“The most successful coaching relationships combine horticultural expertise with analytical thinking”
Source: VFD.com
"When consultants remain committed to their clients year after year, they become valuable partners in navigating the constant changes and challenges facing the horticultural industry." © Cultivation Coaches Production challenges drive new approaches Greenhouse growers continue to face pressure from labor shortages, rising energy costs, water management concerns, pest and disease risks, and increasing expectations for crop consistency. Environmental monitoring systems, crop sensors and integrated management platforms are helping growers make more informed cultivation decisions.
While observational skills and horticultural expertise remain essential, growers now generate large volumes of information from climate computers, irrigation systems and sensor networks. "Growers may respond to visible plant stress without fully understanding whether the root cause lies in climate management, irrigation practices, nutrition, root health, or environmental conditions." He also emphasizes the importance of consistent monitoring and record-keeping to support continuous improvement.
Sustainability and technology is the future Several sustainability practices are delivering measurable benefits across greenhouse operations. Water recycling, precision irrigation, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), LED lighting, thermal screens and optimized climate control systems are helping growers improve resource efficiency while reducing costs.
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.
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.
