Labor challenges spur greenhouse tech innovations

It is becoming more difficult to recruit and retain qualified employees, especially when the tasks often require manual labor and repetitive tasks. The struggle, however, is leading to innovation.

As growers continue their operations with less workers, technology plays a major role. Automated systems can complete some tasks better than humans, says Allison Kopf, Chief Growth Officer for IUNU. She also sees more greenhouse acreage built than ever before, requiring growers to do more with less.

“We’ve been reaching a pressure point on labor for the past few years,” Kopf says. “With labor shortages deepening and the need for experienced growers rising, technology has a critical role to play.”

Automation Saves on Labor

Kopf says technology enables humans to automate and augment processes. Technology could be used to automate labor-intensive practices. It can also augment growers, she says, so they can manage more acreage, grow higher quality crops, and produce more profit. Humans are better than computers at many tasks, but computers have the edge on a few specific tasks, such as counting.

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Photo: Above is a Robotic Work Cell that can be customized based on application requirements. In this example, it is transporting potted plants. Photo Credit: AdeptAg

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