Blue Radix is not only a specialist in AI technology, but also deeply understands the unique circumstances and challenges that growers around the world face. We smartly implement this in dept green knowledge in everything that we do from Product Development to Service, to achieve the best result for growers worldwide. Employees Geert van der Wel, Jan Hanemaaijer and Pantelis Kleanthidis each tell from their own position how their horticulture background contributes to optimizing and realizing growers’ unique crop strategies with AI.
With Crop Controller, Blue Radix adds automated intelligence to daily decisions in greenhouses worldwide. For many growers, AI and algorithms are new concepts. That’s why it’s so valuable that Blue Radix has in-house specialists-making the process as smooth as possible, with crop and AI expertise that aligns perfectly with what growers need. For growers themselves, it is not necessary to delve deeply into the matter, believes Senior Autonomous Greenhouse Manager Geert van der Wel. “After all, it is all about the output. More important is that we can combine our green and technical knowledge to achieve the best result for the grower.”
Green knowledge
Geert has been working at Blue Radix since the company started more than 5 years ago. He guides growers from the kick-off to autonomous growing and helps them structure a data-driven cultivation strategy. In the operational phase, Geert is looking over the shoulder of growers and supports them in realizing their targets. He does not do this from a technical background but based on his years of experience in horticulture. “I was a tomato grower myself for ten years, worked at a plant nursery for a few years and another ten years in seed breeding. With that, I have built up an enormous ‘green knowledge bank’ that is now making a real difference.”
This also applies to Jan Hanemaaijer. As Technical Account Manager, he has been the connecting link between the developers of Blue Radix and customers for five years now. “I talk to many growers about their challenges and experiences with Crop Controller and, based on their feedback, I advise the development team. In this way, I help to translate the cultivation strategies of growers into smart algorithms.” Before Jan started working at Blue Radix, he worked for more than 15 years at various seed companies as an account manager. “In horticulture, everyone knows each other and personal contact means everything. In this business it is very important to speak the same language as the grower, to them it is not just a business, it is a big part of their life. For this reason, it helps that I can keep in depth conversations with them about the ins and outs of greenhouses and their crops. As a result, my network within the sector has grown on the basis of trust.”
Same starting point
As a grower, Geert always appreciated it when the people he worked with knew what they were talking about. “After all, if you understand each other, you can say what you mean clearly and get straight to the point. That saves time and energy and creates trust. Users of Crop Controller must also gain that trust. In the system, but also in the people behind it. Because I understand growers well from my personal experience and know what they are dealing with, I can translate their challenges into practical solutions. We are embarking on a journey together, so it is important to have the same starting point.”
Although there is no standard approach, Jan adds. “Not all growers are the same and every greenhouse has different circumstances. We do not just sell software at Blue Radix, but we offer a full and human supported service that should make the lives of growers as easy as possible. We want to empower them by creating a relationship between our product and what happens in the greenhouse. If you want to convey that to your customers, you have to understand growers and engage in conversation with each other. You got to have a genuine interest in what drives them. What are their priorities and what does the crop need? It’s the only way to deliver customization.
Limits of the plant
The horticultural knowledge also helps Blue Radix to determine what is realistic to develop, says Pantelis Kleanthidis. “We want to create the best conditions for plants to grow but in a sustainable way. It is important to know the limits of the plant, so you can build a suitable system for that. Horticulture is complex. Without knowledge of the plant, you can really get lost.” Pantelis has been part of the development team as a Crop Scientist for several months now. He has expert knowledge on how plants react to certain conditions in the greenhouse, which he implements into the Crop Controller algorithms. He studied Agriculture and specialized in crop production in Greece and studied Plant Sciences at Wageningen University. He also worked as a sensor-data driven horticulture specialist for some time. “Thanks to my horticultural knowledge I understand the conditions that the plants are experiencing and how Crop Controller influences their growth. That helps me to make quick decisions and advise my colleagues. In a certain way, I speak on behalf of the plant.”
Blue Radix has a lot of horticultural knowledge in-house, Pantelis continues. “At all levels of the company. We have the same passion for plants, but we all look at it from different backgrounds. In this way, we strengthen each other, and we can ultimately offer the grower a better service.” Jan adds that growers truly value it when he brings his knowledge and experience to the table. They don’t want people who always agree with them—they value conversations with those who bring their own ideas and offer different perspectives.” Although according to him, there are also pitfalls. “Even if you have deep knowledge of horticulture and understand growers well, it’s important not to assume you already know what they need. I learned to always ask questions—because only through listening and exploring together can you arrive at the best solution.”
Broader knowledge level
That constructive collaboration with growers is essential to get the most out of Crop Controller, Geert believes. And according to him, Crop Controller also contributes to further increasing the level of knowledge of the grower but also within the sector. “By working with this smart system, the insights only become greater and the knowledge broader. Also, for growers who already have a lot of knowledge.” And because the world is changing rapidly, according to Pantelis it is also important that he and his colleagues continue to develop themselves. “We grow along with the developments in the market and are constantly learning new things, so we always stay on top of our game.”
