'For autonomous cultivation, you need not only data but also trust'

Added on 27 March 2025

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'For autonomous cultivation, you need not only data but also trust'

Photo: WUR

Autonomous cultivation has been a topic of interest for several years, with researchers and tech companies working hard to advance it. But what do growers think? What do they see as the greatest opportunities for autonomous cultivation? And do they also see risks? Anja Dieleman and students from Inholland University of Applied Sciences investigated these questions as part of the AGROS II project. “Autonomous cultivation is not a replacement for growers’ expertise, but a tool to support them.”

Anja Dieleman is a senior researcher in plant physiology at Wageningen University & Research’s Business Unit Greenhouse Horticulture. She leads AGROS, a project in which WUR collaborates with a consortium of companies to develop an autonomous greenhouse. The first phase of AGROS focused on improving vision technology inside greenhouses. In the second phase—launched last year—the project has deepened its focus, working on dashboards, more flexible algorithms, and enhanced image processing.

These developments are accelerating the progress of autonomous greenhouses. However, Dieleman wondered how this pace aligns with real-world greenhouse operations. Are growers actually waiting for autonomous cultivation? How do they perceive its opportunities and risks? “It’s tempting to only talk to frontrunners, as they tend to be enthusiastic. But what about other growers? How do they feel about autonomous cultivation?”

Anja, how did you assess growers’ perspectives on AI?

“To explore this, we collaborated with Inholland University of Applied Sciences. Three fourth-year students from the Horticulture & Agribusiness programme—Thijs, Bram, and Stef—conducted an online survey and in-depth interviews.