Imagine if you could talk to plants; asking how happy they are. 

One agritech company made this a reality using image sensors and an AI powered algorithm to speak to plants how well they are growing.

Gardin is a UK based tech company that aims to produce quality goods with focus on nutrition and affordability using vertical farming- a method that grows plants in-doors using a well controlled environment to yield greater production.

How does Gardin use Machine Learning in plant health?

Camera sensors placed on stacks of plants take pictures of individual leaves. This data is fed to a machine learning algorithm that’s trained on millions of plant pictures at various stages of growth.

Studying images of individual leaves, and classifying them, data scientists at Gardin use adaptive photosynthesis for each plant, enabling it to grow healthy.

Devising a plan based on which a specific wavelength of light grows more tasty vegetables, the data scientists are in the midst of experimenting to make more nutritious foods.

While the technology used is not new at all, an ML algorithm trained on image data is cheaper compared to other advanced solutions available in research. 

[It’s immensely useful in farming scenarios], says head of vertical farming solutions, IGS, Douglas Elder.

In an exorable climate change scenario, the application of artificial intelligence is first of its kind in vertical farming, and therefore it’s revolutionizing the ways to grow crops without waiting for appropriate weather conditions. 

The future of farming is Vertical Farming

Gartin holds vertical farms composed of an optical remote sensing technology aka ‘smart physics’ that detects, and controls light for adaptive photosynthesis.

This means no sun radiation is required, just some optical sensors and light inside a room.

When machine vision and analytics are combined with optoelectronics, a new world of farming is created with not just better yield, but quality and nutrition are optimized as well.

The output from the machine learning algorithm helps producers in analyzing plant’s physiology and taking data driven decisions through adjusting light parameters accordingly.

Agritech solutions, such as those from Gardin, allows end-to-end control of plant’s production, supporting farmers in decision making from seed sowing to the ultimate product.

Consequently, farming business flourishes by mitigating food waste, increasing efficiency, and nurturing more healthy consumers.

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Cover image by: Gustavo Fring/Pexels