Comparison of Growth Conditions of Cut Spray <i>Chrysanthemum</i> in Smart Farm and Greenhouse

Abstract

The yield and quality of cut flowers (Chrysanthemum) in a conventional greenhouse and a smart farm were assessed. The two sites were compared in terms of facilities, soils, and growth conditions. The three cultivars of cut spray chrysanthemums used in this study were ‘Abishag’, ‘Ford’, and ‘Henna’. The smart farm was equipped with 16 automatic sensor channels for monitoring temperature, humidity, CO2, nutri-culture solution, air flow, and light. Fog spray devices were used in the smart farm but not in the greenhouse, where temperature was lowered by opening side windows for ventilation. We found that cut chrysanthemums of excellent quality are produced in the smart farm, due to the uniform environment year-round. The chrysanthemum crop was harvested at the smart farm 3.5 times per year and produced an average of 129 plants/m2 annually, in one year, which is an improvement over the conventional greenhouse, in which the crop was harvested 3 times per year, yielding 91 crops/m2 annuallyin 1 year. The smart farm has an appropriate amount of organic matter and pH; however, the greenhouse has high organic matter. The electrical conductivity in the smart farm was 3.8 times higher than the corresponding value in the greenhouse. The three varieties grown on the smart farm were all superior to the greenhouse plants in terms of plant height, number of leaves, and stem diameter. On the other hand, chlorophyll content tended to be higher in the greenhouse plants. Through these results, we found that cut chrysanthemums of commercially excellent quality are produced in the smart farm, due to the uniform environment year-round using smart-farming system.