**8.13 Significance of computerization and automation (robotics) in the twenty-first century greenhouse production process**

The modern greenhouse vegetable crop production requires a proper environment climate control. The most important factors are efficient and proper use of energy, water, and fertilizers. In order to meet those requirements, the vegetable crop production process has to be computerized, using special computer software that can, in a simple way, monitor and control the environment climatic conditions, how the boilers are running and timely and have precise water availability. Special computers and software allow environment control in several sections in the greenhouse and reporting on the climatic conditions in those sections—so, in different greenhouse sections, it is possible to grow different vegetable crops that require different conditions for their development and growth. Such a system allows a simplified production process management where the information is available at any given time. Such computer systems are easy to use. There is a greenhouse map placed in the center of all the operations, so the climatic situation in entire area can be viewed. Both hardware and software can be adjusted to any of the production special features, but can also be upgraded easily in the case of the production improvements or enhancements. The plant ontogenesis is followed by multiple quantitative and qualitative processes occurring within the given crop, which result in its productivity. Numerous ecological factors have an impact on the crop productivity, so different development and growth stages require suitable and optimal conditions for achieving its productivity

*Advantages of Growing Vegetable Crops in Modern Greenhouses DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.101469*

#### **Figure 29.**

*Gutters for plant growing substrate; below are the greenhouse heating pipes and the plastic black and white film for covering the ground (The Netherlands)*

maximum. The environmental factors have an impact on the crop development, growth, and biological yield in the greenhouse because they directly influence its physiological processes [6, 20]. The environment is actually a complex and dynamic system resulting in an effect of combined climatic, soil, and biological factors [6, 21]. So, according to Krug [20], each of these factors consists of numerous elements that

**Figure 31.** *Tomato de-leafing robot (The Netherlands).*

differ from each other in the way and intensity they influence on the plants, such as the climatic factors, sun radiation in particular, temperature, air humidity, wind, CO2 concentration (**Figure 30**).

The system consists of a control station and its digital nodes installed at different spots in the greenhouse. It also saves the amount of cable in the case the greenhouse has to be extended, as it is possible just to add new digital nodes.

**Automation and robotics** in the modern greenhouse vegetable crop production is increasingly coming into practice, which facilitates timely and precise vegetable harvesting, removal of excess leaves, and crop spacing, and it also saves labor, which is becoming quite scarce. The use of robots in the vegetable production process is increasing in the agriculture industry, in greenhouses in particular, since all the activities and processes take place according to the set parameters, at precisely set timing. It also reduces the need for labor force in the agriculture industry (**Figure 31**).
