Eight Types of Sensors for Optimal Greenhouse Remote Monitoring Systems
A greenhouse remote monitoring system is a crucial tool in controlled environments designed for plant growth. It creates the best conditions by controlling both indoor and outdoor factors. The system uses various sensors to find things in the greenhouse. It sends this data to a control platform using wired or wireless methods.
This platform can control terminal valves from a distance. It works with water valves, heating systems, drip irrigation, and sprinkler systems. This helps make the best conditions for plants to grow.
Greenhouse Monitoring Solutions
The main job of a greenhouse monitoring system is to measure key factors. These include indoor levels of carbon dioxide, temperature, humidity, light, soil moisture, soil pH, and air pressure. Outdoor factors like wind speed, wind direction, and rainfall are watched closely. These factors have a direct impact on how healthy and strong plants are.
Sensors play a key role in this process. They track specific environmental factors and send the data to the monitoring system. When the system finds differences from the ideal values, it alerts the connected controllers.
They quickly make changes, like using switches or valves. This helps keep the environment good for plants to grow.
These Internet of Things (IoT) remote monitoring systems are flexible. They can be used in farming, gardening, animal care, and other areas that need special control of the environment.
They help manage and oversee spaces needed for healthy crops. And they also provide scientific support for changes in farming. Automating monitoring processes helps us respond quickly and supports sustainable practices.
You can easily refine your monitoring setup by reaching out through the provided contact form. Please share your location and what you need. You will get a solution made just for you.
Understanding Greenhouse Remote Monitoring Systems
These systems are known as greenhouse control systems. They use data about the environment and details about certain crops. They help people improve how they farm. This leads to healthier crops and better productivity.
Eight Types of Sensors for Greenhouse Remote Monitoring Systems
1. Temperature and Humidity Sensor
Using greenhouses to grow crops has a big advantage. They help keep the right temperatures for plants to grow well. It is important to regularly check and control the indoor air temperature in many production systems. Temperature has a big impact on the greenhouse environment.
In greenhouse farming, changing indoor weather conditions is very important for crop growth and yield. It is important to control the indoor climate. Temperature and humidity have a direct impact on how plants breathe, absorb water, and release moisture.
Keeping an eye on greenhouse humidity is very important. High humidity can lead to mold and pests. Extreme cold or heat can hurt plant growth and development. By managing temperature and humidity well, you can create a great environment for indoor plants to grow.
Greenhouse temperature and humidity sensors give accurate readings. This helps us make good changes.
Many sensor solutions can be found on the market. Many of these can measure both temperature and humidity. This allows for better monitoring.
Industrial-grade temperature and humidity sensors can work with external controllers. This helps make the environment better. For example, when direct sunlight raises temperature or humidity, the sensor sends real-time data to a central platform.
This platform tells the fan controller in the greenhouse to change the airflow. It does this by turning on suction or venting functions to keep balance.
2. Light Sensor
Good lighting in greenhouses helps plants grow well and saves energy. Light measurement helps plants grow better. It does this by controlling extra light levels and placing lights well in indoor farms. Light sensors are useful tools for checking how much light plants get.
In greenhouses, there are two main types of light sensors. The first type is global radiation sensors. They measure energy. The second type is sensors for light that plants use for photosynthesis.
A total solar radiation sensor, known as a primary pyrometer, measures the sunlight that strikes its surface. It works in the wavelength range of 0.3 to 3 microns. When it is flat and facing down, it can measure light that bounces back. It can also predict scattered light with a light-shielding ring.
Photosynthetically active radiation is essential for creating biomass. It impacts how well plants can make food through photosynthesis. This affects how crops grow, develop, yield, and their quality. PAR sensors use photoelectric sensing to measure light in the 400-700nm range.
These sensors make voltage signals based on how strong the incoming light is. They work best when they match the angle of the light rays.
