The tomatoes have been harvested and weighed, the yields and costs calculated, and the results added up. With this, the winner of the 2024 Autonomous Greenhouse Challenge has been revealed. Team IDEAS emerged victorious with their algorithm for the autonomous cultivation of dwarf tomatoes, achieving the highest profit. Stef Maree and Silke Hemming from Wageningen University & Research (WUR) explain the choices that made the difference and the valuable insights this edition has provided for autonomous greenhouse horticulture.
This edition focused on dwarf tomatoes. Silke Hemming, project leader of the Autonomous Greenhouse Challenge, explains why this variety was chosen. “The fact that dwarf tomatoes only require a single harvest, can be picked by robots, and grow uniformly at the same height makes them ideal for autonomous cultivation. Additionally, their cultivation methods are representative of other potted plant cultivations. What makes growing dwarf tomatoes autonomously challenging is determining the right harvest moment. The plant needs to have enough ripe fruits, which can’t simply be inferred from the plant’s weight, as was the case with lettuce – the crop in the previous edition.”
According to Stef Maree, a data scientist involved in the Challenge, the winning factor was IDEAS’ decision to cultivate with as many pots per square metre as possible. “Normally, during cultivation, a grower spaces the plants further apart to ensure all leaves receive enough light and the plants maintain a good shape. But it turns out that this is not necessary for a good yield. The plant density of IDEAS was almost twice as high as that of most other teams, resulting in a higher profit per square metre per day. IDEAS’ overall cultivation strategy was also effective – they were resource-efficient, making extensive use of energy screens.