Products Environmental Control Heating Water and irrigation
Hoogendoorn Growth Management introduces IIVO for smart greenhouse control

Hoogendoorn Growth Management has launched what the company says is their biggest innovation yet: IIVO, a climate computer combining software with state-of-the-art hardware.

IIVO constantly and consistently monitors every aspect of the greenhouse, including climate conditions, irrigation and energy management. It uses predictive powers to create the ideal climate conditions for a crop by combining sensor generated data, weather predictions and past learnings. The system responds pro-actively to maintain a stable and uniform growth climate, which maximizes the yield and quality of a crop, and ensures efficient usage of natural resources.

IIVO also makes it possible to easily set and manage irrigation strategies using preferred start conditions. Growers can initiate irrigation cycles per valve based on time, radiation, slab weight, water content and drainage. Water conditions are balanced and managed by integrated sensors, providing crops with the right amount of water and nutrients when they need it.

IIVO’s advanced energy management ensures the stable energy regulation in the greenhouse. The system is easily integrated with energy sources including boilers, co-generation, biomass, thermal, solar and wind energy. This ensures the most efficient usage of heating and CO₂ according to the specific energy demands of the crop.

At the core of IIVO are the principles of Plant Empowerment: a unique cultivation method combining plant physiology and physics. An optimal balance of energy, water and assimilates creates stronger, healthier crops that are less susceptible to pests and diseases. IIVO is also designed to allow for Data Driven Growing, which combines powerful algorithms, data from the growing environment and plant physiology, allowing growers to make the best decisions for their plants. The continuous flow of data collected during cultivation generates real-time insights into the conditions within the greenhouse and the health of the plants. These insights can be used to power artificial intelligence and machine learning to grow ever smarter over time.

Implementation in Ontario

Greenhouse tomato producer, Great Northern Hydroponics in Kingsville, Ontario, has implement IIVO in their 70-acre facility. With IIVO, Guido van het Hof and his team are implementing the strategy of Data Driven Growing along with the Plant Empowerment-based cultivation methods into their facilities.

At the same time, Beamsville-based orchid producer CosMic Plants Inc. has also implemented IIVO into their production. Neil van Steekelenburg says, “As soon as I saw how IIVO worked, I was very enthusiastic. I knew I had to have this system for the other location as well.”

Watch the video to learn more about their experiences with IIVO at Great Northern Hydroponics and Cosmic Plants.

Source: Hoogendoorn