Daniel Crawford, an Agricultural and Biological Engineering B.S. student at the University of Florida, is researching climate sensors for propagation greenhouses. Production of seedlings, cuttings, and tissue culture transplants requires precise control of light, temperature, humidity, and mist irrigation.
However, many greenhouses have few sensors inside their greenhouses and rely on a simple time clock and grower experience for mist timing. Commercially available sensors such as infra-red sensors for leaf temperature are being connected to a greenhouse control system at UF to provide guidelines to growers on what sensors can be helpful.
Climate data will also be used in a model of plant temperature and water loss to train growers on irrigation and climate control.
For more information:
Floriculture research alliance
www.floriculturealliance.org