SusMedHouse - Efficient, Eco-Friendly, Sustainable Mediterranean Greenhouse Integrated with Artificial Intelligence, Hi-Tech Automation and Control System

The digital revolution and renewable energy applications have pushed agricultural activities towards new dimensions about efficiency in every area. European agriculture can reach a competitive edge if the information and communication technology (ICT) sector and the farming community work together to achieve a result and customer-oriented innovation across Europe for more productive and sustainable agriculture8. Precision farming offers one of the most promising approaches to address the challenge of sustainable food production. Using the latest advances in AI and machine learning (ML), the farmer can be empowered with predictions that can improve farm processes, from planting to harvest. To tackle the challenges and realise the expected impacts of Topic 1.2.2, SusMedHouse aims to develop an automated and sustainable greenhouse system to produce high-quality crops with advanced technology and a vision of precision farming. The demonstration will be realised on a divided greenhouse with four benches that are also divided to subsections including a reference for conducting controlled experiments in different areas, namely: (i) Standard conventional farm area (ii) Standard conventional farm area with solar panels (iii) Aquaponic farm (iv) Hydroponic farm. With the realisation of SusMedHouse, the followings will be achieved: ✓ Increase greenhouse production quality and quantity while boosting overall efficiency by at least 20%, ✓ Develop new safer methods for pest and pathogen management, ✓ Efficient resource usage by optimising especially energy, soil and water resources, ✓ Prevent eutrophication, ✓ Contribute to circular economy in agriculture, providing sustainability, ✓ Create fully automated eco-friendly greenhouses with less intensive hand-labour.

Objective The main objectives are as below. -To understand future technology expectations of greenhouses, growers’ needs, factors affecting plant growth and plant nutritive value for common greenhouse crops. - To upgrade existing concepts into the necessary conceptual system and sensors network for a smart, energy efficient, and automated greenhouse system. - To develop an AI software that will find and provide momentary optimal conditions for plant growth in terms of commercial greenhouse purpose. - To develop a mobile application and user interface showing greenhouse conditions and a Decision Support System (DSS) integrated with automation system and user interface - To develop innovative bio-degradable, peat-free growth media for plant development, which represents a potential valuable surrogate for peat in the preparation of more sustainable growth media for plant cultivation. - To develop new eco-friendly methods to fight pests and pathogens including usage of innovative sexual confusion instruments and innovative spraying techniques. -To build an AI supported, smart, energy efficient, automated greenhouse system and to demonstrate whole system integrity and compatibility on a medium scale greenhouse - To optimise solar energy using photovoltaic panels, Low-E and solar control coatings -Control nutrient leakage to surface, sub-surface and groundwater to prevent eutrophication with a closed loop system created with hydroponics to prevent leakage. - To test the established smart greenhouse system on an aquaponic and hydroponic setup - To generate a technical and economic feasibility analyses to show the best business model for each impact point. - To raise public awareness and societal involvement: - To organise training activities to improve professional skills and competencies: - To perform socio-economic analysis considering social acceptability of methods in Mediterranean area.