Smart Greenhouse is a type of greenhouse that consists of a self-regulating, micro-climate controlled environment that is required for facilitating optimal plant growth. There are various conditions that need to be regulated within the smart greenhouse which so as to ensure optimal plant growth. These include a specific temperature that needs to be maintained inside the greenhouse, the humidity level, the moisture content if the soil s, which should be in perfect balance, and the intensity of the light or the amount of light required, which is also called luminosity. Consequently, there are different types of required sensors and components to facilitate the optimal setting and surveillance of these conditions that are temperature sensors, humidity sensors, luminescence sensors, and LED panels among other components.

There are various actuators and sensors that are used in the architecture smart greenhouse, which are connected to the Intel Edison or other software-based microcontrollers. The microcontrollers here are used in order to send the data collected and reive the commands from a data center that is hosted in a cloud service, such as AWS Cloud (Amazon Web Service). In addition, the users are free to interact with the Smart Greenhouse through a dashboard application. Voice commands can also be used as the different functions and operations in the greenhouse. There are some of the components that are essential to the architecture of the smart greenhouse, which includes Connected Greenhouse with Sensors and Actuators, Control Center, and User Interaction Devices.

Smart Greenhouse Market Trends

There has been a rise in the number of agricultural activities in order to increase the number of fruits and vegetables cultivated due to the burgeoning demand for the food and beverages owing to the increasing spending power of the individuals, which is attributed to their increasing disposable incomes. In addition, there has been increasing the number of awareness among farmers regarding the worsening conditions of soil, temperature, and humidity due to the climate change being caused by global warming, thus encouraging farmers to practice indoor farming, which has options to control different essential conditions. Thus, this increases the demand for smart farming solutions and boosting the smart greenhouse market growth over the forecast period.

The demand for smart greenhouses is attributed on account of improvement in overall productivity and the trend towards organic farming. Moreover, the presence of favorable government policies aimed at integrating Information and Technology based solutions with the agriculture industry will further boost the demand for these greenhouses and are contributing to increasing the smart greenhouses market size.

However, as a high initial cost for setting up a smart greenhouse, including the costs involved in the integration of IoT solutions and the maintenance costs associated as a hindering factor in the market growth.

Product Launches, Projects, and Partnerships by Market Players in Smart Greenhouse Market

Moreover, the market players are increasingly participating in the market to advance and enhance the products related to the smart greenhouses by integrating the latest technologies and encouraging the use of such products among the individuals interested in organic farming and indoor farming. Thus, they are involved in acquisitions, product launches, and projects in order to accelerate the development of the agricultural sector, thereby boosting their market position and contributing to increasing the smart greenhouse market size. For example, in December 2019, Integrated Systems Technology Service, which is a company dealing in the provision of service controls and automation, bases in New Mexico, announced that they have launched an updated version of their greenhouse centralized control systems and smart automation solutions in order to cater to the clients working in the agriculture sectors. The company provides solutions to different end-users including industrial, commercial, and residential in different US states. In March 2019, The Department of Agriculture announced that they have entered into a partnership with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and Korea Agency of Education in order to launch their Promotion and Information Service (EPIS).

This service is a smart service that is able to enhance the productivity and the production of high-quality tomatoes and is located in a compound at the Bureau of Plant Industry, which lies in the Guisad Valley. Their Smart Greenhouse Philippines Project has an estimated cost of around P122.29M, with the major share of 70% being held by the Government of Korea through KOICA and the reaming share through different private companies, based in Korea. In addition, there are a total of 8 greenhouses present inside the smart farming facility. In June 2019, KUBO, one of the leading companies involved in the provision of green technology solutions announced that they are launching there new project called the PYLOT. Under this project, a data platform that is related to horticulture is being launched and the plan combines studies and insights into the data flow in the greenhouses. It is able to read the data produced from different sources. In addition, another data platform is being launched that is able to collate all the greenhouse data such as information about heat, light, temperature, feed, energy, crop growth, and performance, which can be used in order to improve the harvest cycle and harvest plans. The information collected is sent to be stored in the cloud. Consequently, making the greenhouse operations and processes easier for growers or entrepreneurs.

Conclusion:

Currently, a different type of smart greenhouse solutions for use as crop growth and crop prices enhancers is expected to hold a significant share in this market and is anticipated to witness a fast growth rate in the upcoming years due to the burgeoning demand from the agricultural industry as well as the organic farmers.  With respect to current market trends, it is anticipated that the integration of AI and the application of 5G networks and better cloud storage and cloud computing features will allow smart greenhouses to flourish even more in the upcoming years with demand being generated owing to the rising awareness for controlled condition farming and organic agriculture. There is a growing need for a well-cultivated and good-quality fruits and vegetables. This is one of the major factors, which will continue to play a role in driving this market. In addition, it will attract many new entrants who will bring new and better changes and enhancement in smart greenhouses. Thus, the market will remain competitive in the upcoming years and it is projected to show modest growth in the upcoming years. 

