An unprecedented, powerful tool for research and support in practice trials

Lr. Jan Voogt – Senior Researcher at Hoogendoorn Growth Management (Hoogendoorn is noted as the most innovative automation expert in glasshouse horticulture. Our computers and soft-ware have been controlling all manner of climate conditions for 40 years.)

As a researcher for Hoogendoorn Research,  LetsGrow has been employed as a matter of course in various research and practice tests involving the "Aircokas" concept for semi-closed growing. The spe-cial thing about this research project was that different aspects of semi-closed growing were researched and proven in practice in several locations at the same time, both at the  WUR Glastuinbouw premises and on grower sites,  and with different plants.

LetsGrow allows you to collate research data from all locations in one data base and connect them with each other in reports and graphs. You can also undertake calculations on all data streams online, and you can directly show the results in a graph together with the source data as well.
These can be simple calculations, but can also be more involved, such as for a Softsensor. One example is the Hoogendoorn Stomata sensor, which is implemented as a mathematical model in the LetsGrow database, so that you can obtain an online insight into stomata behaviour.

The Aircokas research database now includes data from more than 25 different locations and from dif-ferent sources, amongst others the most common climate computers, but also additional plant sensors and even data loggers with a GPRS link over the Internet. The latter category also includes the i4All, a mobile measuring station for climate factors and plant behaviour.

I am involved just about every day with analysing these data for research myself, but also supporting growers who put new insights into practice. This enables me to quickly and easily “look over their shoulders” at the climate history in their greenhouses once they give me viewing rights for their data. I can just as easily discuss the results of trials with other researchers of WUR Glastuinbouw and other institutes, based on graphs which we can look at simultaneously, but each of us on our own PC. This for instance also applies to BCO staff or sounding board groups often involved in practice trials.

From my own experience, I can therefore say that LetsGrow is really an unprecedented, powerful tool for modern types of research and development,  where research and practice trials go hand in hand and several parties must be able to view source data and results at the same time.