Advanced features, such as special coatings on sensor dust covers, help to reduce dust buildup. They also stop outside factors from interfering. This makes it easier to measure the levels of photosynthetic radiation accurately.
3.Carbon dioxide sensor
Carbon dioxide is a key ingredient for photosynthesis in green plants. It makes up 95% of the dry weight of crops. As such, it has become a key factor influencing crop yields.
In greenhouses, keeping the doors closed for too long leads to stale air. This makes it hard for carbon dioxide to refresh properly. After sunrise, plants start photosynthesis. This process quickly lowers indoor carbon dioxide levels.
Sometimes, these levels fall below the carbon dioxide compensation point. This point is between 0.008% and 0.01%.
This deficit slows down normal photosynthesis. This harms the growth and development of crops. It also makes plants more prone to diseases and reduces yields.
It is important to use carbon dioxide sensors to check CO2 levels in the greenhouse. Sensors that use NDIR (non-dispersive infrared) technology are often used for this purpose.
Installation of greenhouse carbon dioxide sensors
When choosing a carbon dioxide sensor, think about the size of the greenhouse. For smaller greenhouses, placing the sensor in a central spot lets one unit monitor the whole environment well. Larger greenhouses need two or more sensors placed in key spots for complete monitoring.
When installing, you need to think about some important details. It is often better to put things on the wall. Many greenhouses do not have the right conditions for this. In such cases, users can erect steel pipes and mount the sensors securely through hoisting arrangements.
4.Soil moisture sensor
Soil moisture is vital for plants to grow. It helps water and nutrients get to plant roots by absorption. When there is not enough water in the soil, the roots cannot take in nutrients well.
This makes it hard for plants to grow. Keeping track of soil moisture in greenhouses helps improve crop yields.
A good soil moisture sensor needs a stainless steel probe. This probe can be placed or buried for long-term monitoring. It will not be damaged.
These sensors connect to a controller. When they find very low or high moisture levels in the soil, the monitoring platform sends a signal. This signal turns the drip irrigation systems on or off as needed.
5.Soil pH sensor
Soil pH has a big impact on how crops grow. It affects how plants look, grow, develop, and their quality and yield.
Extreme acidity or alkalinity can harm root growth. It also affects how nutrients are available in the soil. This impacts how plants grow and their overall health.
It is important to monitor soil pH with special sensors. And it helps us learn about soil quality. It also makes sure we use the right amount of fertilizer. This practice speeds up soil improvement and boosts fertility for better crop growth in greenhouses.
For flexible monitoring of different soil factors, we recommend using all-in-one soil sensors. These devices measure soil temperature, moisture, conductivity, pH, and nutrient levels (NPK) at the same time. They provide efficient and cost-effective solutions. Coda’s all-in-one soil sensor is a great option for greenhouse use.
6.Wind speed and direction sensor
Wind speed and direction sensors are usually placed outside. This helps them measure wind activity accurately.
If wind speeds go above set limits, the monitoring system alerts the controller. This helps shut down ventilation systems. It also keeps the greenhouse safe from wind damage.
A common tool to measure wind speed is the three-cup anemometer. It counts how many times the cups spin around a vertical axis in a set time.
7.Precipitation Sensor
A rain gauge is a tool used to measure rainfall. It is usually put outside the greenhouse to measure rainfall. When it rains and the water level reaches a certain point, the monitoring system can take action.
It can automatically open or close the roof vents. And it can also retract the roof. It can close or limit them as needed.
These sensors are a great fit for this application. They can give quick and dependable answers.
Environmental Monitoring Platform
The environmental monitoring platform is the main part of the agricultural greenhouse system. It collects data from different sensors. It gathers, keeps, and studies information. This lets managers access real-time data on computers, smartphones, or other devices.
It also helps connect related equipment. This allows for better greenhouse management based on environmental conditions.
This platform helps improve the management of greenhouse operations. It makes oversight smarter and more efficient. It is also based on science.