Want to manage greenhouse better and optimise resources? Read this for solution
Source: The Sangai Express / Konsam Samita

Imphal, April 16 2025: A fully automated AI system that has cameras, sensors and data analysis capability is "obviously" more precise than humans in farming.

For this reason, it is increasingly being used in the agriculture sector including greenhouse management, says K Devadutta, Director, Department of Horticulture and Soil Conservation.

A greenhouse is crucial for growing plants/vegetables in a controlled environment, and it usually requires a skillful person managing it.

But, with advancement in science and technology, human management of the greenhouse is being replaced by AI for its efficiency, and to save resources, says the Director.

Explaining the greenhouse, Devadutta says it is a structure, typically enclosed with glass or plastic, used to cultivate plants in a controlled environment, often for growing them outside of their natural growing season.

A greenhouse allows sunlight to enter while trapping heat and preventing it from escaping.

This controlled environment ensures growth of plants that might otherwise struggle in cooler or harsher climates, he says.

A greenhouse also provides a good amount of carbon dioxide for plant growth, he adds.

"Carbon dioxide is crucial for plants to prepare their own food through photosynthesis--a process that converts light energy, water, and carbon dioxide into glucose and oxygen.

A greenhouse traps this carbon dioxide making it available in abundance for plants to use it," Devadutta says.

While plants release oxygen during daytime through photosynthesis, it releases carbon dioxide during night-time through respiration.

The carbon dioxide produced by the plants during night-time is trapped inside the greenhouse for use in photosynthesis during daytime, Devadutta says.

Apart from trapping carbon dioxide and heat, a greenhouse also acts as a control environment that protects plants from pests, insects, diseases, and harsh weather conditions including rain and hailstones.

A greenhouse enhances plant growth and significantly improves crop production by around 20 percent.

A person who manages it must be very skillful, says Devadutta.

"A person who manages a greenhouse must have the required knowledge and he must be very skillful.

He must monitor and ensure optimal temperature, humidity, soil health, nutrient level.

Failing to manage these parameters well may harm the controlled environment and fail the crops," Devadutta says.

While humans often lack the skills required and are prone to committing errors, an Artificial Intelligence driven application here has quite the advantage and is preferred, Devadutta says.

Equipped with cameras and sensors, a fully automated AI system has the ability to analyse data and make decisions suitable to addressing the immediate need of the plants, he says.

An AI system installed inside the greenhouse can detect changes in temperature, humidity, soil health, nutrient level and predict or detect diseases.

The AI system can detect dryness in the air inside and may take the decision on its own to increase the humidity level by sprinkling/watering the plants.

It may also take the decision to fertilize the plants if it detects a fall in the nutrient level.

Such an intelligent automated system optimises the use of resources and enhances productivity, Devadutta says.

The Horticulture Director continues that such sophisticated AI tools are being used in India for precision farming.

"AI is destined to revolutionise the agriculture sector.

The future farming system in 10-20 years from now will greatly depend on AI.

Farmers here must explore and learn the use of such technologies," Devadutta says.

(This article was written under CAU Imphal's 5th Scientific Journalism Programme on "Artificial Intelligence and it's uses") .

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