New sensor could help tailor fertiliser to plants’ needs and reduce nutrient discharge

Even so, greenhouses periodically discard the water and start again with a fresh mixture. The aim is to bring these steps together in a robust, relatively inexpensive device that can be connected to existing greenhouse irrigation systems.

The plan is to connect the system to the digital platform InfoGrow, which is already used to monitor and control greenhouse conditions, including temperature, heating, windows and screens. © Syddansk Universitet Benefits for growers and the environment More precise control could help growers save both water and fertiliser.

Testing in a German greenhouse NutriCycle has a total budget of just over €1.8 million, of which approximately €1.2 million comes from Interreg Deutschland–Danmark. NutriCycle invites growers, companies, researchers and other interested parties to its kick-off event on 28 October 2026, from 10.00 to 12.00.

Why this matters: For operators, this is a water-management story. The useful signal is that direct substrate measurements can help cut drain loss materially without giving up yield or fruit quality, which is exactly the kind of controllable efficiency gain a facility can build on.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does substrate sensing matter in free-drain strawberry systems?

Because drain percentage tells a grower what already happened, while substrate moisture and EC data show root-zone conditions directly. That makes it easier to cut water loss without guessing.

What is the operator takeaway from this trial?

If the thresholds are understood well enough, growers can reduce drain water materially while protecting yield and fruit quality, which makes sensing an operational tool instead of a reporting tool.

"Research conducted on systems that reflect what growers use has a more direct path into practice"

Source: VFD.com © AmplifiedAg Container layout built around trial flexibility UGA's requirements called for separating plant groups, controlling irrigation and nutrients, and keeping plants accessible, with flexibility for different types of trials, and that shaped the layout from the beginning. AmplifiedAg built the research containers with insect screening

Little Leaf Farms expands retail reach

Source: VFD.com The Massachusetts-based controlled-environment grower has expanded its McAdoo, PA, campus while preparing to open a new 20-acre greenhouse in Manchester, TN. The investments are designed to add production capacity while placing more lettuce production closer to the markets the company serves. The Manchester facility

"You're building a greenhouse to last 30 years, so you've got to look into the future and plan to increase efficiency"

Source: HD.com We take the seed, put it in a cloth bag, pack wet material around it, and put it in the refrigerator for 30 days to six months depending on the cultivar," he explains. We've been collecting data for 40 years, but it doesn'

From beefsteak tomatoes to tropical gardens

Source: VFD.com The packing line currently handles production from around 30 acres of beefsteak tomatoes, with capacity for 50 acres. The company is expanding its greenhouse area by another 11 acres, with South Essex Fabricating building the new structure. Full LED at JEM Farms The second stop was JEM