AI with a human touch

Tom van Koppen, Geert van der Wel and Eric Buchmann (from left to right on the photo) are three of the Autonomous Greenhouse Managers at Blue Radix. Together, they offer support to customers in using Crop Controller – the advanced AI-driven system designed to autonomously optimize and control climate and irrigation in greenhouses. Because even though Crop Controller takes much of the workload off the grower’s shoulders, many find comfort in know there’s a human expert keeping an eye on things. Each manager brings their unique expertise, but together, they form a team dedicated to providing this personal touch.

“As an Autonomous Greenhouse Manager, you are the first point of contact for customers, providing oversight and guidance”, says Geert. “What do algorithms do, how does everything work in a technical sense, and do all the sensors’ function as they should? We help growers to do their work even better and more efficiently.” 

Tom adds: “We support our customers daily. If they have questions or experience new challenges, they know they can come to us.” Tom indicates that the first customers of Blue Radix were real pioneers in horticulture. “But Autonomous Growing is now attracting the interest of a much wider audience. We have certainly played a role in this broader acceptance. By explaining everything clearly and, most importantly, by letting growers experience it for themselves. Confidence in the autonomous system has grown, and while adjusting to a more efficient way of working takes time, we are here to help make that transition as smooth as possible.”

Concentrate on other things

Tom, Geert and Eric are always available to their customers. “The communication lines are short, and people can always reach us”, says Geert. “During the first few weeks, the guidance is more intensive, but even once growers have gained experience with Autonomous Growing, we remain present in the background to monitor everything.”

Eric explains, “Because we are right behind the grower, we know exactly what is going on inside the greenhouse, so when a potential issue is flagged —such as a notification from the climate computer about a hardware malfunction or environmental deviation—we already understand the context, which allows us to respond quickly. In some cases, we’re even the ones identifying and reporting issues ourselves, if we spot something unusual. This consistent support gives growers peace of mind and allows them to focus on other priorities.”

From his own experience, Geert speaks the language of the grower. He grew up in the Westland as a grower’s son and took over his father’s company to become a tomato grower for more than ten years. “I have had green fingers since I was a child and have gained a lot of hands-on experience over the years. At Blue Radix I use my knowledge to help growers take that digital leap while ensuring the technology of Blue Radix aligns with real-world practices. The relationship between Blue Radix and customers is very important. Because I have been a grower myself, I can help to strengthen that bond.”

Building relationships and trust

Eric emphasizes the importance of onboarding, describing it as the foundation of the partnership. “It helps us understand the grower’s needs and, in this stage, we give the grower time to get comfortable using Crop Controller. We don’t just run an onboarding protocol and then disappear – we are there until the grower feels comfortable switching on Crop Controller.”

Every grower’s situation is unique, says Eric. “Sometimes you meet a grower who has forty years of experience, sometimes you meet a graduate who barely got started. We also work with growers from a diverse range of cultures and various languages. Our customers have greenhouses in Europe and Northern America, Asia, but also in the middle of the desert. Regardless of the situation, we support everyone.”

Contact with customers is often digital, Tom adds. “We often communicate via Teams or WhatsApp, Ssometimes it’s a quick answer, other times it’s a video call with the camera on to make the conversation more personal. It all depends on what the customer prefers. While we don’t have to be physically present, we do occasionally visit greenhouses, which allows us to learn even more.”

Tailored Support

Different growers have different challenges, and therefore different learning curves. “Part of our job is to understand each situation and change our support to meet their needs.” says Tom. This also applied to him, when he was first introduced to Crop Controller. Tom worked in greenhouses for many years before joining Blue Radix. He successfully completed a study in Horticulture & Agribusiness but was still relatively new to Autonomous Growing. “Initially, I didn’t know much about AI or machine learning, but my internship at Blue Radix introduced me to the world of autonomous growing. I learned step by step, just as our customers do.”

What makes us unique

Eric highlights that Blue Radix is looking to never overwhelm growers with information. “The most important thing is that we are there for them when they need us. We partner up and work alongside growers as they progress on their journey. We are available for questions; we monitor externally, and we can investigate if there is something new to try. So, the partnership between grower and Autonomous Greenhouse Manager is what makes us unique and what makes us work.”

Eric is the newest member of the Autonomous Greenhouse Managers team. Originally from South Africa, he moved to the United Kingdom for his studies and later worked as a nursery manager at several companies. With six years of cultivation experience, Eric reflects on his time as a grower: “I spent so many hours in front of the climate computer, scratching my head. Now there’s Crop Controller to make your work easier—why wouldn’t you use it? I really wish I’d had a tool like this back then.”

The final push

Geert believes the personal service that Blue Radix offers is highly valued by customers. “Knowing that we can provide support, at any time, gives growers the confidence to embrace Autonomous Growing. They know that we are monitoring, and they also know that we have the right set of skills to really guide them. It gives a lot of people that final push to choose for Autonomous Growing with Crop Controller.”

His advice to those hesitant to take the step towards Autonomous Growing: “The future starts now, and developments will only accelerate in the coming years. With fewer new growers entering the industry, you have to anticipate and secure the future of your company. Crop Controller can help you do that. While taking the first step toward digitalization may seem daunting, we will introduce you and continue to support you whenever needed. As we see in practice, this approach works. Autonomous Growing is becoming the norm in international horticulture.”

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