Using robotics has transformed production of tomatoes, cucumbers and capsicum in the Netherlands and UK growers should follow suit, according to Jorn Rosager of Danish Greenhouse Supply.
Rosager told delegates at the Horticulture in Focus 2005 conference that although the use of robotics was still in its early stages, some Dutch growers had started using them for picking and removing leaves.
The most innovative developments had been occurring in paprika production he said. Growers were experimenting with robotics to move the plants to treat them before bringing them back to growing spaces.
Rosager predicted that this procedure would be used in commercial production within five or six years.
He also said exciting plans had already been developed for pot plant production: “Plant ordering systems will be the next big issue for pot plant growers. When the order comes from the shops it will be automatically packed and stored. This kind of machinery for this industry is already produced and is just waiting to be implemented.”
The stand-up industrial robots have declined in price and have enormous efficiency, he said. In one trial one robot had replaced 17 women and was capable of working 24 hours a day.
Rosager also told delegates about the work he had been doing to conserve energy in salad production.
He said: “In the last five or six years we have been working with movable gutter systems to be more efficient. The idea is more than 15 years old but hasn’t been developed until five years ago.”
The idea behind the process is to provide the right environment for each stage of production from germination, with automated movement of the plants in movable gutters.
According to Rosager the increase in production has been immense. “The output of these salad lines compared to a conventional salad lines is about three and half times,” he said. “So on one hectare we can produce up to six million plants a year, compared to maybe two, two and a half.
“This gives us the possibility to invest in energy saving screens, more efficient light and better watering. So all in all even if the investment for a salad grower is heavy they make very good profits with very small labour costs.”
Rosager told delegates that developments in robotics would ultimately be rolled out across the industry. He said the heavy cost of implementation would not exceed labour costs and robotics would allow greater production volumes, in increasingly shorter periods of time.
