Penza State University grows vegetables in its own “smart greenhouse”. It is equipped with a aeroponic system. The development in the future will be able to provide the infertile regions of Russia with the necessary amount of fresh produce.
On the basis of the Student Research and Production Business Incubator, this project has been in existence for the second year, and there are already successes. Last year, the guys won a grant for 2 thousand euros and began to create a prototype.
“Smart greenhouse” is a device with an automatic system for growing plants. Human effort and care costs are minimal. This is achieved thanks to the built-in artificial intelligence. So the greenhouse creates favorable environmental conditions for plants and controls the ripening of the crop.
“Our installation consists of a system of sensors that control lighting, temperature, humidity, pressure. There is also a control unit, which displays all the readings from the sensors. With the help of a pump, nutrients are supplied to the nozzles (sprayers) and sprayed onto the roots of plants,” says project manager Alina Sashina.
The greenhouse is equipped with a hydroponic system. Hydroponics is a method of growing plants on artificial environments without soil. So it is in the greenhouse — the plants are fed from the nutrient solution surrounding the roots. To grow a crop, you do not need to use a substrate, that is, soil, this excludes root diseases.
This method of cultivation in Russia is not often heard about. However, it would greatly facilitate the supply of fresh vegetables. It is no longer necessary to cultivate the land and get rid of pests. In the north-eastern part of Russia, the land is infertile. Imported vegetables do not always match the quality, and the price, sometimes, hits the pocket. “Smart greenhouse” is able to provide the region with the necessary amount of fresh produce.
The guys are not going to stop at the development of a prototype and plan to launch mass production in the near future.
A source: https://www.pnzgu.ru