Agricultural biologicals are those products that are used to benefit the production of crops as they are derived from natural ingredients. These biologicals are used to protect the crops from diseases, weeds, and pests among others. They are tiny fungal organisms or microbes which of these are extracted from the pants. The major factors that are driving the agricultural biologicals market growth include the growing awareness among the farmers around the globe towards the use of safer products instead of using harmful chemically treated products. Also, an inclination of the people towards organic food is also one of the key factors driving growth throughout the forecast period. Furthermore, increasing global demand for food owing to the growing global population base is the major driver of the global agricultural biologicals market. Increasing cases of crop diseases across the globe are also fuelling the demand for agricultural biologicals significantly. Increasing emphasis on sustainable farming practices is further bolstering the growth of the global agricultural biologicals market.

Increasing global demand for food

One of the prime factors that is driving the agricultural biologicals market growth is the globally growing demand for food due to the rising population around the globe. According to the FAO statistics, the world population is projected to grow by over a third, that is, 2.3 billion people, between 2009 and 2050. This, in turn, is anticipated to increase the pressure on limited available resources which includes land, air, and water among others as rapid urbanization and industrialization have further caused a major deterioration in the condition of these resources. Also, according to the statistics provided by the FAO, around 821 million in the world are undernourished. This is further increasing the propensity of the farmers towards an increase in the production of crops by the means of increasing the amount of agricultural land or by enhancing crop productivity on existing agricultural lands. However, due to rapid urbanization, the expansion of agricultural land is considered comparatively tougher which is further inclining the farmers to adopt new urban farming practices or using environmental-friendly products. This is significantly driving the adoption of agricultural biologicals such as biofertilizers, biopesticides, and biostimulants among others. These biologicals help to improve crop performance and enrich the soil while enabling plants to adapt even when growing conditions shifts (changes in climatic conditions) so as to provide food the whole year without being dependent on weather conditions.    

The growing emphasis on sustainable farming practices

Increasing emphasis on sustainable farming practices across the globe is another factor that is bolstering the growth of the global agricultural microbial market. The use of chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides derived from fossil fuels has led to increased agricultural production on limited arable land across the globe. However, growing awareness and concern over their adverse effects on soil productivity and environmental quality is forcing scientists to discover alternatives. Agricultural biologicals protect crops from pests, weeds, and diseases while keeping crops healthy. Furthermore, the growing investments by the key players of the market in the form of R&D for the development of new products and expansion of product portfolios, agreements, and partnerships further show the potential for the market to surge in the near future. In May 2019, Marrone Bio Innovation an integrated pest management solutions company announced its strategic collaboration with Compass Minerals Plant Nutrition for the development of a new plant nutrition solution which was enhanced with microorganisms. Similarly, in March 2019, FiBL, one of the world’s leading organic farming information and research centers based out of Switzerland announced the approval of six special fertilizers of Biolchim for organic farming.

Rising demand for organic fruits and vegetables

The increase in the demand for fruits and vegetables produced organically is likely to offer ample opportunities for the key players to invest in the market and further tap the potential that the market holds. One of the major factors that is boosting the demand for organically produced fruits and vegetables is the rising concerns regarding a healthy lifestyle and fitness, especially in the developed economies as the awareness regarding effects of various agrochemicals on human health and environment is being focused upon. Furthermore, according to the data from the IFOAM Organics International Statistics, a total of 71.5 million hectares of land was organically by the end of 2018 from 69.8 million hectares in 2017. Also, around 2.8 million organic farmers were reported during the same period. Since agricultural biologicals are produced naturally and do not contain any harmful chemicals, the use of these sustainable organisms leads to the production of chemical-free fruits and vegetables. Hence, the high demand for organic fruits and vegetables will continue to bolster the growth of the agricultural biologicals market until the end of the forecast period.      

The APAC region is expected to offer numerous growth opportunities

Geographically, the market has been segmented on the basis of North America, South America, Europe, Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific. The market in the Asia Pacific region is projected to grow at a rapid pace owing to high population growth in the major emerging economies such as India and China among others. Moreover, rapid industrialization and expanding urbanization in emerging economies such as China, India, and South Korea is leading to the deterioration of arable land in the region owing to which farmers need to increase the crop yield given the limited cultivable land area. All these factors are encouraging farmers across APAC countries to move towards sustainable agriculture practices.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Rachit Gulati is a Market Research Analyst at Knowledge Sourcing Intelligence, working on estimates and global/regional specific reports on multiple industries ranging from automation to food and beverages, with a special knack for automotive and healthcare. With the addition of his formal education in Economics, Commerce, and Finance, he is able to provide more light on the macro aspects of the story. To read more articles by him, and for more information regarding multiple global markets, visit www.knowledge-sourcing.com.