New greenhouse robot monitors plants' water and nutrient mix

"The clever thing with Phil is that we can adjust each of the thousands of modules in our Texas greenhouse to grow the same and/or a variety of crops under different nutrient profiles, which in our controlled environment, rapidly accelerates our understanding of plant science," says Brandon Alexander, Iron Ox CEO. "This allows our team to optimize for the market demand, while giving each plant exactly what it needs."

Phil is integrated into the Iron Ox greenhouse system, with all the data it collects going into the company's agricultural dataset. This data informs the plant scientist's optimization strategies. For example, when the grower brings a module in for a checkup, the amount of water and nutrient content may vary based on different conditions, and the team may see a trend that provides valuable information on water or nutrient usage for each plant varietal.

Phil quickly and precisely fills each 6-by-6-foot plant module in under two minutes. Grover, the recently announced autonomous mobile robot, transports plant modules and docks with Phil, who, using its advanced sensors, hygienically fills it precisely to the required volume and nutrient mix. The module is now ready for Grover to retrieve it and deliver it to its next destination.

"The addition of Phil enables fast throughput of plant modules in an efficient and foodsafe process," says Sarah Osentoski, Iron Ox Senior Vice President of Engineering. "Phil's advanced sensors give the teams of plant and data scientists valuable information to optimize the entire closed-loop system of Iron Ox's greenhouses."

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Source: Greenhouse Grower