Hidde Preidel is still studying Horticulture and Arable Farming at the HAS Green Academy. Since the start of this year, he has been working as an intern at a Dutch tomato nursery that uses Autonomous Greenhouse Management. In his role, he works daily with Blue Radix’s Crop Controller and is discovering the capabilities and opportunities that the autonomous climate and irrigation control system offers.
The nursery operates multiple sites across the Netherlands and has been investing in innovative solutions to make greenhouse operations easier and more efficient. At the location where Hidde works, Blue Radix’s Crop Controller has already been in use for some time, using AI to optimise and implement the grower’s unique strategy. According to Hidde, the successful results at this site quickly created enthusiasm to extend its use.
‘Working with Crop Controller adds an extra dimension to my profession as a grower. It is likely to make working in horticulture appeal to a greater number of young people. The main benefit of Autonomous Greenhouse Management is that it helps create peace of mind. By making continual adjustments, you can always count on getting optimal crop results. I can’t do that 24/7.’
Hidde Preidel
Junior Growing Specialist
Preidel started working part‑time as a junior crop specialist in October 2023. Initially, he combined this with his studies, but since January he has been working full‑time. “As part of my Horticulture and Arable Farming course, I am doing an internship at a Dutch tomato nursery. I manage 10 hectares of tomato crop, and I am also involved in the further roll‑out of Crop Controller within the company. The organisation aims to expand the use of the system to multiple sites and asked me to support the project.”
Working with AI is nothing new to Preidel. “Although I had no previous experience with Autonomous Greenhouse Management, I did complete a minor in High‑tech Agricultural Solutions. During that period, I helped build lighting systems for a vertical farm and worked with vision technology. We used AI to detect fruits on plants, which gave me a strong foundation.” Because of this background, he already had insight into how algorithms operate and what drives their choices. “That helped me understand Crop Controller more quickly and grasp how the system works.”
Preidel acknowledges that he felt slightly nervous when he first encountered Crop Controller. “You are handing over a significant part of the operation to a computer program. With a climate computer, you do something similar, but your hands are still on the controls. Crop Controller uses our growing strategy to steer the climate computer and greenhouse systems. At the same time, it lets you monitor everything and provides forecasts for the coming days. I soon noticed that the system’s choices aligned closely with my own thinking, which quickly built trust.”
According to Preidel, that trust is essential in Autonomous Greenhouse Management. “Sometimes changes in the climate make you feel like adjusting settings manually. Is the change the result of a manual setting or a decision made by the AI? In those moments, you can always contact Blue Radix’s Autonomous Greenhouse Managers. Even though growers are used to doing everything themselves, it’s reassuring to have that support. My experience has been very positive, and I know I can rely on them.”
He sees the guidance from Blue Radix as a valuable safeguard. “If something unexpected happens, they detect it in their monitoring tools and help me investigate. And they are always available to think along. That gives even more confidence.”
Preidel has always been interested in technology, so working with AI and Crop Controller suits him well. “It adds a new dimension to my work as a grower. I find these kinds of developments fascinating, and if AI can improve the crop, that’s a win. I also believe it will attract more young people to horticulture. Digitalisation and robotics can make the sector feel more familiar to them. Young people generally adopt new technologies faster because they are used to digital tools and AI. But of course, horticulture has been innovating for many years already, so Autonomous Greenhouse Management is certainly not only for young growers. Crop Controller is very accessible, so I believe anyone can work with it.”
The goal of his internship is to assess how Crop Controller is currently used, how people experience it, where opportunities lie, and where improvements may be needed. “I also provide Blue Radix with feedback to support further system development,” says Preidel. At present, several greenhouses are already managed autonomously, and more sites will follow. “Colleagues frequently ask me questions, and I help them get started.”
For the organisation, one of the biggest advantages of Autonomous Greenhouse Management is the peace of mind it brings. “You hand over some of the operational work, but the system manages the greenhouse continuously and optimises the crop. It constantly makes fine adjustments, so you can rely on consistent, optimal results. I couldn’t do that 24/7. It creates time for other important tasks.”
Preidel looks forward to new features and future expansions of Crop Controller, such as Blue Radix’s integrated irrigation system. “Every new development is interesting because it helps improve our tomatoes. If we can enhance climate and irrigation even further, we will certainly explore it. If the system contributes to that, we will definitely consider it.”
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