Automated Systems in the Greenhouse Vocabulary

Automated pot fillers

Are used to fill pots with medium.

Conveyor belt systems

Are used to move plants from one area of the greenhouse to another.

What are the advantages of automated greenhouse systems?

Automated systems can greatly reduce labor costs. They also for the management of much larger greenhouse operations.

Capillary mats

Consist of porous mats placed on a bench and wetted.

drip irrigation

Consists of a system like spaghetti tubing, but it differs in that it provides a slow, steady drip.

Overhead sprinklers

Consists of stationary sprinkler heads placed throughout the growing space.

Tray mechanization

First developed in Holland, has grown in popularity in the US.

Ebb-and-flood system

Involves watertight benches in which pots are set.

Irrigation boom

Moves across the entire bench, and well-placed nozzles flood the pots below as they pass over the plants.

Automated seeders

Permit the sowing of entire flats/plug trays in a few moments.

Intermittent mist system

Produces tiny droplets in the air for keeping plant material wet.

Automated Transplanters

Remove small plants from plug trays and transplant them directly to pots.

What are the various automated watering systems?

Spaghetti tubing, drip irrigation, ebb-and-flood systems, capillary mats, irrigation booms, overhead sprinklers, and intermittent mist systems are all methods used in watering plants.

What type of automation is used in the planting of crops?

Technological developments.

What automated systems have helped with the moving of crops?

The labor involved in propagating, potting, moving, growing, and harvesting greenhouse crops is intensive.

What are specific advantages of ebb-and-flood and intermittent mist systems?

Water/nutrient solutions are pumped into the benches, the medium absorbs the water, and the excess water drains away. Such a system is commonly used in the propagation phase of production to reduce water stress on propagation materials.

Spaghetti Tubing

is an automated system that involves small tubes connected to a main line.