Future-proofing the greenhouse was the main objective when South Korean bell pepper grower Art Farm became one of the early adopters of Blue Radix’s Crop Controller in 2022. The company selected Blue Radix for its advanced autonomous growing technology and deep horticultural knowledge. They were convinced Autonomous Growing could help secure the future of the operation, as finding skilled growers is a challenge in South Korea. Four years in, grower Mr. Kim reflects positively on the journey. Crop Controller has delivered: stable cultivation, peace of mind, and more time to focus on people, improvements, and the bigger picture.
About Art Farm
Art Farm is a major player in South Korea’s greenhouse horticulture sector. Founded in 1994, the company has established itself as a specialist in bell pepper cultivation. Today, Art Farm grows peppers on nearly 10.6 hectares, with red varieties making up the largest share, followed by yellow and a smaller area dedicated to orange peppers. Mr. Kim, who works as a grower at Art Farm, has been working with Blue Radix’s Crop Controller for several years. The AI-driven solution is currently used in one of the three greenhouses, helping the team optimize climate management and streamline daily operations.
Results backed by data Blue Radix’s Value Report
The impact of autonomous growing extends beyond day-to-day convenience. Through Blue Radix’s Value Report, growers can clearly see how autonomous steering contributes to greenhouse performance.
The last crop cycle shows Crop Controller autonomously managed the greenhouse 80% of the time, while manual adjustments to the climate computer were reduced from multiple times a day to just 1.7 times per month. At the same time, the greenhouse spent 39% less time in humidity risk conditions, reducing condensation and lowering fungal disease incidence. The operation achieved an improvement of 7% in its RTR strategy, demonstrating the system’s ability to consistently execute the desired growing strategy and create a more stable growing environment.
Combined, these results highlight how autonomous growing helps growers achieve more consistent cultivation, reduce reliance on manual interventions and free up valuable time to focus on strategic decision-making.
Extensive expertise
Art Farm and Blue Radix first met at the trade fair GreenTech Amsterdam, Mr. Kim says. “Labor is a key issue in South Korea. Existing growers are aging, and it is difficult to find new people with the right expertise. Moreover, greenhouses are getting older and the climate is changing, making it increasingly challenging to manage crop cultivation effectively. That prompted us to explore the potential of AI at an early stage, partly to improve operational efficiency, and partly to safeguard our company’s future. We were already convinced that this technology could help us move forward.” Art Farm spoke with several parties during GreenTech Amsterdam. “But we chose Blue Radix because their solution is the most advanced and they possess extensive horticultural expertise,” says Mr. Kim.
Now, four years later, Art Farm looks back positively on the collaboration with Blue Radix. “Because conditions regarding climate and heat capacity have changed over the past few years, it is difficult to make a comparison between now and four years ago. “With Crop Controller, we wanted to ensure the stability of our bell pepper cultivation. Moreover, Autonomous Growing has given me something incredibly valuable: more time to focus on my team, opportunities for improvement, and the bigger picture, without having to constantly worry about the climate.” He adds: “Today, I spend only about a third of the time on climate management compared to before. Most of the time, the system runs autonomously, and I only pay closer attention when there are significant changes in outside weather conditions and adjustments may be needed.”
Mr. Kim initially had to get used to the new way of working, yet, he soon gained confidence that Crop Controller makes the right choices. “Previously, I was always busy fine-tuning the climate computer settings; now Crop Controller does that for me. And often even better, because the system can think and act faster based on data and algorithms.” That confidence arose partly from the pleasant collaboration with Autonomous Greenhouse Managers Sara and Tom from Blue Radix, Mr. Kim indicates. “Crop Controller itself is not a complicated system, it is very user-friendly. Still, I was quite insecure at the start and kept looking at the screen constantly. Sara and Tom showed me that this is not necessary. They are very approachable, friendly, and knowledgeable. And they respond lightning fast if I have questions or if I doubt something. That gives me a lot of peace of mind, because I know I am not alone.”
Old and new companies
Mr. Kim sees many developments within the South Korean horticulture sector. This older generation has knowledge and experience, but efficiency is crucial for survival. “For those companies, a system like Crop Controller can help them make truly significant steps forward. However, each company will have to calculate for itself whether that investment outweighs the return.” And then there are newcomers to the sector, often without much knowledge or experience. “For that new generation as well, Autonomous Growing can enable them to reach a professional level much faster.” For larger companies like Art Farm, which generally have their affairs well in order, Crop Controller brings peace of mind, Mr. Kim believes. “I think that Autonomous Growing can be of great overall significance for horticulture in South Korea in the coming years.”
He therefore strongly advises colleagues to delve into the technology and calculate the added value. “The key is simply to get started. As you get to know the system and tailor it to your own situation, you’ll quickly discover the value it can bring.” Meanwhile, Art Farm continues to work with Blue Radix on fine-tuning the system and implementing further improvements within the growing company. “We are discussing the implementation of the irrigation module, which I am really looking forward to. This will allow me to work even more efficiently and enable us to control the cultivation even more accurately.”
