, such as production and planting, logistics and transportation, trade distribution, storage and processing, and financial services in a specific area, to open up the entire industry. The upstream and downstream of the chain give play to the cluster effect of the industry.

Van Duin, one of the founders of the Westland World Horticultural Center, introduced: “The most advanced scientific research and innovation enterprises are gathered here. There are more than 25,000 visitors every year. The exchanges and trade fairs between various departments and groups have never been Intermittently.” At present, the Netherlands has built 6 regional green harbors, radiating more than 4,000 hectares of greenhouses, greatly increasing the scale and speed of industrial development.

"Precision farming will further strengthen the sustainable and environmentally friendly agricultural production model"

According to the United Nations report, by 2050, the global population will be close to 10 billion, and the demand for food will increase by more than 70%. "How to increase crop yields while making them more nutritious, precision farming can give the answer." Professor Bakar said.

Precision farming is also applicable to field crops. At present, Dutch agricultural experts are trying to use satellites, drones, sensors and other tools to more accurately collect environmental and crop growth data, and analyze them through agricultural cloud and big data technology to provide farmers with the growth status of crops, Make accurate forecasts of output in a specific time period.

Maderon Konop, an agricultural strategy expert for the Westland government, told reporters: "In the future, precision farming will further strengthen sustainable and environmentally friendly agricultural production models. At the same time, artificial intelligence, big data and other technologies will further Strengthen the controllability of the whole process of crop growth." Experts believe that the development of precision farming has great potential. In the future, even according to different nutritional intake needs, the internal structure of crops can be adjusted to form a personalized crop planting and breeding method. .

Professor Bakar believes that the promotion of precision farming mainly depends on education and the cultivation of professional talents. "Only by allowing farmers to truly master modern agricultural technology and localize precision farming according to local conditions, will they have the "green fingers" to become rich."

In order to further promote the precision farming model globally, Dutch companies are taking action. For example, the Dutch Hoogendoorn Agricultural Automation Company has developed a smart glasses device. In the future, when farmers wear glasses and enter the local greenhouse, the high-definition cameras and sensor devices equipped on the glasses will automatically record the core indicators of the crop, and then use 5G technology to transmit the data back to the remote control center for analysis. Based on this, people can provide remote on-site guidance to farmers to maximize the benefits of greenhouse technology locally.